Hussainsagar lake hosts Pralay Sahayam exercise

A rescue operation was conducted on Hussainsagar lake by all the three wings of the Defence forces and a team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on Saturday. Rescue boats and helicopters were pressed into service to manage a flood-like situation.

The Indian Air Force deployed Mi-17s choppers and the advanced light helicopter for the aerial evacuation. The Mi-17 chopper lowered an inflatable boat of the India Navy to rescue the trapped citizens. NDRF officials served as volunteers.

On Saturday, Sanjeeviah park and the surrounding areas were filled with men in uniform to conduct the ‘Pralay Sahayam’. For the drill, dummy multi-storey buildings and houses with stranded people were installed on the lake.

The stranded occupants were rescued in a joint operation by the armed forces, NDRF, state government agencies, and the police.

The Pralay Sahayam is organised on the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Defence ministry. The disaster management operation brought all stake holders on a single platform to play their respective roles.

The exercise is aimed at streamlining the disaster management efforts of the armed forces and to increase confidence of the public when dealing with massive floods in cities.

Similar exercises were conducted in Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, Bhuj and Karwar earlier, officials said.