Haryana strengthens disaster preparedness with statewide emergency response framework

The state government, in coordination with the National Disaster Management Authority, is conducting a state-level mock exercise on a flood disaster scenario on May 14, 2026 across 13 flood-prone districts: Gurugram, Ambala, Faridabad, Fatehabad, Kaithal, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Panchkula, Panipat, Palwal, Sirsa, Sonipat and Yamunanagar.

Misra wrote to all 23 Deputy Commissioners, who function as Responsible Officers under the IRS framework at the district level, directing them to ensure that designated officers understand their responsibilities and to conduct regular training programmes and mock drills to maintain operational readiness. Officers have also been instructed to strengthen district-level disaster response capabilities for prompt action and better coordination.

The departments included Home, Environment & Forest, Transport, Civil Aviation, Finance, Police, Irrigation, Agriculture, School Education, Health, Energy, Urban Local Bodies, Fire & Emergency Services, Public Health Engineering and Women & Child Development, among others.

The Haryana State Disaster Response Manual has been prepared in line with the guidelines of the National Disaster Management Authority, Government of India, and serves as a comprehensive operational guide for officers involved in disaster management across the state.

Misra stated that the IRS framework clearly defines the roles and responsibilities of every stakeholder, enabling departments to function in a synchronised manner during situations such as floods, heatwaves, industrial accidents and other emergencies.

The Incident Response System (IRS), constituted under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, has been notified at both the state and district levels in Haryana, establishing a framework for command, coordination and resource management during emergencies.

The Haryana government announced the initiation of a comprehensive statewide disaster preparedness exercise aimed at strengthening emergency response across all departments and districts. Financial Commissioner, Revenue & Disaster Management Department, Sumita Misra, issued directives to senior officers for the effective implementation of the Haryana State Disaster Response Manual under the Incident Response System (IRS).