Karwar: A massive mock emergency drill named "Operation Abhyas" was conducted in various parts of Karwar on Monday under the directive of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to raise public awareness on civil defense preparedness in the event of wartime or large-scale disasters.
As part of the exercise, several simulated incidents were staged across the city. At the Grasim Gas Unit in Binaga, a mock airstrike scenario was enacted where a damaged building reportedly left 37 people trapped. Emergency services carried out a successful rescue operation, evacuating all individuals to safety. Similarly, a fire simulation at the Kaiga Atomic Power Station involved the safe evacuation of 11 people. Another mock fire incident took place at the civilian colony near the Naval Base at Amadalli, where 11 more civilians were rescued.
A bomb attack scenario was staged at the Karwar Railway Station, where ten individuals were reportedly injured and later rescued. At Rabindranath Tagore Beach, a mock bomb explosion led to the evacuation of thousands of people from the beach area to safe locations. In another simulation, a potential nuclear radiation leak at the Kaiga plant prompted the mock relocation of all residents of Hartuga village to a temporary shelter arranged at the BCM Hostel.
Deputy Commissioner K. Lakshmi Priya clarified that all incidents were part of a planned mock drill aimed at testing the readiness and coordination of various emergency response units. The building collapse simulation at Grasim was initiated following a call received by the DC control room at 4:00 PM. Rescue teams and ambulances were immediately dispatched, and the entire operation took 38 minutes to complete. At 4:15 PM, the control room received a mock alert of a fire accident at Kaiga, following which fire services, police, revenue, and medical teams were deployed, completing the drill in approximately 40 minutes. The evacuation of Hartuga village during the radiation leak simulation lasted about one hour and twenty minutes. A fire drill in the civilian colony near Amadalli Naval Base was initiated at 5:00 PM, involving coordinated efforts from the fire department, local police, medical teams, the Navy, and the Coast Guard. A temporary emergency hospital was also established at Baithkool as part of the exercise. This simulation took 43 minutes.
During the operation, the district administration activated both the main and shadow control rooms, ensuring effective coordination through dedicated hotlines. The drills were executed with the involvement of multiple departments including the Indian Navy, Coast Guard, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Police, Coastal Security Police, Railway Protection Force, Fire and Emergency Services, Home Guards, Revenue, Health, Fisheries, and Municipal departments, along with volunteers from NSS, NCC, and other local organizations.
A blackout drill was also conducted between 7:30 PM and 8:00 PM, during which 13 sirens were sounded across the city. Residents participated by turning off lights, closing doors and windows, and halting vehicles, contributing to a successful simulation. A similar blackout exercise was held at the Kaiga Township.
Superintendent of Police M. Narayan and Additional Deputy Commissioner Sajid Mulla were present during the exercises and supervised the smooth execution of the operations.