Army practices response to NBC disasters

JAMMU - The Indian Army’s Northern Command Saturday concluded a two-day exercise aimed at practicing its response to nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) disasters, an official said.

On first day of the exercise, held in Himachal Pradesh’s Dharmashala area, Friday, deliberations were held on the situations which would be encountered and “the response of the civil administration as the first responder and that of the army as the second responder,” army spokesman Major K.S. Rathi said in a release here.

“On the second day (Saturday), troops carried out their drills for mitigation of the said disasters,” the spokesman said, but gave no further details.

According to the spokesman, the exercise “benefited the army in streamlining their drills and procedures, thereby ensuring effective response to any such disaster.”

“It also re-emphasised the requirement of coordination and understanding between various branches of the army and the civil administration to face any disasters.”