Haryana to conduct flood mock drill on May 14 across 13 vulnerable districts including Gurgaon and Faridabad

Gurgaon: Haryana will conduct a state-level flood mock drill on May 14 across 13 vulnerable districts, including Gurgaon and Faridabad, to strengthen disaster preparedness ahead of the monsoon.The exercise is being organised by the revenue and disaster management department in coordination with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) under the 2026–27 mock exercise calendar, financial commissioner Sumita Misra said.The drill will be carried out in three stages. The first stage will be an orientation and coordination conference, which will be held via video conference on May 6. This will be followed by a tabletop exercise on May 12, where various response scenarios will be discussed and strategies tested. The final phase, a full-scale field drill, will take place on May 14 with participation from all concerned agencies.The exercise will cover Gurgaon, Ambala, Faridabad, Fatehabad, Kaithal, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Panchkula, Panipat, Palwal, Sirsa, Sonipat and Yamunanagar. These districts have been identified based on their vulnerability to flooding due to recurring waterlogging or their proximity to rivers and canals.Officials said that despite not being near any river or canal, Gurgaon experiences frequent waterlogging during rains, leading to flooding of roads and residential areas.Officials said the drill will assess disaster management plans and standard operating procedures at the state, district and departmental levels. It will also focus on defining the roles of stakeholders under the incident response system and strengthening coordination among emergency support agencies.The exercise will focus on improving communication systems, resource deployment and on-ground response during flood situations. Authorities will also use the drill to identify gaps in resources, logistics, preparedness and inter-agency coordination.The mock exercise will also emphasise building public awareness through media, local bodies, non-governmental organisations and community participation. Authorities aim to identify gaps in resources, logistics, communication and response capacity so that corrective measures can be implemented ahead of the monsoon season, she added.Officials said such drills are aimed at ensuring a timely and coordinated response during emergencies and improving overall disaster readiness before the monsoon.