The Nandaram Market blaze, which has exposed the poor crisis-management preparedness of the civic body and other agencies in Calcutta. A Telegraph picture

The civic body will carry out mock-exercises to tackle “man-made disasters” in association with police, fire brigade, CESC and NGOs like Red Cross and St John Ambulance.

The move follows a directive from the National Disaster Management Authority, which thinks the Nandaram Market fire has exposed the poor crisis-management preparedness of the civic body and other agencies in the city.

The civic body, the directive states, will have to send a self-assessment report to the Delhi-based authority after the drill.

“I have asked director-general (building) Gora Chand Mondol to make arrangements for the drill,” said municipal commissioner Alapan Bandyopadhyay.

Following the disaster management authority’s format, the Calcutta Municipal Corporation will test its preparedness in tackling time-bomb threats in a shopping mall, fire and blasts in a busy market and helping police flush out militants holed up in buildings.

The authority has also sent a questionnaire on some mock crises which are to be answered by the municipal commissioner, police commissioner and the fire service.