As part of Operation Sindoor, the Mysuru district administration conducted a mock drill named Operation Abhyaas on Saturday evening at the Mysuru Palace to showcase how well-prepared they are for emergencies.
The drill took place between 5:15 pm and 6:15 pm. During the exercise, police fired five to six blank shots to simulate an air raid. The loud sounds caused panic among the large number of tourists present due to summer holidays. Many ran in fear, unaware that it was a planned activity.
The scene became even more dramatic with the arrival of a training flight, drones, and emergency vehicles like fire trucks, water tankers, ambulances, and rescue vans. Sirens wailed, and chaos filled the area before people realized it was only a mock drill. After that, many stayed and watched the demonstration with interest.
Actors playing the roles of injured and dead people were rescued by 63 staff from the Karnataka Fire and Emergency Services (KFES), led by Director T N Shivashankara and Chief Fire Officer P S Jayaramaiah. The Health Department, under DHO Dr P C Kumarswamy, had 46 members who provided first aid and marked the injured based on the severity using red and black tapes.
The injured were carried on stretchers. Those with serious injuries were taken in ambulances, while others with minor injuries were transported by KSRTC buses. The KFES team also showed techniques for putting out fires and cutting through metal bars to rescue trapped victims.
More than 200 police personnel, including the CISF, dog squads, and forensic experts, secured the area under the leadership of Police Commissioner Seema Latkar, DCPs Mutthuraj and Sunder Raj, and SP N Vishnuvardhan.
Elderly Sarala (80), who had read about the drill in the newspaper, came from Udaygiri to watch it. Tourist Basamma from Vijaypura district said she was scared at first but felt reassured after seeing the rescue operations.
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Officials from the Mysuru Palace Board and senior district leaders like DC G Lakshmikanth Reddy and ADC P Shivaraju supervised the drill. DC Reddy explained that the palace was chosen because it’s usually crowded. The aim was to test how quickly and effectively emergency services could respond and to find areas of improvement. He also mentioned that 12 civil defence teams have already been formed.
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Commissioner Seema added that security across Mysuru has been increased, especially at key places like CFTRI and the Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran. Police patrols and CCTV surveillance have been stepped up.
Another mock drill is planned near the KRS dam in Mandya on Sunday evening. A rehearsal held on Saturday had caused concern among nearby villagers, but they calmed down after learning it was just a drill.
