Eastern Railways: Malda Division Conducts Mock Drill on Disaster Preparedness.

As a part of Malda Division’s continuous endeavour to strengthen disaster management capabilities, a full-scale mock drill was conducted at Sahibganj Railway Station yard today – 29.11.2024. The exercise was organised by the Safety Department under the guidance of Divisional Railway Manager, Malda, Mr. Manish Kumar Gupta, and the supervision of Sr. Divisional Safety Officer Mr. Tarachand, in collaboration with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), 9th Battalion (Patna).

As part of the exercise, an imaginary accident involving the departure of a train from Line No. 04 of Platform No. 03 at 11:35 hrs was declared as a mock drill scenario. To assess the readiness and response time of staff and officers, information was immediately passed on to the Malda Railway Rescue Team. Enquiry booths and help desks were set up at Sahibganj yard to simulate real-time passenger assistance. The drill was completed after two hours, following full restoration.

ADRM/Malda, Mr. Sheo Kumar Prasad was present at the mock accident site along with other Branch Officers, Scouts and Guides team, and the NDRF team. The Accident Relief Train (ART)/Sahibganj arrived at the accident site immediately.

Railway officials of all key departments—including Safety, Medical, RPF, Mechanical, Engineering, Operating, Electrical, Telecom, Commercial and Security—actively participated in the drill. The overall exercise was closely monitored by Divisional Railway Manager, Malda, Mr. Manish Kumar Gupta.

The purpose of the exercise was to monitor and measure response times, decision-making, adherence to laid-down procedures, and to identify and address any impediments in rescue operations.

Such joint drills with NDRF are crucial for assessing the preparedness of Railway breakdown staff, enhancing their rescue skills, and training them in the use of modern equipment and techniques. These exercises also ensure that trapped passengers are rescued, provided first aid, and shifted to hospitals within the “Golden Hour”—i.e., within one hour of the accident. The mock drill not only improved the rescue efficiency of Railway personnel but also helped NDRF teams gain better understanding of Indian Railway coach structures.

Senior officers present during the drill included Mr. Ratnesh Kumar, Senior Divisional Mechanical Manager; Mr. Amrendra Kumar Maurya, Senior Divisional Operating Manager; Mr. Neeraj Kumar Verma, Senior Divisional Engineer(Coordination); Mr. Kartik Singh, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager; along with other Branch Officers of Malda Division.

Team Maverick