Operation Abhyaas: Mumbai conducts drills on wartime preparedness at railway stations, grounds and warehouses

A drill being conducted at Cross Maidan in south Mumbai on Wednesday evening. Pic/Shadab Khan

In response to the Pahalgam terror attack and directives from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Mumbai on Wednesday conducted large-scale security drills across various locations including railway stations, workshops, grounds and civic establishments in Mumbai.

The exercise was aimed to test emergency response, inter-agency coordination, and citizen preparedness in a wartime or terror scenario.

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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) along with Maharashtra State Civil Defence Force also conducted drills on wartime preparedness at multiple locations across Mumbai on Wednesday as part of Operation Abhyaas, officials said.

The exercise was led by the Maharashtra State Civil Defence Force, with coordination from local authorities in line with directives from the Government of India, the officials said.

In an official statement, the BMC said that the drills were aimed to test the city's emergency response capabilities and inter-agency coordination in the event of a wartime scenario.

It said that the drills involved simulation-based exercises designed to evaluate readiness and operational protocols in real-time conditions.

Civil Defence Director Prabhat Kumar, and the Additional Municipal Commissioner of BMC and Chairperson of the Mumbai City District Disaster Management Authority, Dr Ashwini Joshi briefed about the drills in Mumbai.

Speaking to the press after the drill, Civil Defence Director Prabhat Kumar explained that the exercise was conducted under "Operation Abhyaas."

He said that several agencies, including the district administration, BMC, fire brigade, NDRF, Home Guards, NCC, NSS, and paramedic staff, participated in the exercise.

The drills are a part of broader national efforts to ensure cities are equipped to respond effectively in emergencies, including wartime threats.

Meanwhile, at 4 PM, a siren blared at Cross Maidan in south Mumbai, setting off a flurry of activity as part of a drill simulating an air strike.

The teams of civil defence, fire brigade, etc were seen dealing with a situation.

The exercise involved coordinated efforts from multiple emergency response teams.

A similar scene was witnessed at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), one of the busiest stations in the city which was one of the targets of the terrorists during the Mumbai 26/11 terror attack.

A civil defence team from Central Railway on Wednesday conducted drills at CSMT for the preparedness of security forces in case of an emergency.

The drill involved demonstrations on fire safety measures, methods for extinguishing fires, procedures to follow during air strikes, and techniques for rescuing and reviving injured civilians.

As part of the exercise, Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel also conducted separate and joint security drills.

Western Railway zone, regionwise update of drill

1. Ratlam Division -50 Civil Defence Volunteers (CDVs) at three important stations (100-150 staff & passengers)

2. Mumbai Central Division-30 CDVs at PL and BA colony (150 residents and 650 staff)

3. Ahmedabad Division- 50 CDVs/ 10 stations, yard and colony (150-200 persons at each location)

4. Bhavnagar Division: 15 CDVs at 2 locations with state CD unit (100-150 person)

5. Vadodara: 30 CDVs at DRM office and ONGC office (attended by 200-250 staff and residents)

"Total 175 CDVs of Western Railway conducted civil defence drills at 20 locations (at station/railway colony/depot/yard etc) and the drills were also attended by around 4,000 residents, passengers, and staff," an official statement said.