The Annual Joint HADR Exercise ‘Samanvay 2022’ was conducted by the IAF at Air Force Station, Agra from November 28th 2022 to November 30th 2022, concluded on Wednesday, said the Ministry of Defence in a press release. Various stakeholders from the country and representatives from ASEAN member countries participated in the exercise.
The exercise aims to provide a unique platform for the exchange of domain knowledge, experience and best practices with the participating Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries. Various representatives of the ASEAN countries are supposed to participate in the exercise.
Hon’ble Raksha Mantri, Shri Rajnath Singh was the chief guest on the second day of the Multi Agency Exercise dedicated to Capability Demonstration. Addressing the event, Hon’ble Raksha Mantri emphasized the need for collaborative HADR management at national and regional levels to improve interoperability and provide faster response to crisis situations.
Mr.Singh advocated the necessity of speed, scale and solidarity in the disaster response mechanism to save valuable lives and property. “The focus of India has now shifted from a ‘relief- centric’ to a ‘multi-pronged’ approach to crises encompassing prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, relief and rehabilitation”, Mr.Singh added while thanking the participants.
He commended the role played by all stakeholders in the domain of HADR and underlined the effectiveness of the Armed Forces as ‘First Responders’ in crisis situations.
Samanvay 2022 tested the efficacy of all available HADR resources. “It emerged as a significant step towards achieving synergy between various stakeholders and facilitated exchange of knowledge, experience and best practices with the participants including those representing the ASEAN member countries,” the Ministry of Defence said.