The Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Rescue Service, along with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Collector’s office, held a mock drill on Tuesday morning at the Sabarmati Riverfront. The state government had asked the authorities concerned to “rectify mistakes and learn from them”
During the drill, three teams dealt with a mock situation where a boat with 10 persons capsized. Fire department’s teams from Shahpur (East), Jamalpur (West), and Paldi Control Room were involved in the drill. Within 25 minutes, the mock operation was over, said officials. This included taking the passengers to the nearest hospital. A video evidence of the entire incident, which is crucial for investigation later to understand the cause behind the accident, was also secured.
A similar mock exercise was held on February 19 in Amrapali Fun Land in Kankaria.
The department has asked for two dedicated EOCs (Emergency Operation Centres) on the east and west banks of the river for “rapid intervention” to suffice the increase in demand for water sports and an increasing number of floating restaurants and footfall at the Riverfront.