Hyderabad: Hyderabad will be one of the 244 districts which will be participating in a nationwide Civil Defence mock drill ‘Operation Abhyaas’ at 4 PM on Wednesday.

The drill is part of the government’s initiative covering 244 vulnerable districts, including Hyderabad, to enhance emergency preparedness and civilian protection under the Civil Defence Act, 1968. The drill is intended to build awareness, improve preparedness, and reduce loss of life and property in the event of an actual hostile attack.

The exercise is expected to conclude by 4:30 pm, at which point final sirens will be sounded to signal the end of the drill. “Hyderabad is one of 244 vulnerable districts in the country identified & as part of nationwide ‘Operation Abhyaas’ - Civil Defence (CD) exercise, sirens will play from 4-4.30 pm on May 7th within ORR. Citizens need not panic. It’s an exercise in safety,” posted Arvind Kumar, special chief secretary on X.

“The official further informed that four locations were identified for this mock drill. “4 locations for conduct of actual drill at 4 pm on May 7 - Sec & Golkonda cantonment, Kanchan Bagh and Nacharam - exact location will be informed tomorrow. DG Fire Services Sri Nagi Reddy is Director Civil Defence for #Telangana & is overall I/c in coordination with NDRF & DM,” he added on social media platform.

As part of the drill, sirens will be activated for two minutes through police loudspeakers, industrial sirens, fire services, and patrol vehicles across Hyderabad as part of the mock drill, simulating an incoming air raid scenario. By 4:15 pm, simulated impacts of the air raid will be reported in four different locations across the city. Emergency response units, including the police, fire brigade, SDRF, medical teams, and municipal authorities, will respond on-site. Civil defence volunteers will assist with damage assessment and rescue operations. The mock drill will also test blackout measures, such as switching off lights, dimming vehicle headlights, and camouflaging key infrastructure across Hyderabad.

Citizens are asked to act swiftly upon hearing the siren. The instructions include seeking shelter immediately and moving away from open areas and finding a sturdy building or underground shelter and following updates from official sources like TV, radio, or government apps to get accurate information and not to believe in rumours.