Hyderabad: A high-intensity mock drill staged in Hyderabad on Wednesday afternoon rattled some nerves but proved to be a crucial test of the city’s disaster preparedness as the monsoon season approaches.
The exercise, led by Telangana’s State Disaster Management team, simulated a real-time building collapse to check how quickly and effectively different agencies can work together during a crisis.
Held at an undisclosed location, the drill roped in a long list of departments: Hyderabad Police Commissionerates (Hyderabad, Cyberabad, and Rachakonda), Fire Services, NDRF, GHMC, Metro Water Supply, Health, Medical and Family Welfare, and more.
It kicked off around 3 PM when an officer at the Book ‘N’ More Library and Activity Centre in Secunderabad received a simulated call reporting a collapsed building that had claimed two lives and left 15 others injured.
The control room immediately sent help. Within minutes, ambulances, police, and traffic teams were on site, blocking off the area and directing traffic away to clear a path for fire and rescue units. It wasn’t long before teams from DRF, NDRF, SDRF, fire services, revenue, and health arrived too, diving straight into search and rescue.
Senior officers oversaw the operation, while every step was documented to ensure proper coordination. After the drill, a post-mortem was held in the War Room to figure out what worked and what didn’t.
Officials said more drills like this are planned to sharpen disaster response and improve coordination among agencies. A detailed report—complete with photos and videos—is being prepared to help refine standard operating procedures.
Ultimately, the drill highlighted the government’s push to beef up public safety through better planning and teamwork when real emergencies hit.
