Hyderabad:In an unusual scene on Wednesday afternoon, Hyderabad’s streets fell briefly still as sirens wailed across the city to signal the start of a civil defence exercise — the first such sound in over half a century. Operation Abhyaas was aimed at testing how prepared the city was to respond in the event if a hostile attack were to ever occur.The two-minute siren went off at 4 pm, piercing through traffic, homes, offices and markets. Though most residents had been informed in advance, the moment felt surreal for many — some filmed the alert on their phones, while others took shelter under trees or inside nearby buildings. The atmosphere was one of curiosity more than concern, with many seen smiling and pointing at fire trucks and rescue vans as they pulled in.Though a few commuters were caught in traffic during the siren, most seemed cooperative. There were no reported disruptions to transport or daily services. In fact, social media was abuzz with people sharing clips, memes and even jokes — some compared the sudden siren to scenes from war films, while others laughed off WhatsApp forwards falsely warning of actual missile strikes or curfews. Police and civic authorities quickly responded to these with clarifications, urging people to avoid spreading such messages.Police commissioner C.V. Anand, who monitored the drill from the city’s Integrated Command and Control Centre along with Fire Services chief Nagi Reddy, said the goal was to improve coordination among departments and prepare the public for any future emergencies.Wednesday’s operation may have been a simulation, but for many in Hyderabad, it felt like a glimpse into a reality they hope never comes — one that reminded the city of the importance of readiness, even in times of peace.—The drill played out in four main locations — Secunderabad, Kanchanbagh, Nacharam (near NFC), and Nanalnagar — with additional mock operations staged in areas like Cyber Towers, Kacheguda station, Mehdipatnam, Mallapur and Rein Bazaar. Each site had personnel from over a dozen departments carrying out simulations: rescuing ‘injured’ persons from high-rise buildings, dousing controlled fires, setting up emergency medical camps, and transporting ‘victims’ in ambulances.Twelve departments and organisations worked in coordination to execute the drill: the NDRF, SDRF, fire services, police, health, GHMC, Revenue, TSRTC, Railways, NCC) and the Scouts & Guides. Each had defined roles — from directing evacuations and managing crowd control to administering CPR, setting up field triage stations and checking structural safety. Even the presence of railways and transport officials ensured routes and movement of emergency vehicles remained unhindered.
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