Annual HADR exercise to be held in Goa from October 9-11

The annual Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) - 'Chakravat' - will be held in Goa from October 9-11 which would showcase the capabilities and response of the armed forces and multiple agencies.

The Annual Joint HADR Exercise (AJHE) is an outcome of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s directive promulgated during the Combined Commanders’ Conference-2015. 

Since its first edition in 2015, Chakravat has transformed itself into a multi-agency endeavour involving participation of all three services, para-military services, as well as several disaster response organisations, NGOs, academic institutions and international organisations. 

The 2023 edition would further synergise efforts at the national level among all stakeholders, as well as witness participation from eight countries of the Indian Ocean Region. 

The exercise has been conducted by the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force  in rotation since 2016. 

The last edition of the exercise was conducted at Agra by IAF. 

The 2023 edition of the exercise is being hosted by the Indian Navy at Goa.

Developing collective and coordinated effective response mechanisms to address humanitarian crises and natural disasters are one of the most visible elements in India's inclusive vision for the oceans - SAGAR or Security And Growth for All in the Region. 

HADR  operations form a key component in the Indian Navy's Benign Role, as climate change has significantly increased vulnerability of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) to natural disasters. 

“The challenge posed by climate change is accentuated by the limited capacity of littoral IOR states to address this rapidly growing threat. Therefore, Indian Armed Forces have been frequently called upon to render assistance to our friends and partners in the Region, thereby, strengthening the need and our resolve to be the 'First Responder' in the region. While the three Services continue to provide relief and succour in the event of a calamity, a whole of government approach would further enhance our preparedness and response to such unfortunate events,” an Indian Navy statement said. 

AJHE-23, planned over three days, includes a seminar, a Table-Top Exercise and a Multi-Agency Capability Demonstration. 

The exercise will witness participation from various national agencies namely, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), National Institute for Disaster Management (NIDM), Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, Coast Guard, Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), National Remote Sensing Agencies (NRSA), State Disaster Management Agency (SDMA) and State Fire Services, Goa, District Disaster Management Agency (DDMA) of North and South, Goa, Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Central Water Commission (CWC), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and representatives from Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and from friendly foreign countries.

Discussions on emergent topics namely, Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction: Practical Solution, Disaster Response in IOR: A Collaborative Approach, and NGO Collaboration in Disaster Reduction and Response: An Integrated Approach will be undertaken by Subject Matter Experts during the seminar planned on 9 October. 

An industrial display has been planned on October 10-11 wherein various HADR equipment will be showcased by FICCI, Army, IN, IAF, ICG, NDRF, SDMA and NSRC. 

In addition, a Multi-Agency Capability Demonstration will be conducted on October 11, which will showcase drills on rescue and relief to highlight the nuances and important lessons.