Bhopal, May 7 (PTI) Mock drills simulating scenarios like air raids, bomb blasts and search and rescue operations were carried out as sirens wailed in five districts of Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday as part of the nationwide mega civil defence exercise ‘Operation Abhyaas’.
The mock drills were conducted in Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Gwalior and Katni cities as part of the exercise, which included taking the injured to the hospital in case of an accident and shifting people to a “safe house” or bunker in perilous circumstances.
The cities also saw lights going out between 7.30 pm and 7.42 pm during the civil defence practice, officials said.
The mock drills took place a few hours after India launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in a strong response to the killing of 26 civilians by members of the terror organisation The Resistance Front.
Reviewing the situation with senior officials, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav called national interest paramount and asserted that public security was the first priority of the government in the special circumstances faced by the nation, according to the official.
Citizens should be informed about civil defence protocols to protect themselves in any kind of unpleasant situation and everyone should be motivated to actively follow the civil defence rules, he said.
All collectors should remain alert, vigilant and cautious and keep a close eye on the latest situation, the chief minister directed.
Yadav was addressing the collectors of Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Gwalior and Katni districts from the “situation room” at the state secretariat Vallabh Bhawan. The collectors were instructed to follow all the security protocols in the interest of the citizens, the official said.
Yadav has also asked the collectors of all districts in MP to also prepare for civil defence in their respective districts.
Director General of Police (DGP) Kailash Makwana said that as instructed by the Union Home Ministry, civil defence mock drills were conducted in five districts. Blackouts were also observed in these districts as per the protocol, the official said.
DGP Home Guard Arvind Kumar said that a red signal was given by the home ministry in the five identified districts.
After this, citizens were told about the methods of rescue for civil defence, and they were motivated to follow them.
Later, a green signal was given. “During this, everyone was asked to remain active in this way for safety in any adverse situation,” he said.
Kumar said that as per the instructions of the home ministry, documentation concerning blackouts was also done, and it will be taken as a reference for the future.
The Bhopal collector said mock drills were held at five places in the city. The collector of Jabalpur said citizens were told about the civil defence protocol during the exercise.
In Gwalior, citizens were given the practice of search and rescue operations, said the district collector.
The collector of Katni said that mock drills of fire and debris removal were conducted in the city. As a siren blared, citizens were informed about the methods of rescue, said the collector.
During mock drills in Indore, the district collector said, the public was told about how citizens should react to avoid any unpleasant situation.
A report from Indore said that people in MP’s financial capital were trained to keep themselves safe during emergencies like a fire in a building and what to do during search and rescue operations.
The exercise in Indore also included activities like warning of danger through sirens, keeping the major infrastructure safe, taking the injured to the hospital in case of an accident and moving people to a “safe house” or bunker in case of danger.
Officials said that during such activity, people were evacuated using ladders and ropes by imagining a situation of an air attack or a bomb blast on the building.
They said that employees of the police, administration, municipal corporation, fire department, health department, State Disaster Emergency Response Force, home guard and civil defence volunteers participated in the drills.
District Magistrate Ashish Singh said about 1,500 people took part in the mock drills.
In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, “new and complex threats” have emerged amid rising tensions with Pakistan, after which the Union Home Ministry had given instructions to conduct mock drills across the country.