To review people’s preparedness amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, mega civil defence mock drill ‘Operation Abhyaas’ was conducted across the 55 locations of the capital city.
Blaring sirens, residents rushing to safer places, injured people being carried away on stretchers — these were some of the scenes which played out in all 11 districts of Delhi during the mock drill, with five locations selected per district. Authorities covered 660 schools and 40 markets. For example, the New Delhi district saw exercises at Khan Market, Palika Kendra, Charak Palika Hospital, Vasant Vihar’s D-6 colony and Kendriya Vidyalaya in Delhi Cantonment. South Delhi’s list includes Select City Walk mall and Saket District Court, while Lajpat Nagar Central Market and Apollo Hospital are among the sites in Southeast Delhi.
The drill was held for around three hours between 4 and 7 pm. For schools, however, the exercise was held between 9 am and noon. All authorities concerned — civil defence, police, fire and medical authorities — were involved in the exercise that ended at night with blackouts and sirens. The blackout drill was conducted across the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) area for 15 minutes from 8 to 8:15 pm on Wednesday exempting Hospitals, PM’s residence, Rashtrapati Bhavan and metro stations.
Under the mock drill, multiple hostile scenarios like air raids, multiple fire emergencies and search and rescue operations among others were carried out.
PCR vans and fire engines were stationed at multiple locations while there was a heavy deployment of security personnel and civil defence volunteers.
At Khan Market, alarm sirens were played and people were asked to run as part of the evacuation drill that was carried out.
The drill was conducted in the parking area, where security forces, with support from the market associations and local residents, carried out a coordinated rescue operation. Shops No 72, 64, 73 and a nearby fruit shop were used as part of the drill to simulate an emergency response.
In Shop No 74, which is a shoe store, volunteers acted as casualties to help demonstrate how to handle injuries during a crisis. The police explained the steps to be taken in such situations, including how to safely shelter injured individuals inside the stores.
The drill also demonstrated the use of fire extinguishers and how teams could work from different points to control a fire. People were trained to remain calm, stay silent, and take shelter in one place during an emergency to avoid chaos and ensure a safer evacuation.
The NDRF team, along with personnel of other departments, also performed search and rescue techniques during the drill. Deputy Commandant Ratish Kumar, NDRF, said the aim of the mock drill at Khan Market was to create awareness.
“It is being done as per a standard
operating procedure. The first need of emergency situations involving collapsed structures is search and rescue. All our team members are qualified medical first responders,” he told reporters.
Similarly, in Select Citywalk Mall in Saket, doctors administered CPR to those who were injured while the injured were carried on stretchers. In Chandni Chowk, a mock drill was carried out in the presence of civil defence volunteers, personnel and NCC cadets. Alarm sirens were blaring in the market area as the evacuation drill began at Chandni Chowk near Town Hall, prompting people to run towards safer places. A second siren was sounded, signalling the start of rescue efforts. Volunteers were told to rescue the injured while people were asked to remain calm and help those who got injured.
Delhi Fire Services cranes were used to reach high-rise buildings and evacuate people who were trapped. Sirens were sounded at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. Fire brigade teams rushed to the spot along with a team of doctors and multiple ambulances. At the NDMC building, an alarm siren was sounded and employees were evacuated and rushed to the basement. An all-women PCR was also stationed at the site. “NDMC’s Disaster Management Unit was also present at the mock drill. The mock drill was also to rescue people in case the building falls,” said an NDMC official. According to the official, more than 1,000 personnel were present for the mock-drill, including people from the NDMC, Delhi Police, and the Fire Department.
A mock drill was also conducted in the RBI building with instructions being given to stay away from glass windows and find a safe place to hide covering heads with both hands. Instructions were also given to stay away from the unverified news in case of emergency and believe only on verified news by reliable mediums. People were also instructed to collect necessary requirements like water, light and food in case of an emergency.
In Patel Nagar, the mock drill simulated the scenario of a building collapse. “Teams evacuated people who sustained injuries. A message was circulated regarding a building collapse and IGL Pipeline leakage. All the agencies worked to provide immediate relief,” Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Patel Nagar Nitin Shakya said. The Ministry of Home Affairs had directed all the states and union territories on Monday to conduct the drills to check whether they’re prepared against “new and complex threats”.
The security drills come amid the missile strikes by the Indian armed forces early Wednesday on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). The military strikes were conducted as Operation Sindoor two weeks after the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.
