Udaipur, April 25: In compliance with directives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, a high-level mock drill was conducted at the Bharat Petroleum gas plant in Sakroda to assess civil safety preparedness. The drill simulated a severe situation involving a fire at the gas plant following an airstrike.
The theme for the 2026 mock drill, set by the Ministry of Home Affairs, focused on an air attack and blackout. Under the guidance of District Magistrate Gaurav Agarwal, various agencies including BPCL, the Civil Defence Department, Fire Brigade, Police, Home Guards, and medical teams coordinated their efforts during the exercise.
At precisely 7:25 PM on Saturday, the Sakroda plant notified all agencies that an explosive had fallen near the storage area due to an airstrike, causing a fire and a blackout in the vicinity. Reports of a gas leak from the storage capsule were also communicated.
Before other teams arrived, BPCL teams, under the direction of Plant Manager Ramanuj Karmakar, initiated precautionary measures. The fire fighting system was activated, and emergency response teams including fire engines, civil defence units, police, home guards, and medical teams with ambulances promptly reached the site. Following the district administration’s orders, a precautionary blackout was implemented across the area.
All teams worked in coordination to perform activities such as managing the blackout, firefighting, and rescuing injured individuals to transport them to hospitals, simulating real-life conditions to evaluate the effectiveness of disaster management.
During the drill, special attention was given to emergency response, resource availability, and coordination among various departments. Present at the site were District Collector, ADM Administration Deependra Singh Rathore, Fire Officer Shivram Meena, Assistant Fire Officer Navdeep Singh Bagga, and all relevant officials with their teams. ADM Rathore stated that the purpose of such mock drills is to ensure swift and effective action in any emergency situation, minimizing loss of life and property.