2-day mock drill in Delhi to check preparedness in tackling terror attack

The two-day drill will be held at over ten different locations in the city Hindu college, GTB metro station, Palika bazar, AIIMS, and Lotus Temple

A two-day mock drill will be organised in Delhi on Thursday and Friday to check anti-terror preparedness in the national Capital.

Delhi Police women Swat team seen in action during a mock drill resembling the scenario of a terror attack. (HT file photo)

Organised by Delhi Police, the two-day drill will be held at over ten different locations in the city, in which all the stakeholders, including fire services, civil defence volunteers, and residents’ welfare associations, will take part, the officials said. He added that some of the location include Hindu college, GTB metro station, Palika bazar, AIIMS, Lotus Temple, Vegus mall, Venkateswara college, DLF Emporia, and Indira Gandhi International Airport.

A senior Delhi Police officer said that the drill will begin at 12pm on Thursday and Friday, in which a coordinated multi-location mock-drill exercise will be held at over ten strategic locations.

“Mock-drills are the standard mechanism whereby the efficiency and efficacy of institutional arrangements and inter-agency coordination are put to the litmus test in various scenarios. While mock drills are regularly organized to sharpen police response for preventing, handling and containing terrorist attacks, in the present security scenario, a multi-location, a multi-agency mock drill was conceived after various rounds of inter-agency communications and table-tops, the same will be executed at 10 locations, coordinated by Special Cell, the nodal anti-terror agency of Delhi Police,” he said, asking not to be named.

The officer further said that at all ten locations, all stakeholders including local police, traffic police, PCR, SWAT and civic agencies like fire service and health department will be asked to rush to any location, by the central police control room.

“Incident command posts have been established and a defensive evacuation drill will be executed. The special forces of SWAT, Special Cell, and CISF (for the Metro stations) will form the inner cordon and anti-terror operations, as prescribed in the drills’ manual. Hostage rescue, secondary device check, screening and securing of suspects etc. complex operations will also be simulated with coordination and cooperation of all responding stakeholders,” the officer added.

The Delhi Police have appealed the general public, to extend cooperation and avoid falling for rumours and misunderstandings.