Vikas Kumar
Sri Vijaya Puram, 08 May 2025
In compliance with directions from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, the South Andaman District Administration conducted a large-scale Civil Defence Mock Drill—Operation Abhyas—on Wednesday at 4:00 PM. The drill, simulating an air raid near Jawaharlal Nehru Rajkeeya Mahavidyalaya (JNRM), Sri Vijaya Puram, aimed to evaluate the readiness of the District Response Team and identify operational gaps in emergency protocols.
The mock exercise included evacuation of civilians, fire simulations, search and rescue of people trapped in damaged structures, and the relocation of injured individuals to a temporary hospital and relief shelter. Blackout measures and siren systems were also tested during the simulation.
Multiple agencies participated in the drill, including Civil Defence Volunteers, Disaster Management teams, A&N Police, Fire and Emergency Services, Health Department, NDRF, APWD, Electricity Department, and volunteers from NYK, NCC, and NSS. Their coordinated response was overseen by the Secretary (Disaster Management), A&N Administration, Mr. ASPS Raviprakash, IAS.
Leading the on-ground operations were Mr. Arjun Sharma, IAS, Deputy Commissioner (South Andaman); Mr. Sunny Gupta, IPS; Incident Commander and ADM (South Andaman) Mr. Vinayak Chamadia, IAS and AC(Settlement), Mr. Abhishek Gulia. The scenario was enacted after the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) alerted the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) about a simulated air attack.
During the drill, a temporary hospital was set up by the Health Department at Andaman Club, while a relief shelter was established at a nearby girls’ school. The injured were administered first aid and relocated efficiently by ambulance and fire teams.
The entire exercise was conducted in a controlled environment under the supervision of trained professionals. A pre-briefing session had been held on May 6 at Aapda Prabhandan Bhawan, where the Incident Commander instructed all resource departments to prepare for coordinated participation.
Hon’ble Member of Parliament Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray and other public representatives were present to witness the drill.
The mock drill concluded at 6:00 PM with a debriefing session. Operation Abhyas served as a crucial preparedness exercise to test the Union Territory’s emergency response capabilities in the event of air raids or wartime emergencies. The initiative also highlighted the importance of inter-agency coordination and public awareness in managing large-scale crises. (Story Based on PR)