Civil defence mock drills held in Hyderabad
At exactly 4 pm, air sirens echoed throughout the city, accompanied by police patrol vehicle sirens at traffic intersections. Under the nationwide mega civil defence mock drill with a codename 'Operation Abhyaas', mock drills like air raids, multiple fire emergencies, and search and rescue operations among others were carried out between 4 pm and 4:30 pm on Wednesday, following the directive of the Union Ministry Of Home Affairs.
The mock drills were held at four primary locations - Secunderabad Cantonment, Golconda, Nacharam NFC, and Kanchanbagh near DRDO. Additional drills were conducted at the Telangana state Secretariat, Mehdipatnam, Mallapur, and Cyber Towers junction. At around 3.45 pm, officials made an announcement advising the residents not to panic and remain calm. The drill commenced at 4 pm, with air raid sirens sounding across the city for two minutes.
People were instructed to seek shelter in safety places, stay tuned to official communication channels, and avoid spreading or believing in rumours. Those in the streets were advised to lie flat in low-lying areas and cover their heads for protection.
By 4:15 pm, the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) issued alerts simulating air raid impacts at four locations in the city. Civil defence services responded by 4:20 pm.
The police secured the affected areas, managed crowds, and assisted in evacuating the injured. Fire and rescue teams had initiated operations. Medical teams carried out triage and provided first aid.
At the drill near the Secunderabad Cantonment, at West Marredpally, the Disaster Response Force teams, ambulances, traffic personnel and fire tenders swept into the street.
Officials in different types of suits sprang into action and rescued residents from the five-storey Millennium Residency and guided them across the road to the NCC Grounds - the designated safe shelter.
A temporary emergency medical camp was also set up on the ground, with stretchers, beds along with first aid and medicines and ambulances to transfer critical patients. According to the officials, during the drill, emergency cases were attended to, and critical patients were shifted to multispeciality hospitals, about 100 metres from the spot.
A similar drill was conducted at Nacharam in a complex of six blocks consisting of 370 flats. The emergency teams executed rehearsed protocols and at Kanchanbagh, the residents in BPS Twin towers in Champapet rushed out from the building after the sirens went off and shifted the individuals to the hospital, as per the scene. The drill was also conducted at Avalon apartments in Nanal Nagar in Golconda area. The residents were evacuated, given medical treatment to the injured and shifted to the nearby hospital.
Sirens were sounded again at 4.30 pm to mark the end of the drills. Public representatives also participated in the drill. Senior police officials monitored the mock drills from the Integrated Command and Control Centre.
A total of twelve civil agencies participated in the Hyderabad mock drill, including - National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Disaster Management Authority, Fire Services, Police and Traffic Police, Medical & Health Department, Railway and Revenue Officials, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), NCC, Scouts and Guides.
After the completion of the mock drills conducted, Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand stressed that this was part of a deliberate strategy to build awareness and resilience.
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