Defence Units Not to Be Involved in Air Raid Drill in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: While Hyderabad prepares for a large-scale air raid drill on Wednesday, several defence-linked institutions have confirmed they will not be involved in the exercise as it is designed to test civil defence, meaning preparedness of civilians and various government wings.

Hyderabad police commissioner C.V. Anand, speaking to Deccan Chronicle, said the initial phases of the drill will be limited to low-footfall areas and were for gauging internal preparedness. He added that all DCPs had been put on alert to coordinate with local police stations and maintain law and order during the exercise. “We want this to go smoothly without causing any panic or disruption,” he said.

With the focus being on civil defence, officials from the National Cadet Corps (NCC), defence establishments, and the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) said they had no role in the drills. “We’ve not received any orders or information,” said an NCC official. A senior SCB officer noted, “This is a purely civil law-and-order exercise being handled by city police and municipal services.”

Joint commissioner of police (traffic) D. Joel Davis said that traffic management plans were being drafted and updates would be shared with motorists. “We are still formulating strategies for handling traffic situations during the drills. Diversions will be informed in time,” he said.

Once the sirens go off, officials said the public was expected to respond by immediately, seeking shelter, turning off lights and appliances, and not give in to rumours. Though the exercise will occur during the day, blackout protocols will be in place and should be followed by all, officials said. Authorities may temporarily cut power in some areas.

The drills have, meanwhile, sparked off individual preparations. “I usually sign off from work at 4 pm and travel back to Kukatpally. If roads are blocked or power goes out, it’ll definitely slow things down,” said Lavanya R., an IT employee working at Hitec City. “I’m planning to leave early and keep my phone charged.”

Ramesh Kumar, a remote worker, added, “If my broadband goes down during a client call, I’ll switch to mobile data. I’ve backed up all my files in advance.” He said he and his colleagues had no idea about the mock drill until they shared a WhatsApp forward. “We have received no official email or notice from our workplace on the same,” he said.

Action by Public & Volunteers

Once an air raid siren sounds, act quickly and calmly.

Seek shelter immediately – move away from open areas and find a sturdy building or underground shelter;

Stay informed – Follow updates from official sources like TV, radio, or government apps only;

Avoid rumors – Do not rely on unverified sources; always follow official instructions.

Turn off utilities – If you’re at home, turn off electrical appliances, gas, and open flames like stoves or fireplaces;

Stay put until safe – Remain in your shelter until authorities sound the all-clear.

If you’re caught outside with no shelter nearby, find a low-lying area, lie flat, and cover your head.

Stay as protected as possible.

Action by Civil Defence Services:

Police, fire brigade, rescue/SDRF, medical, revenue/local municipal authorities to reach respective incident sites by 4.20 pm;

Police to keep incident areas clear, enable other CD services do their work;

Civil defence wardens & volunteers to report ‘damage’, ‘missing persons’ to the fire brigade and rescue services

Fire, rescue services to ‘start’ firefighting, search and rescue operations immediately.

SDRF & DRF to clear the ‘rubble, debris/wreckage’ to clear path for free movement of CD services to facilitate rescue operations;

Medical & health services to be ready for triage, first aid and shifting of ‘injured’;

Temporary hospitals to treat the ‘injured’;

Transport services to be ready to shift the evacuated public from ‘endangered areas’ to pre-identified safe shelters/bunkers/demilitarised zones;

Revenue, civil supplies, GHMC & local bodies to provide immediate relief to the public at safe shelters.