Operation Abhyaas: Hyderabad stages massive civil defence mock drill after five decades

At exactly 4 p.m., sirens echoed in parts of Hyderabad, signalling the beginning of Operation Abhyaas, the planned civil defence mock drill aimed at preparing the city for large-scale emergencies. Though the public had been notified, the sight of emergency vehicles, uniformed personnel and rescue operations brought the realness of the drill into sharp focus.

In Aswini Colony, West Marredpally, nestled within the Secunderabad Cantonment, the exercise began on cue. The Disaster Response Force (DRF) units, ambulances, traffic patrols and fire tenders rolled into the street. Officials in khaki, orange, and camouflage sprang into action, ‘rescuing’ residents from the five-storey Manbhum Millennium Residency and guiding them across the road to the NCC Grounds — the designated safe shelter.

A temporary emergency medical camp was also set up on one end of the vast ground, with stretchers, beds along with first aid and medicines and 10 ambulances to transfer critical patients. A total of 45 medical attendants were stationed here. “While emergency cases will be attended here, critical patients will be shifted to Shenoy Multispeciality Hospitals, about 70 metres from the spot,” said one of the personnel.

About five minutes before the siren went off, the officials made final announcement guiding public to not panic and gesturing the forces to be ready.

As the clock struck 4.15 p.m., a simulated bomb explosion echoed through the street with white fumes emanating, marking the beginning of the rescue operations. A disaster response vehicle entered the lane, followed promptly by a fire tender. Officials dressed in deep blue and orange bunker gear with yellow helmets rushed into the building to evacuate the residents. A platoon of ambulances swerved into the entrance, while victims in stretchers were carried in.

A person from State Disaster Response Force sounds the siren to mark the start of the civil disaster mock drill ‘Operation Abhyaas’, held at an apartment complex in Kanchanbagh in Hyderabad on Wednesday (May 7, 2025)
| Photo Credit:
SIDDHANT THAKUR

“When something like this last happened in 1971, I was just nine. Our parents clung to the radio for updates and made us whisper. My grandfather, a Vir Chakra awardee, would tell us stories of rescue efforts and treating the injured. Seeing it unfold in real-time now was truly eye-opening,” said Jayshree, a resident of Manbhum Millennium Residency in Aswini Colony, West Marredpally.

“In all these years, we’ve never faced anything like this. Reacting instinctively would’ve been tough, but the drill gave us clarity. We now feel prepared,” she added.

Residents said they were only informed about the mock exercise on Wednesday morning, during briefings by officials from police, fire services, disaster response, and power departments. This was followed by a rehearsal. “Our watchman cut the main electricity supply after the 4 p.m. siren. We followed the instructions — gas, power, even Wi-Fi were switched off before we stepped down” said Rajni, another resident of the building.

Earlier in the day, Secunderabad bustled with its usual activity — women leaving the Kasturba Gandhi Degree and PG College, children darting out of tuition centres, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) workers sweeping the lanes, and customers stepping into a private bank just 20 paces from the rescue site. But just before 4 p.m., the scene transitioned smoothly from routine to rehearsal.

Mock drills being carried out nationwide on May 7, 2025

Twelve kilometres away, the Mayflower Apartments in Nacharam — a 10-storey complex of six blocks and 370 flats — hosted a similar drill between 10 a.m. and noon. As emergency teams executed rehearsed protocols, a shopping mart across the road saw customers casually browsing shelves — business as usual, despite the unfolding simulation. Three fire tenders, one disaster rescue van and medical staff were on standby.

Ishita, 11, who took part in the rescue simulation, said the experience was very interesting and left her feeling more prepared. “There’s so much alarming news online—especially on Instagram. But this gave us some real confidence,” she said.

Jyothi, a homemaker from the ninth floor, said this was her first experience of such a drill. “I was nervous at first, but now I have some confidence about what actions to take during an emergency—how to escape, help others, and protect ourselves. They also mentioned follow-up training sessions,” she added.

At the 22-storey BPS twin towers in Kanchanbagh, Champapet, residents were seen peeping out of the occupied flats as the sirens went off. Rathod, who runs a sweet shop outside the complex, felt the exercise could have reached further. “It’s definitely the right move, but had more of the public been involved, the awareness would have spread wider,” he remarked.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner C.V. Anand stressed that this was part of a deliberate strategy to build awareness and resilience. “We held a video conference with all departments — Fire Services, GHMC, Disaster Response teams and Home Guard. The Chief Minister was briefed. Roles were clearly divided. At 4 p.m., we sent out a city-wide alert through the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC). We will use traffic mobile units and industrial sirens to play the war alert for two minutes — something not done since the 1971 war,” he said.

For any assistance, residents have been urged to dial 100 or 112.