Hyderabad: As the city mourns the tragic loss of 17 lives from a single family, calls are growing for greater public participation in civil defence training. Civil defence volunteers and alert citizens played a key role in the immediate aftermath, providing first aid, helping evacuate the injured and coordinating the crowd control even before formal rescue teams arrived.
At four locations, in Nacharam and Mehdipatnam, around 400 to 500 volunteers participated actively, which includes civil defence trainees, emergency services personnel and youth volunteers. The event drew over 2,000 onlookers, many of whom expressed interest in becoming volunteers themselves.
The civil defence volunteer programme is open to individuals aged 15 to 29, with no educational qualifications required. Enrolled candidates undergo a five-day training covering essential skills such as basic safety, firefighting, first aid and emergency response.
“With the recent Charminar tragedy, we’ve seen a notable increase in youth expressing willingness to join the civil defence programme,” said Ganta Rajesh, assistant director of MyBharat in Telangana. “This initiative empowers young citizens to act during the crucial minutes before official responders arrive.”
Y. Nagi Reddy, director general of the Telangana fire services department, echoed this sentiment. “Every second counts during emergencies. Trained volunteers who know how to react can save lives—just as those brave youths did near Charminar.”
Officials from the fire services department noted that more trained volunteers on the ground could have potentially reduced the casualties of the Charminar incident. “Had there been a larger pool of civil defence volunteers available, the outcome may have been less devastating,” an official said.
As Hyderabad recovers from this tragedy, the spike in civil defence registrations offers a glimmer of hope—that more citizens are now willing to step forward and safeguard their communities. “This incident is not just a moment of loss but a turning point, a call to prepare and protect,” an official from MyBharat said.
Latest volunteers’ data as per MyBharat
· 60,131 registrations have been received nationwide,
· 1,142 from Telangana
· 322 from Hyderabad
· 167 from Medchal-Malkajgiri
