Telangana flood mock drill 2025: Minister reviews disaster response at Hyderabad's Necklace Road
Synopsis
Telangana is not waiting for the monsoon to strike — it ran a large-scale flood mock drill at Hyderabad's Necklace Road on 18 May, with NDRF, SDRF, and a dozen departments in action. Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy invoked the 1908 Hyderabad Great Flood to drive home why the 'Golden Hour' of disaster response can be the difference between lives saved and lives lost.
Key Takeaways
Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy inspected a statewide flood mock drill at HMDA grounds, Necklace Road, Hyderabad on 18 May 2025 .
Telangana is benchmarking its disaster management system against global rescue protocols .
Demonstrations included inflatable lifeboats , water-rescue techniques, and coordinated real-time evacuation drills.
The minister cited the 1908 Hyderabad Great Flood and Godavari-Krishna floods as reminders of the cost of unpreparedness.
Agencies involved: NDRF, SDRF, GHMC, HYDRA, Fire Services, Police, Medical and Health , and several other departments.
The minister urged media and public to share only verified information during disaster events.
Telangana Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy on Monday, 18 May 2025 inspected a large-scale flood mock drill at the HMDA grounds on Necklace Road, Hyderabad, as part of a statewide disaster management exercise. The minister stated that the state is actively developing a more efficient disaster management system by studying rescue protocols deployed globally, underscoring that protecting lives and property remains the government's foremost obligation.
What the Mock Drill Covered
Special response teams demonstrated inflatable lifeboats, technical water-rescue methods, emergency evacuation procedures, and real-time coordinated rescue operations during the exercise. The minister subsequently visited the Necklace Road Boating Club to inspect ongoing rescue activities firsthand.
Participating agencies included the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Police, Fire Services, Revenue, Medical and Health, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring and Protection Agency (HYDRA), Industries, Transport, Animal Husbandry, Veterinary, and other departments.
Key Officials Present
Senior officials who participated included Disaster Management Department Secretary Dasari Harichandan, Telangana State Disaster Response and Fire Services Director General Vikram Singh Mann, HYDRA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath, and NDMA Lead Consultant Major General (Retd.) Sudhir Bahl. Minister Srinivas Reddy commended all agencies for the conduct of the extensive exercises.
Why Preparedness Matters: The Historical Context
Citing the 1908 Hyderabad Great Flood and the more recent Godavari-Krishna floods, the minister noted that history demonstrates the scale of destruction that follows inadequate disaster vigilance. He stressed that the 'Golden Hour' — the first hour after a disaster strikes — is the most critical window for saving lives, and that drills of this nature sharpen response instincts across all departments.
Srinivas Reddy also expressed concern over the rising frequency of forest fires and urban fire accidents, calling them a serious and growing challenge for the state's emergency management framework.
Government's Message to the Public
The minister clarified that the public need not be alarmed, emphasising that the exercises are entirely part of advance preparedness planning. He urged media organisations and social media users to circulate only verified, responsible information during and after such drills to prevent unnecessary panic.
Rapid inter-departmental coordination, trained rescue teams equipped with modern technology, and early warning systems were identified as the three pillars Telangana is building its upgraded disaster management architecture around. Further statewide drills are expected as the state heads into the monsoon season.
Point of View
But Telangana's explicit move to study global rescue benchmarks signals an acknowledgement that the state's existing framework needs structural upgrades — not just annual rehearsals. The repeated invocation of the 1908 Hyderabad flood and the Godavari-Krishna flooding is telling: these are not distant historical footnotes but live risk profiles for a state with dense urban corridors along flood-prone river systems. The real question is whether inter-departmental coordination demonstrated in a controlled drill translates into seamless execution when a real disaster compresses decision-making to minutes. Commendations from the minister are welcome, but the public accountability test will come when the next flood season arrives.
NationPress
5 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Telangana disaster management mock drill held on 18 May 2025?
It was a statewide flood mock drill conducted at the HMDA grounds on Necklace Road, Hyderabad, involving NDRF, SDRF, Police, Fire Services, GHMC, HYDRA, and several other departments. The exercise tested inflatable lifeboat deployment, water-rescue techniques, and coordinated emergency evacuation procedures.
Why did Telangana conduct this flood mock drill?
The state is building a more efficient disaster management system benchmarked against global rescue practices, ahead of the monsoon season. Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy emphasised that rapid response during the critical 'Golden Hour' after a disaster is key to saving lives.
Who attended the Hyderabad flood mock drill on 18 May?
Key attendees included Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, Disaster Management Department Secretary Dasari Harichandan, SDRF and Fire Services DG Vikram Singh Mann, HYDRA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath, and NDMA Lead Consultant Major General (Retd.) Sudhir Bahl, along with officials from over a dozen departments.
What historical floods did the minister reference during the drill?
Minister Srinivas Reddy cited the 1908 Hyderabad Great Flood and the recent Godavari-Krishna floods to highlight the scale of damage that can result from inadequate disaster preparedness and vigilance.
Should the public be worried about the Hyderabad flood mock drill?
No. The minister clarified that the exercises are entirely part of advance preparedness planning and not a response to any immediate threat. He urged the public and media to circulate only verified, responsible information about such drills.
