Extensive emergency mock drills conducted across Gautam Budh Nagar

The Gautam Budh Nagar police on Wednesday conducted large-scale emergency response mock drills across Noida, Central Noida, and Greater Noida to bolster preparedness and inter-agency coordination during crisis situations, officials said.

Organised in collaboration with the fire department, bomb disposal squads, dog squads, paramilitary forces, and medical teams, the drills were supervised by senior police officials and conducted at high-footfall locations such as malls, high-rise buildings, schools, colleges, NTPC Dadri, and the Botanical Garden Metro station.

To be sure, the district does not fall on the list of states released by the central government, however, GB Nagar administration prepared for the drill since Tuesday, officials said.

“The objective of the mock drills was to strengthen response capabilities during emergencies such as fire outbreaks, terrorist attacks, and natural disasters. The drills aimed to improve response time, communication, coordination, and public safety management,” said Praveen Singh, assistant commissioner of police, Noida, adding that one of the exercises was held at Botanical Garden Metro station around 1pm.

Sirens were blared through at multiple locations to simulate emergency evacuations, and participating teams practised rescue and containment measures, according to a statement issued by Noida police. Officials said that a separate, large-scale drill was held at NTPC Dadri with active participation from district-level administrative officers, including district magistrate Manish Kumar.

At the Botanical Garden, the drill lasted around an hour in the presence of senior police officials, while the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) explained in detail how to stay safe without escalating tension. Around 100 police personnel, including CRPF and dog squad teams, participated in the exercise.

“We have conducted the drill at Gaur City mall around 11pm in the presence of other agencies,” said Dr Hridesh Katheriya, additional deputy commissioner of police, Central Noida.