Telangana conducts mock drills at the state level to enhance disaster preparedness

A mock disaster response exercise at Tank Bund in Hyderabad on Monday.

The Telangana government in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority on Monday conducted a mock exercise at the state level to test the preparedness and response mechanisms for floods, forest fires and industrial accidents in several districts.

The exercise, held for the second time in the state, was aimed at strengthening disaster response systems in the increasingly unpredictable climate that has led to sudden heavy rains, flash floods and forest fires, besides major industrial accidents in recent years.

Mock flood drills were conducted in 13 districts including Hyderabad, Khammam, Warangal, Kamareddy, Nizamabad, Jogulamba Gadwal, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Nirmal, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Narayanpet, Mulugu, Wanapartha and Hanumakonda.

National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) personnel and allied teams conduct a mock exercise at Biocon Limited at Pashamylaram in Sangareddy District on Monday. | Photo credit: MOHD ARIF

Industrial accident response drills were conducted at Sangareddy, Medchal-Malkajgiri, Rangareddy and Nalgonda, while forest fire response drills were conducted at Kumuram Bheem Asifabad, Nagarkurnool, Jayashankar Bhupalpally and Bhadradri Kothagudem.

Officials said the primary goals were to test and strengthen preparedness at the state and district levels, operationalize incident response systems, assess interagency coordination and evaluate the effectiveness of emergency support functions.

National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) personnel and allied teams conduct a mock exercise at Biocon Limited at Pashamylaram in Sangareddy District on Monday. | Photo credit: MOHD ARIF

The exercise also aimed to clarify the roles of the State Disaster Management Authority, Telangana Integrated Command and Control Center (TGICCC), State Disaster Response Force, District Collectors and other response agencies.

According to officials, the flood response exercise tested the effectiveness of early warning and communication systems, identified operational deficiencies and reinforced the importance of early evacuations, safe evacuation routes and shelter identification.

The mock exercises also assessed the preparedness of emergency response teams, rescue equipment and logistical support, while highlighting the need for regular training and public awareness initiatives.

The industrial accident exercise highlighted the importance of mutual aid between industries during chemical spills and fires, with officials stressing the need for clear standard operating procedures, better alarm systems and better coordination with outside agencies such as fire, police and medical teams.

The forest fire exercise focused on raising awareness among communities living near forest areas on prevention, early reporting and safe practices, while strengthening technical response capabilities and inter-agency coordination.

Officials said the exercises helped identify gaps in manpower, equipment and emergency resources and significantly increased the confidence of teams and stakeholders in dealing with real emergencies.

The exercise was conducted under the supervision of Director General Telangana Fire, Disaster Response, Emergency and Civil Defense Vikram Singh Mann, Revenue Minister Hari Chandana Dasari and Major General Sudhir Bahl, Senior Consultant NDMA, with the participation of District Collectors, Line Departments, volunteers and various state and central government agencies.

Published – 18 May 2026 20:36 IST