New Delhi: Blaring sirens, residents rushing to safer places, injured people being administered medical aid, these were some of the scenes witnessed across the 55 locations where mock security drills were conducted by authorities in the national capital.
Under the nationwide mega civil defence mock drill ‘Operation Abhyaas’, mock drills simulating multiple hostile scenarios like air raids, multiple fire emergencies, and search and rescue operations, among others, were carried out. Some of the prominent locations where the mock drill was conducted include Khan Market, NDMC building, Select Citywalk Mall in Saket, and Chandni Chowk.
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.
A mock drill simulating a building collapse was conducted in Delhi’s Patel Nagar, with teams rescuing ‘injured’ people and responding to a staged IGL pipeline leak, officials said. Fire service cranes rescued residents from a
high-rise building.
The drill was held hours after India carried out Operation Sindoor, striking terror targets in Pakistan and PoK, two weeks after the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.