A table-top exercise was conducted a day ahead of the mock exercise to be held in the state on forest fires by the state disaster management department with the assistance of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Advisor to the NDMA, major general (retired) VK Datta through video conferencing and the disaster management secretary Amit Negi conducted the exercise reviewing preparations for the mock exercise with all the district magistrates on Wednesday. It was stated in the video conference that on April 20, information about the forest fire area will be communicated to the districts at 9:30 AM.
In Dehradun, the district magistrate Ravinath Raman issued necessary instructions to officials of the forest, police, fire service, medical, Jal Sansthan, Public Works Department, revenue, transport and other departments concerned to make necessary preparations for tackling forest fire. The district magistrate further informed that in Dehradun, the staging area for the mock exercise on Thursday will be set up at the Maharana Pratap Sports College. He directed the chief medical officer Dr YS Thapliyal to arrange for a medical camp and ambulance at the staging area apart from which he also sought information about the beds in the burns ward of the Coronation hospital. Raman also directed the chief veterinary officer to set up a veterinary camp at the staging area for animals injured in the forest fire. He directed officials of the irrigation department to identify water sources near areas vulnerable to forest fires apart from which the Public Works Department officials were also directed to arrange for mechanical excavators with the transport department officials being directed to arrange for buses in the staging area. The district magistrate directed all departmental officials to keep ready all their available resources so that the forest fire can be tackled effectively with the use of adequate resources. Raman stated that in the district, Chakrata and Mussoorie areas are more vulnerable to forest fires considering which all the officials concerned were directed to remain alert and keep the preparations at their level complete during the forest fire season. Officials were also directed to identify locations in Mussoorie, Chakrata and Rajaji national park area for establishing staging areas for the forest fire mock exercise. Addressing officials of the revenue, village development, horticulture and agriculture department, the district magistrate directed that on receiving information about the forest fire on April 20, information about the mock exercise should be communicated to residents of the villages nearby to prevent any type of confusion or fear among the locals and elicit their cooperation in the exercise.