Civil Defence volunteers cordoned off the area following a simulated explosion and fire. Fire brigade personnel arrived soon after to douse the flames, while paramedics treated and transported the injured to nearby hospitals.
Mumbai: Sirens blared, people were evacuated and and emergency responders rushed into action as mock drills were conducted at multiple locations in Maharashtra, simulating an air strike and assessing chemical or nuclear “contamination” post an “attack”.
Giving details, a senior official told PTI that the overall response time was about three minutes, but a detailed analysis is being done.
He said a blackout will be conducted at Anushakti Nagar and Tarapur at 8 pm. “People should not panic if they hear sirens.”
The simulation, part of a directive from the Union Home Ministry, was carried out at railway stations, schools, and government offices, just hours after Indian armed forces launched strikes on terror hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.
At 4 PM, a siren sounded at Cross Maidan in South Mumbai, triggering a mock air strike scenario under Operation Abhyas.
Civil Defence volunteers cordoned off the area following a simulated explosion and fire. Fire brigade personnel arrived soon after to douse the flames, while paramedics treated and transported the “injured” to nearby hospitals.
In a high-rise rescue demonstration, fire brigade personnel saved a person stranded on a floor of a building, aided by drone surveillance to ensure no one else was trapped.
A team wearing Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) protection suits was also present at the site to assess “contamination” after the strike.
Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the National Cadet Corps (NCC) also joined the coordinated rescue efforts.
Speaking to the media after the exercise, Civil Defence Director Prabhat Kumar said the drill was part of Operation Abhyas involving 10,000 volunteers at eight locations across the state.
He highlighted the participation of various agencies, including the Civil Defence, district administration, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), fire brigade, NDRF, Home Guards, NCC, National Service Scheme (NSS), and paramedics.
The Bombay Hospital at Marine Lines and the civic-run Nair Hospital at Mumbai Central also participated in the drill.
“The drill simulated an enemy air strike targeting a building. It demonstrated the coordinated rescue of civilians trapped due to the bombing, with the injured being transported to hospitals promptly,” Kumar added.
Apart from Cross Maidan, the drill was conducted at Nutan High School in Kalyan, Gangapur Road in Nashik, Council Hall in Pune, Panchayat office at Uran, Tehsil office at Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri, and Tarapur in Maharashtra.
Kumar said the response time during the drills was about three minutes, but they are still analysing.
“We have taken the response time data. We are happy with it,” he said, adding that the help of HAM radio operators was also taken.
“It was a kind of real-life scenario as rain also made an appearance,” Kumar said, adding that the help of HAM radio operators was also taken during the mock drill that the union government had directed at 16 locations in Maharashtra.
During the exercise, civil defence volunteers in yellow T-shirts simulated various scenarios to assess coordination, response time, and overall readiness, officials said.
The civic defence team, comprising around 20 volunteers, demonstrated fire safety measures, methods for extinguishing fires, procedures to follow during air strikes, and techniques for rescuing and reviving “injured” civilians.
(With inputs from PTI)
