As per the directions from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Chennai Port Authority conducted a comprehensive Civil Defence mock drill on 07.05.2025 from 1600 hrs to 1700 hrs IST, simulating Air Raid in coordination with various civil and defence agencies.
The exercise was aimed at assessing and enhancing the readiness of Civil Defence mechanisms through drill, by simulating two simultaneous air raids carried out at two strategic locations within the port. The mock drill was designed to simulate an air raid in Chennai Port to comprehensively test and validate critical response systems and protocols.
Approximately 500 personnels from Chennai Port Authority, Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, Indian Air Force, Tamil Nadu Police, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Oil Terminal, Chennai District Administration and Port users, actively participated in this large-scale mock drill.
The Civil Defence Mock drill was carried out under the Port’s Disaster Management Plan (DMP) framework with active coordination amongst all stakeholders.
Details:
At 1600 hours, a simulated air raid was initiated, during which a warning siren was alarmed to alert stakeholders of the imminent threat. Upon activation of the siren, Chennai Port's emergency response plan was immediately implemented, with the Integrated Command and Control Centre of Chennai Port Authority playing a central role in coordinating efforts with both the Central Government and State Government Agencies and civilian stakeholders to execute the response plan effectively.
The Indian Coast Guard immediately mobilised two vessels to secure the port's seaward approach and prevent any potential follow-up attacks from the sea.
All Civil Defence Agencies from Central Government and State Government Agencies were promptly alerted, and response teams from each of these agencies were swiftly mobilized to address the simulated threats as part of the coordinated drill operations.
In the simulated air raid scenario, a tank farm containing sensitive goods was depicted as being impacted. A coordinated response was executed involving the Chennai Port Firefighting and Rescue Teams, Central Government agencies, and State Government agencies to control and extinguish the simulated fire hazard, to evacuate civilians to designated safe houses, to identify and locate missing personnel, to provide treatment to simulated casualties, to mobilise Chennai Port Ambulance to the emergency site location and to transport causalities to the Chennai Port Hospital Emergency Ward where Chennai Port Doctors attended the Causalities.
The comprehensive mock drill witnessed coordinated efforts between Central and State Government agencies in responding to the simulated air raid at Chennai Port Authority.
Following the conclusion of the large-scale mock drill, Shri Sunil Paliwal, Chairperson of Chennai Port Authority and Kamarajar Port Limited, chaired a debriefing session in the presence of Shri S. Viswanathan, Deputy Chairman, Tmt. Rashmi Siddharth Zagade, District Collector, Chennai and Thiru P Sundaravadivel, IPS, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Flower Bazaar. During the session, the conduct and outcomes of the Civil Defence mock drill were thoroughly reviewed in collaboration with key stakeholders.
A dedicated training and awareness session was conducted for all mock drill participants to ensure clarity on the drill procedures, enhance situational awareness, and strengthen response coordination. The session briefed participants on the sequence of events during the exercise, identified gaps observed, and reinforced best practices. Additionally, key aspects of civil defence, including measures for self-protection in the event of a hostile attack, were thoroughly covered.
Chennai Port Authority remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of Safety and Operational integrity in line with the direction from Government of India and that of the Nation.