Port Blair: The Andaman and Nicobar Administration has completed final preparations for the Oil Spill Mock Exercise-2026, a large-scale multi-agency emergency response drill scheduled to be conducted at Corbyn’s Cove Beach today (July 24), aimed at strengthening the islands’ preparedness against marine pollution incidents.
A comprehensive Table Top Exercise (TTEx) was held at the Directorate of Disaster Management under the chairpersonship of Smti Priyanka Kumari, Director (Disaster Management), bringing together officials from the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), South Andaman District Administration, and other key stakeholder departments.
The meeting focused on fine-tuning the incident response strategy, departmental responsibilities, deployment of manpower and equipment, communication protocols, safety measures, and the Incident Action Plan (IAP) for the mock exercise, which will be conducted from 8.30 am to 12.30 pm at Corbyn’s Cove Beach.
During the session, the Indian Coast Guard presented a simulated oil spill scenario and outlined standard operating procedures for marine pollution response, including the deployment of containment booms, skimmers, shoreline clean-up operations, and the Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT).
Reviewing the preparedness of participating agencies, the Director (Disaster Management) directed all departments to ensure timely deployment of personnel, logistics, and emergency equipment while stressing the need for seamless inter-agency coordination, effective communication, responder safety, environmental protection, and strict adherence to the exercise timeline.
Following the planning session, officials conducted a joint site inspection at Corbyn’s Cove Beach to review operational arrangements and familiarise response teams with the exercise venue.
Meanwhile, the Administration has appealed to residents and tourists not to be alarmed by the movement of emergency vehicles, rescue teams, pollution response equipment, sirens, and other simulated emergency activities at Corbyn’s Cove Beach during the scheduled hours, clarifying that these are part of the planned mock exercise designed to enhance disaster preparedness and environmental response capabilities.
