Sri Vijaya Puram, July 24: Oil Spill Mock Exercise – 2026 was conducted at Corbyn’s Cove Beach today. The exercise was jointly organized by the District Administration, South Andaman and the Directorate of Disaster Management, A&N Administration in coordination with Indian Coast Guard (ICG) with the objective of assessing the preparedness, response capability, coordination mechanism, and inter-agency communication during an oil spill emergency in the coastal environment.
The mock exercise witnessed the active participation of more than 300 participants, including Government officials, personnel from the Armed Forces, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), paramedics, Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS), and Civil Defence Volunteers from the District Administration (SA), ICG, Disaster Management, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), along with other stakeholder departments and agencies. Their enthusiastic involvement and coordinated efforts contributed significantly to the successful conduct of the exercise.
The exercise simulated an oil spill incident along the coastline, requiring a coordinated response from multiple departments. Various response activities, including activation of the Incident Response System (IRS), incident assessment, establishment of the Incident Command Post, deployment of response teams, shoreline protection measures, pollution containment, public safety management, environmental monitoring, medical preparedness, traffic regulation, communication support, and resource mobilization, were carried out in accordance with the approved exercise scenario.
The Additional District Magistrate, South Andaman/Director (Disaster Management), Smti Priyanka Kumari, functioned as the Incident Commander and effectively coordinated the overall response operations, ensuring seamless inter-departmental coordination throughout the exercise.
Commandant Laxmikant Gajbhiye, Indian Coast Guard extended technical guidance and operational support to all participating agencies for the smooth conduct of the mock exercise. Deputy Commandant Ram Karan Swami, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Commandant (JG), Abhinav Srivastava, Indian Coast Guard were designated as Observers for the exercise.
The exercise provided an opportunity to validate the existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), assess inter-agency coordination, identify operational gaps, and enhance the capacity of all stakeholder departments to respond effectively to marine pollution incidents. It also reinforced the importance of coordinated action for protecting the fragile coastal and marine ecosystem of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
The Additional District Magistrate/Director (Disaster Management) expressed their appreciation to all participating departments, response agencies, volunteers, and stakeholders for their active cooperation and successful execution of the Oil Spill Mock Exercise–2026. The Administration reiterated its commitment to strengthening disaster preparedness through regular training programmes, mock exercises, and capacity-building initiatives aimed at ensuring a swift, coordinated, and effective response to emergencies.