VISAKHAPATNAM: Amid escalating India-Pakistan tensions, the Visakhapatnam district administration conducted a series of civil and blackout mock drills across the city on Wednesday to educate the public on how to respond effectively during emergencies such as terrorist attacks, bomb blasts, or fire incidents.
These exercises were carried out in accordance with guidelines issued by the central government.
It may be noted that Vizag district has been categorised as a Category-II target by the Centre.
The civil mock drills were held at key locations, including Queen Mary’s Girls High School and junctions in the One Town area.
Multiple departments took part in the exercise, including Civil Defence, Fire Services, the State and National Disaster Response Forces (SDRF and NDRF), Police, Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), Revenue, Civil Supplies, Health Department, and trained volunteers. At the One Town Centre, a simulated terror attack involving smoke bombs was staged across two buildings.
Firefighters responded swiftly to contain the fire, while NDRF and SDRF personnel, equipped with protective gear, rescued individuals from the affected buildings.
Rescue operations included evacuation through staircases and ladders. The injured were given first aid at temporary medical camps set up near the site.
At Queen Mary Girls High School, SDRF teams conducted a separate demonstration focusing on evacuation procedures during a mock terror situation.
Senior officials, including SDRF Inspector General Raja Kumari, District Collector M N Harendhira Prasad, Police Commissioner Shankha Brata Bagchi, and Joint Collector K Mayur Ashok, supervised the drills. In the evening, blackout drills were held in areas including One Town and Oxygen Towers in Seethammadhara.
These drills simulated emergency situations where power might be intentionally cut during potential terror strikes to disrupt operations. Vizag Collector MN Harendhira Prasad announced that mock drills will soon be conducted in all ward secretariats to improve public awareness and preparedness.
Other district authorities in AP including Bapatla, Ambedkar Konaseema, Sree Satya Sai, Tirupati, Prakasam and Kurnool also conducted mock drills to enhance emergency preparedness. In Bapatla, a mock terror attack drill at Bapatla Railway Station, supervised by Additional SP TP Vithaleswar, saw police, fire, health, railway, and revenue teams respond within ten minutes.
They conducted searches, evacuated passengers, and provided first aid to simulated casualties, educating commuters on staying calm.
Collector J Venkata Murali, at a Suryalanka Air Base meeting, reviewed coordination, noting the base’s radar can detect missile activity within 200 km, triggering evacuation sirens.
Control rooms and landline communication were planned to ensure connectivity. At a meeting with ONGC, Vedanta, and GAIL existing measures like cybersecurity, CCTV, and no-drone zones at Tatipaka and Odalarevu were highlighted. In Sri Satya Sai, a drill at Sri Sathya Sai Airport, overseen by Collector T S Chetan and SP V Ratna, focused on terrorist attack response.
Tirupati’s drill, led by SP V Harshavardhan Raju, used air raid warning sirens to simulate aerial attacks, training civilians and students on safe zones, first aid, and camouflage tactics. Kurnool’s Civil Defence drill at Konda Reddy Fort followed Home Ministry SOPs, guiding people to safe zones after sirens.