‘Drop, hold and cover’: Schools across Delhi conduct safety drill exercises

NEW DELHI: At least 550 private schools and 110 government schools across Delhi conducted safety evacuation and mock drill exercises on Wednesday morning with school corridors reverberating with the sound of fire alarms and students covering their heads with their school bags while being evacuated from their school buildings.

These drills are in line with the directive issued by the city government’s Directorate of Education (DoE) on Tuesday and to review school’s emergency response preparedness amid escalating tensions with Pakistan.

On Monday, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) directed all the states and union territories to conduct the drills to check whether they’re prepared against “new and complex threats”.

At Amity International School, Saket, around 2,000 students from nursery to Class 12, 136 teachers, and 100 staff members participated in the drill. As the alarm went off around 8.35 am, students ducked under their respective desks while covering their heads as instructed by their teachers.

“Find a safe space to hide, cover your heads,” teachers told students, as they walked out of classrooms. After that, students were told to evacuate the building as soon as they heard the alarm go off.

As soon as the alarm was sounded, they queued up patiently and started moving towards the open area while covering their heads with their bags, while teachers guided them.

The exercise lasted 15 minutes as students took stairs from the third floor while trying to evacuate patiently.

At Delhi Public School, RK Puram, an orientation programme was held in the morning where students were shown informatory videos explaining do’s and don’ts in case of an emergency. Sirens were simulated to sensitise students about what to do next.

Divya Bhatia, principal, Amity International School, Saket, said, “We conduct these drills every two months anyway but we are being careful with the instructions this time. We all woke up to the news of military action this morning and students are also aware that these are sensitive times, so we held our mock drill involving all the teachers and students.”

Rabbya Abdi, a Class 12 student of Amity International School, Saket, said that these exercises helped students understand how they can help their families in case of an emergency.

“Now we can tell them what to do in case of an emergency... How not to panic, follow instructions, and be safe,” she said.

Shivanjali Sapra, a Class 11 student of Amity international school, said that the first course of action they have learned is to evacuate the building after the alarm goes off while helping other students. “We also have to make sure that juniors do not panic,” said Sapra.

Dipti Vohra, principal, DPS RK Puram said that the school conducted a series of safety sessions and a successful mock drill in accordance with the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), DoE and MHA instructions to enhance awareness and readiness in case of unforeseen emergencies or hostile threats.

“Students across the classes, especially the younger kids from junior school were given detailed and clear demonstrations by their teachers,” said Vohra.

Other schools in various parts of Delhi also conducted mock drill exercises following the directive.

Jyoti Arora, principal, Mount Abu School, Rohini said that the school successfully conducted a comprehensive civilian mock drill, following an effective orientation session held a day prior. “This ensured that students aged 3 years to 18 years, along with our educators and support staff, were well-informed and fully prepared. The drill witnessed calm, disciplined, and alert participation from all, reflecting the power of awareness. This marks a stride towards a safer, stronger, and more resilient India,” she said.

Apart from private schools, 110 government schools too prepared for the drills. Rajesh Kumar Gupta, principal, Government Boys Senior Secondary school, Model Town, said that the drills will be held in the evening.

Sixty air raid sirens will blair across Delhi at around 4pm on Wednesday, signalling the start of “Operation Abhyaas”, a nationwide civil defence drill that will mobilise thousands of volunteers, police officers, rescue teams and bureaucrats in response to simulated hostile scenarios.

The drill will recreate a range of emergencies — from air raids and urban fires to casualty evacuations and temporary hospital setups — to test the national capital’s wartime readiness and civilian resilience.

As part of the exercise, Delhi will see coordinated action at over 55 locations, five in each of the city’s 11 districts, officials said.

The event is part of a larger national plan to enhance civil defence preparedness in 244 towns and districts across India. A planning meeting on Tuesday brought together Delhi’s 11 district magistrates, officials from the Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), civil defence units, home guards, police, fire services, hospitals, and other civic bodies.