Daijiworld Media Network- Mumbai

Mumbai, May 8: In a striking display of readiness and coordination, Mumbai successfully executed a large-scale war-scenario mock drill in just three minutes, as part of Operation Abhyas, a nation-wide exercise rolled out by the Ministry of Home Affairs amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.

The drill, simulating an air strike on a high-rise building at Cross Maidan, unfolded at 4 pm and saw a seamless response from civil defence volunteers, National Cadet Corps (NCC), National Service Scheme (NSS), and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). With sirens wailing and fire tenders rushing to the spot, firefighters ‘rescued’ a person stranded on the fifth floor of a mock-burning building, all within minutes.

“This was a planned exercise, not a spontaneous one, but the response time of around three minutes was impressive,” said Prabhat Kumar, Maharashtra’s Director of Civil Defence. He added that the rainy weather acted as a real-time challenge, enhancing the drill’s authenticity and preparedness quotient.

At Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), personnel from the Central Railway’s Civil Defence Organisation conducted drills teaching commuters how to drop, cover, and lie low during air strikes. Life-saving demonstrations included managing blood loss, rescuing injured without stretchers, and handling fire emergencies without extinguishers.

Across the Central Railway network, including key hubs such as Dadar, Matunga, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, and Manmad, similar drills were conducted under the supervision of senior officials like K K Mishra, Deputy GM, and Dr Swapnil Nila, CPRO.

In Bandra Railway Colony, four buildings were evacuated at 11 am to sirens, with 150 residents briefed on self-protection during bombings and shown how to take cover during air raids.
Meanwhile, Lower Parel’s workshop saw 650 railway staff trained to administer first aid and evacuate the injured, further broadening citizen preparedness.

In Kalyan, a mock ‘air strike’ on Jai Ganesh Society was conducted at 4 pm, resulting in 14 ‘injuries’ and one simulated ‘fatality’. Under the supervision of Thane District Collector Ashok Shingare, 26 agencies — including Civil Defence, Police, TDRF, Fire Brigade, Home Guards, and NSS — executed rescue missions and crowd safety measures across the region.

Four air raid sirens blared simultaneously across Kalyan and neighbouring zones, marking one of the largest coordinated drills in recent memory, with more than 100 police personnel, 25 disaster volunteers, 15 TDRF members, and 14 NCC cadets participating.

Capping off the day’s drills was a blackout at 8 pm across Anushakti Nagar (Govandi) and Atomic Colony (Tarapur) — a nod to civil safety protocols near sensitive nuclear facilities.

With drills set to continue across Maharashtra for the next five days, Operation Abhyas signals a renewed national emphasis on civilian readiness — the first such effort since the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.