Introduction and About

- Sanyukt Vimochan 2024 is a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) practice operation organised and conducted by the Indian armed forces.

- This exercise was held recently in the cities of Ahmedabad and Porbandar located in the western state of Gujarat.

 

The Focus of the Exercise

- The main theme underlined in this exercise was 'Cyclone in Coastal Region of Gujarat'.

- This choice of focus is critical and relevant given Gujarat's geographical location and its historic susceptibility to cyclones.

 

Objective and Participation

- The activity aimed to demonstrate the Indian Army's capability for disaster response and their readiness to deal with such emergencies.

- An extension to that, the exercise also aimed at strengthening the bonds of multilateral collaboration in terms of humanitarian assistance.

- A variety of entities participated in this endeavor, including the Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, Indian Coast Guard, National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force, together with other Central and State agencies.

- In total, 15 organisations from nine different friendly foreign countries marked their presence in this exercise.

 

Indigenous Capabilities Displayed

- Sanyukt Vimochan 2024 also served to be a platform to showcase India's indigenous HADR capabilities.

- The Indian military utilised indigenous HADR equipment such as fire-resistant clothing to demonstrate their strength and readiness.

- Such usage of indigenous HADR equipment was in accordance with the Indian government's 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiative, a vision of a self-reliant India.

 

Why is it Newsworthy?

- The Sanyukt Vimochan 2024 exercise assumes significance as it reflects India's readiness and preparedness for disasters.

- The exercise helped amplify trust and understanding among participating agencies and nations, and highlighted the importance of their collective strengths.

- It also helped in setting a benchmark for the response mechanism that needs to be in place for disasters, specifically related to cyclones hitting the coastal region of Gujarat.