Sirens, smoke and stretchers: Mumbai's CSMT puts war-mode to test

Civil defence volunteers demonstrate emergency evacuation drills at CSMT

A Central Railway Civil Defence wing conducted a drill involving around 27 volunteers at the busy Mumbai CSMT station on Thursday. The exercise took place at one corner of the station, between platforms 7 and 8, without disrupting regular train operations. Similar drills were also held at the Bandra Railway Colony, Parel, Matunga Workshop, and a few other locations.

Fire extinguishing demonstrations were part of the drills. Pics/Kirti Surve Parade

"The main focus of today's drill was to create awareness among citizens about what to do in an emergency or war-like situation. The first part involved responding to various types of sirens. The second included a fire drill demonstrating how to extinguish a fire using an extinguisher, cloth, or sand, along with procedures for moving the injured to hospitals using collapsible stretchers, and storing water and packaged food. The various demonstrations were well received by citizens," said Dr Swapnil Nila, CR's chief public relations officer.

"On Western Railway, a drill exercise was conducted at Bandra Railway Colony today at 11 am. Around 150 residents had gathered. A siren was blown to inform them about the drill. Four buildings were evacuated with utmost care, and civil defence volunteers briefed residents on precautions to be taken during an air strike - how to protect yourself and your family," a Western Railway spokesperson said. "The second site was selected at the Parel Workshop, where around 600 to 650 staff members witnessed demonstrations on how to attend to the injured and shift them to a safer location," the spokesperson added.

Security personnel board a train at CSMT

"Heightened security measures have been implemented for the Western Railway. Armed teams have been deployed for station security. ntensive checking is being conducted using door frame and hand-held metal detectors, luggage scanners, and dog squad units. Surveillance through over 3000 CCTV cameras is being carried out on a 24x7 basis in the Mumbai Central division. Passengers are being encouraged to report any security-related issues to authorities or via the Railway Helpline 139 or GRP Helpline 1512. Train escorting has been intensified, and patrolling is being conducted in vulnerable areas," the spokesperson said.