State-Level Mock Drill on Chemical (Industrial) Disaster Conducted, LPG Pipeline Leak in GAIL India’s Jaipur Unit Repaired

Jaipur – A state-level mock drill simulating a chemical (industrial) disaster was held on Thursday in Rajawas village, Jaipur. The event was organized by the Department of Disaster Management, Relief and Civil Security, Rajasthan, in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Several agencies, including the NDRF, SDRF, Army, GAIL India Limited, Home Guard, CISF, District Administration, Civil Security, NCC, Scout Guides, Rapid Action Force, NGOs, and local citizens, participated in the mock exercise.

The drill began with a report of a leakage in the Jamnagar-Loni LPG pipeline in Rajawas village. Upon receiving information from local citizens about the gas leak, the local administration immediately alerted GAIL India Limited officials. The Civil Security Department was the first to respond and initiated relief efforts. Subsequent teams arrived at the site, establishing red, yellow, and green zones to manage the situation and provide medical assistance to affected citizens. They successfully repaired the leak.

Brigadier Ravindra Gurang (Ret.), Senior Consultant of the NDMA, highlighted the importance of being prepared for various types of disasters in the face of increasing industrialization. He emphasized the need for coordination among governmental and non-governmental disaster management entities and stressed that industries should have internal disaster management plans, as chemical disasters are often caused by human error.

Brigadier Gurang also noted that while Rajasthan is rich in gas, petroleum, chemicals, and minerals, natural disasters like heatwaves, floods, and lightning pose additional risks of chemical incidents. He advocated for greater awareness in schools and hospitals and called for advancements in technologies such as drones and early warning systems to mitigate these risks.

District Collector Dr. Jitendra Kumar Soni commended the participating central and state agencies for the successful execution of the drill, encouraging similar exercises to be conducted periodically. He urged district administration officials to maintain strong coordination with disaster management agencies.

Amit Sharma, Deputy Controller of the Civil Security Department, stated that the Incident Response System was effectively utilized throughout the drill.

This mock exercise was part of a larger initiative, with similar drills conducted at GAIL India Limited in Rajawas, Jaipur, Vedanta Limited in Barmer, Lord’s Chloro Alkali Limited in Alwar, and Uma Polymers in Jodhpur.

Zilla Parishad CEO Ms. Pratibha Verma, Additional District Collector (South) Mr. Devendra Kumar Jain, and other officials from the district administration and central and state agencies were present during the exercise.