Hyderabad: In an unusual scene on Wednesday afternoon, the streets of Hyderabad fell briefly as sirens cried throughout the city to indicate the beginning of the civil defense movement, the first such sound in more than half a century. Operation Abhyaas is intended to test how the city responds during the period in the event of a hostile attack.
A two-minute sirens drove by at 4 p.m., passing through traffic, houses, offices and markets. Although most residents have notified in advance, the moment feels surreal for many – some have photographed the alarm on their phones, while others have avoided shelter under trees or within nearby buildings. The atmosphere is not just one of the curiosities that are eye-catching, but many people see the fire truck and rescue the van when they pull in.
Although some commuters were caught in traffic during the sirens, most seemed to be cooperative. No interruptions to transportation or daily services were reported. In fact, social media is shocked by people who share clips, memes and even jokes – some compare the sudden sirens to scenes from war movies, while others laugh at WhatsApp Forwards for falsely warning of an actual missile strike or curfew. Police and civic authorities quickly clarified this, urging people to avoid spreading such information.
Police Chief CV Anand, together with fire department head Nagi Reddy, monitored the city’s integrated command and control center drills, said the goal was to improve coordination among departments and prepare for any future emergencies for the public.
Wednesday’s operation may be a simulation, but for many in Hyderabad it feels like a glimpse of the reality they hope will never happen – even in peacetime, it reminds the city of the city of importance.
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The exercise was played in four main locations: Secunderabad, Kanchanbagh, Nacharam (near NFC) and Nanalnagar – other simulation operations were performed in areas such as Cyber Tower, Kacheguda Station, Mehdipatnam, Mehdipatnam, Mallapur, Mallapur and Rein Bazaar. Each site has people from more than a dozen departments for simulations: rescue “injured” people from high-rise buildings, destroy controlled fires, establish emergency medical camps, and transport “victims” in ambulances.
Twelve departments and organizations conduct coordinated execution exercises: NDRF, SDRF, Fire Services, Police, Health, GHMC, Income, TSRTC, Railways, NCC) and Scouts with Guides. Everyone defines roles – from guiding evacuation and managing population control to managing CPR, setting up on-site classification stations and checking structural safety. Even the presence of railway and transport officials ensures that the route and movement of emergency vehicles are still hindered.
