Prabhat Kumar, director of civil defence, Maharashtra, who was in charge of Wednesday’s drill, told mid-day in a brief interview that the exercise had proven beneficial for several Mumbaikars, teaching them what measures to take in times of crisis. Excerpts:

What was the response to the drill?
We received a good response from citizens. We provided as much information as possible about what to do in a war-like scenario.
Around 4 pm, we conducted a drill at Cross Maidan, where a siren was sounded to alert people. It was raining heavily at the time. During this exercise, we simulated fires caused by a wartime attack.