Exercise AIKYA, Disaster Management, UPSC Current Affairs.

Description

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Context:

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), in collaboration with the Southern Command of the Indian Army and Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority (TNSDMA), conducted "EXERCISE AIKYA".

Details

It is an Integrated Symposium cum Table Top Exercise (TTEx) on disaster management.

Aim

"Aikya," meaning "Oneness" in Tamil, the primary aim of the exercise is to enhance disaster preparedness and foster robust collaboration among key stakeholders.

Key Participants

The exercise witnessed participation from a diverse range of organizations, including representatives from six southern states/UTs: Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Puducherry; central ministries overseeing various aspects of disaster management; State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs); early warning agencies like India Meteorological Department (IMD), research institutions including the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM).

The India Meteorological Department (IMD), formed in 1875, is an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India. It is the principal agency responsible for meteorological observations, weather forecasting and seismology. IMD is headquartered in Delhi and operates hundreds of observation stations across India and Antarctica. IMD is also one of the six Regional Specialised Meteorological Centres of the World Meteorological Organisation.

NIDM, as a statutory body, is a Grantee Organization affiliated to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. It was constituted as per Section 42 (1) of Disaster Management Act, 2005. In the area of DM, NIDM shall be responsible for planning and promoting training and research, documentation and development of national level information base, prevention mechanisms and mitigation measures and capacity building in disaster management.

Key outcomes

EXERCISE AIKYA simulated emergency situations to test roles and responsibilities, fostered discussions on technologies and trends in disaster relief, and reviewed lessons from recent operations. It addressed issues including tsunamis, landslides, floods, cyclones, industrial incidents, and forest fires.

Participants discussed leveraging technology and AI for disaster management, economic costs of disasters, vulnerabilities specific to Peninsular India, and strategies to improve response times.