Ambulance sirens signal start of drill in Champapet

Hyderabad: A mock drill was conducted by the fire services, police, and other depts at BPS Twin Towers, Santosh Nagar, Champapet Road on Tuesday evening as part of the nationwide civil defence preparedness drill.Codenamed ‘Operation Abhyaas', the drill began in the locality at 4 pm. With no official sirens in place, ambulance sirens were used to signal the start.As the sirens blared, people rushed out of the building in a simulated act of emergency. Some volunteers acted as the injured and were taken away in ambulances by the State Disaster Rescue Force (SDRF) and Telangana fire dept personnel.Fire tenders arrived at the scene, and the fire personnel used ladders to rescue others from the upper floors. "The drill aimed to test coordination among departments and prepare the public for emergency situations," said Srinivasa Charry, a fire dept inspector.He said 28 departments took part in the drill, including GHMC, NDRF, medical teams, and civil supplies. "We are prepared for any kind of threat or emergency. It can be seen as a learning tutorial. People were supportive and enthusiastic."While several residents keenly watched the proceedings from their balconies, scores of people came out on to the street and gathered around to watch the drill being enacted.Sravan, a resident of the BPS Twin Towers, said, "The drill gave us an idea of how to prepare for not just any major emergency but also for fire mishaps and other accidents. This was my first time watching a mock drill. It boosted my confidence and taught me how to remain alert."Poorna Kumar, another resident, said, "I was curious to see how such a large-scale drill would be conducted in such a short time. But our security personnel gave an excellent demonstration, all within half an hour. I learnt many rescue techniques such as administration of CPR and how to extinguish a fire. This will be helpful for people of all generations. We just want to live in peace and don't want war. But there is no place for terrorism, and perpetrators must be held accountable."As the mock drill ended at 4:30 pm, many residents came together and raised slogans in support of the armed forces.