Emergency teams arrive in Sirsa, Mini-Secretariat evacuated

A mock drill was conducted at the Mini-Secretariat in Sirsa on Wednesday as part of “Operation Abhyas” to test emergency preparedness. At 4 pm, a loud siren sounded, signalling a sudden fire scenario. Staff and officers quickly evacuated the building, and emergency teams arrived, including the police, fire brigade, ambulance, and civil defence personnel.

Smoke was simulated in one section of the building, where six people were “rescued” and taken to the hospital. Sirsa SP Dr Mayank Gupta, ADC Lakshit Sareen and SDM Rajendra Singh reached the spot to oversee the operation. Similar drills were also held at the subdivisional level.

After the drill, Sareen said the purpose was to check how quickly emergency help could reach and how effectively rescue operations could be conducted to reduce casualties. Response times of fire trucks and ambulances were recorded and further drills might be held in the future.

He also said for the upcoming blackout from 7.50 pm to 8pm, village secretaries and patwaris had been assigned duties to inform people at the village level.

In addition, Sirsa District Magistrate Shantanu Sharma has issued a 10 day-ban on drone and UAV flights to strengthen security and prepare for emergencies. The ban includes drones, gliders, flying cameras, remote-controlled aircraft, and other UAVs.

The ban applies within a 2-km radius of key sites like hospitals, railway stations, police stations, airports, roads, bridges, banks, power stations, dams, oil depots, and water supply centres. The decision is based on security needs and legal rules under the Indian Civil Protection Code and Drone Rules, 2021.

The public is urged to follow these orders. Any violations legal action under the law will be taken against the defaulters.

Meanwhile, under the guidance of Sirsa DC, awareness sessions on emergency safety were also conducted for NCC cadets and college students at Chaudhary Devi Lal University and Shah Satnam Ji Boys College, focusing on self-defence and rescue methods during wartime emergencies.