A large-scale mock drill was conducted at Civil Lines Chauraha in Ayodhya to assess preparedness for a potential air attack scenario. The drill began precisely at 6:00 PM, when loud sirens echoed across the area, immediately alerting people. Within seconds, electricity supply was cut off, plunging the entire zone into a complete blackout.
As the sirens continued, civilians were seen moving away from the main road and taking shelter along the sides. Moments later, six to seven youths were seen lying injured on the road, simulating casualties from an air strike. Ambulances rushed to the spot, and Civil Defence volunteers promptly assisted the injured, shifting them into ambulances and transporting them to the district hospital.
Meanwhile, the fire brigade arrived swiftly and successfully extinguished a simulated fire at the site, demonstrating an impressive response time. The entire mock drill lasted for approximately 13 minutes.
Aim of the Drill: Public Awareness and Self-Protection
The drill was designed to educate citizens on self-protection measures and ways to assist others during an air or highway attack. A large number of residents gathered at Civil Lines Chauraha to witness the exercise.
The mock drill was supervised by ADM City Yoganand Pandey, who stated that Civil Defence awareness pamphlets were distributed among the public to spread information on emergency preparedness. He also praised the timely and coordinated response of departments including the police, health services, transport department, and fire services.
Officials and Volunteers Present During the Drill
Several senior officials and Civil Defence members were present during the mock drill, including:
- SP City Chakrapani Tripathi
- Chief Fire Officer MP Singh
- Assistant Regional Transport Officer RP Singh
- ARTO Enforcement Gulab Chand
- Civil Defence Chief Warden Atul Singh
- Deputy Chief Warden Anoop Malhotra
- Divisional Warden Uttam Bansal
- Vivekanand Pandey
In addition, Harsh Agrawal, Anshika Singh, Dr. Upendramani Tripathi, Rajiv Agrawal, Govil Jaiswal, Ashish Agrawal, Sachin Agrawal, Avadhesh Kumar Agrahari, Lalit Ranjan Bhatnagar, Ritesh Kumar Jaiswal, Amit Kumar Singh, Amit Kumar, Brijendra Kumar Dubey, Ashish Tiwari, Dr. Piyush Gupta, Neeraj Srivastava, Dhananjay Pandey, and Inderpreet Singh were also present.
Strengthening Emergency Preparedness in Ayodhya
The successful execution of this mock drill highlights Ayodhya’s growing focus on disaster preparedness, public safety, and inter-departmental coordination. Officials emphasized that such drills play a vital role in preparing citizens and authorities to respond effectively during real emergencies.
