Chennai, May 6 (IANS) A civil defence exercise and rehearsal will be conducted at two key installations in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, as part of a nationwide initiative instructed by the Union Home Ministry to assess emergency preparedness.
The mock drill is scheduled to take place at the Madras Atomic Power Station in Kalpakkam of Chengalpattu district, and at Chennai Port Trust between 4 and 4:30 p.m.
The exercise is designed to simulate an incoming air raid scenario, testing the readiness and coordination of multiple departments to handle emergencies.
The State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) has been activated and will operate from the premises of the State Disaster Management Authority at Ezhilagam in Chennai.
During the drill, the District Disaster Management Authority, led by the respective District Collector, will work in tandem with Civil Defence personnel (Home Guards), Fire and Rescue Services, and other key government departments.
To oversee preparations, a high-level meeting was convened on Tuesday under the chairmanship of N. Muruganandam, the Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu.
Senior officials from both the state and Central agencies attended the meeting, including the Additional Chief Secretary (Home, Prohibition and Excise), Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue and Disaster Management), State Relief Commissioner and Commissioner for Revenue Administration, Director General of Police, Additional Director General of Police (Operations), Project Director of Madras Atomic Power Station, Chairman of Chennai Port Trust, Chengalpattu District Collector, Inspector General (Home Guards), Inspector General (General), and representatives from the Dakshin Bharat Area.
Officials emphasised that this exercise is purely a routine mock drill intended to strengthen response mechanisms at critical infrastructure sites.
All other public activities and services across the state will continue as usual during the exercise.
The government has urged the public not to panic or be alarmed by the activities at Kalpakkam and Chennai Port during the drill, reiterating that it is part of standard safety measures to ensure preparedness in case of real emergencies.
–IANS
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