A mock drill brings Delhi's bustling Khan Market to a standstill. It's the 1st of many more to come
At least 100 shopkeepers from the market gathered in the central parking of the market to understand what needs to be done in case of an emergency.
Under the government-led 'Operation Abhyaas', war-like scenarios, including airstrikes, fire emergencies, and search-and-rescue operations, were simulated to test the city's preparedness for multiple hostile threats amid rising India-Pakistan tensions.
New Delhi: The calm of New Delhi's upscale Khan Market was shattered in the afternoon of 7 May as sirens blared and emergency vehicles raced through its narrow lanes. A building was in ruins, at least 20 people were said to be injured, and chaos seemed to be unfolding—but it was all part of a mock drill.
At 4 pm, the sirens were sounded, and a step-wise mock drill that lasted for 30 minutes began.
People ran for cover, looking for safe spaces inside shops where they stayed hidden till the danger was over. On the other end of the market's parking lot, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) members in their gear brought out stretchers, masks, ropes and other equipment needed to bring people safety.
As soon as the warning sirens stopped and the safety siren began, the NDRF and Civil Defence staff began their mock rescue operation.
They simulated bringing all the 'injured' people to the makeshift hospital, where doctors 'treated' those with 'minor injuries'. Those with 'major injuries' were carried on stretchers and shifted to ambulances and police vans that would take them to the hospitals.
Speaking to ThePrint, Sanjeev Mehra, president of Khan Market traders' association, said, 'Khan Market is a very sensitive area as far as diplomats and bureaucrats are concerned; they all visit this market. They wanted to guide us about what to do in that eventuality.'
Mehra said that India's air strikes may 'provoke' Pakistan into retaliating. 'If they try it again, they will be prepared and they will have it from India this time.'
Also Read: Mock drills to 'Code Brown' prep, how Delhi NCR hospitals are bracing for potential emergencies
More drills planned ahead
Kavita Bai, an NDRF commanding officer, told ThePrint that the mock drill was simulating a situation where one building was on fire and another had collapsed completely. Authorities were together trying to show people how to react in such a scenario, she said.
'During a war, the public needs to look after itself. That's what we're teaching them,' she told ThePrint, adding that if the citizens of the country are well-aware of how to react in times of war, the government can handle the situation in a much better way.
New Delhi District Magistrate Sunny Kumar Singh told ThePrint that the government has been conducting mock drills across Delhi in different kinds of buildings, from hospitals and schools to public areas like markets and the airport. Mock drills were conducted across six locations across districts in New Delhi to assess arrangements and preparedness, he said.
'NDRF, Civil Defence, health department, traffic police, and Delhi Police all came together to make this initiative possible. We are even trying to make people understand that if the tower-based communication is disrupted, then how the Ham radio clubs cooperate and how an alternate communication channel can be established,' he told ThePrint.
Singh said that the purpose is to review the preparedness of the agencies to deal with such kinds of disasters. 'In not more than 30 minutes, the rescue operations were finished and a green corridor was built to take people to the hospitals,' he said, adding that the authorities were testing the 'inter-agency coordination'.
Singh said that the same mock drill is going to be followed in the coming days, with new places being covered to create more and more awareness among people. 'Today's exercise shows us that our preparedness is completely fine and we are ready for anything to come. We just hope to get people's cooperation.'
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Devesh Kumar Mahala said all government agencies have participated in the mock drills across Delhi according to the government protocol. 'We will sit at a round table after this and discuss where we require improvements now. We request people to keep a check on information shared by the government and act upon it.'
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)
Also Read: '3 splinters hit him, 1 got lodged in his lung'—fear & death in Poonch after shelling by Pakistan
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