OOTY: A security drill at the Aruvankadu Cordite Factory near Coonoor in the Nilgiris created tension on Thursday after bomb detection and disposal squad personnel conducted searches with sniffer dogs across the premises.
The Aruvankadu facility, a defence explosives factory under the Central government, manufactures explosives and other defence equipment required for the Indian Army. More than 1,000 workers are employed at the factory. Entry for outsiders is restricted and the area is guarded under tight security.
On Thursday, personnel from the bomb detection and disposal squad arrived at the factory and conducted a thorough search with sniffer dogs. The checks covered the factory premises, production units and administrative offices.
Two schools located inside the factory campus were declared closed for the day and workers were evacuated from the premises, leading to tension in the Aruvankadu area.
Later, it emerged that the exercise was a security preparedness drill conducted to assess emergency response mechanisms.
Factory Public Relations Officer Sivashankar stated that a mock drill on emergency preparedness and awareness was conducted successfully at the Ordnance Factory in Avadi, Chennai, on Thursday morning, and a similar drill was carried out at the Aruvankadu Cordite Factory.
He said the exercise was an emergency evacuation drill based on an email alert.
“The main objective of the drill was to assess how employees and others present in the premises could be safely evacuated during an emergency or accident. It was conducted to evaluate the preparedness of the factory administration in ensuring safety during a crisis,” he stated.
“In this situation, when bomb squad personnel arrived at the explosives factory with sniffer dogs, we were worried. But we felt relieved after learning that it was only a security drill,” residents said.