Mumbai to conduct mock drills and blackouts for next five days

Mock drills and scheduled blackouts will be carried out in phases across Mumbai over the next five days, till May 13, as part of emergency preparedness efforts.

On May 8, officials launched the exercise—codenamed ‘Operation Abhyas’—with demonstrations at key locations including Cross Maidan and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT).

The operation involved the Mumbai Police, Fire Brigade, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

Maharashtra’s Director of Civil Defence Prabhat Kumar told the media the drills aim to prepare citizens for emergencies, with an average response time of three minutes recorded on day one. He reportedly said these were not spontaneous events but controlled simulations to train people in case of disasters or attacks.

Officials added that while soldiers are trained for combat, these drills are designed to equip civilians and local responders to minimise casualties during crises. The initiative will also focus on building smoother coordination between residents and civil defence teams.