The “2nd BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise-2020 (BIMSTEC DMEx-2020)” was held at Bhubaneswar/Puri, Odisha from 11-13 February, 2020 with themes “A cultural heritage site that suffers severe damage in the Earthquake” & “Flooding or Storm”. Organized by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), on behalf of the Government of India, BIMSTEC DMEx-2020 was inaugurated by Chief Minister Odisha, Shri Naveen Patnaik on Feb 11, 2020. While Minister of State (Home), Nityanand Rai launched field training exercise scheduled on 12th February, 2020 at Ramachandi Beach, District-Puri, Odisha. The first similar kind of exercise took place in 2017.
Objective: The objective of this exercise is to test the existing emergency procedures and to enhance the coordination and co-operation involving multi-agency operations in an earthquake, flooding and storm surge.
Participants: It was attended by Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Bhutan and Thailand were not participated in the exercise.
Excercises: The three-day long exercise consisted of inaugural session and table top exercise (TTx) on collapsed structure in Bhubaneswar. The field training exercise (FTx) on acquatic disaster response with focus on cultural heritage sites was held at Ramnchandi beach followed by proceeding of disaster management exercise.
Other Participants: The exercise also attended by International observers like United Nations Development Program (UNDP), International Search And Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) & The International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), National observers like Indian National Trust for Art And Cultural Heritage (INTACH) & Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), representatives from various stakeholders viz. India Metrological Deptt. (IMD), National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Centre Water Commission (CWC), Animal Quarantine and Certification Service (AQCS), Civil Defence, Fire Services, BIMSTEC Secretariat etc.
About NDRF
Establishment– 2006
Battalions– 12
Director General- Satya Narayan Pradhan
Headquarter– New Delhi
About BIMSTEC
It is an acronym for Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation
Members– 7 (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand , Nepal and Bhutan)
Secretariat– Dhaka, Bangladesh
Secretary General– M Shahidul Islam
