New Delhi: Mock drills at full-scale were held across the nation on Wednesday (May 7) as tensions with Pakistan escalate in the wake of Pahalgam terror attack. This is part of the nationwide civil defence exercise directed by Ministry of Home Affairs to all the states and union territories in order to be prepared for emergency times against complex threats.
The drills were observed in cities like Gangtok, Delhi, Ludhiana, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Itanagar, Faridabad, Pune, Gwalior, Bengaluru, and Jaipur.
In the national capital in Delhi, a thorough mock drill was seen at the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) Office and Khan market, PCR vans and fire engines were stationed at various locations. Blaring sirens were buzzed, residents rushed to safer places, injured people were carried on stretchers, as reported by news agency PTI.
Mock drills simulating emergency scenarios like fire emergencies and rescue operations were performed in Ferozepur, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Bathinda, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Patiala, Pathankot, Barnala and Mohali. The drill was carried out at a mall in Mohali. According to Senior Superintendent of Police, Deepak Pareek, people were shown ways to deal with real-time emergencies.
In Ludhiana, the mock drills were emphasised on fire safety and rescue operations at Verka Milk Plant on Ferozepur Road.
Railway stations were used as strategic locations in Mumbai to hold the drill activities. A civil defence team from the Central Railway staged the drill at the bustling Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) to test the preparedness of security forces. Even Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel separately held security drills.
In Bengaluru, authorities held large scale civil defence mock drill at various parts of the city. As per the officials, the siren blew exactly at 3:48 pm, thereafter, civil defence personnel, police, fire and emergency services came into action. Rescue operations related to fire incidents, remove people beneath the debris, and remove people from medical emergencies.
