Mock Drill
Govt to hold civil defence mock drills Wed amid India-Pakistan tensions
This story was originally published at 16:25 IST on 6 May 2025
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NEW DELHI - The Centre has decided to conduct civil defence mock drills across 244 categorised civil defence districts on Wednesday to check preparedness for potential hostile attacks. This directive from the home ministry comes amid escalating tensions with Pakistan following the Apr. 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed.
In a letter, the Directorate General of Fire Service, Civil Defence and Home Guard has asked the chief secretaries of all states and administrators of all Union Territories to organise civil defence exercises across of the country.
The mock drill will include air raid warning sirens, training of civilians and students on self-protection during an attack, implementation of crash blackout measures to reduce visibility, early-stage camouflage of vital installations, and rehearsals for evacuation plans in the event of a hostile attack, the letter said.
"...Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to organize Civil Defence Exercise and Rehearsal across the 244 categorized Civil Defence Districts of the country on 07.05.2025. The conduct of the exercise is planned up to the village level," the letter said.
The civil defence districts have been selected based on multiple parameters, including proximity to international borders, presence of critical infrastructure such as defence installations, power grids, ports etc., urban density and coastal areas. The border districts in states like Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan and Gujarat are expected to conduct the drill.
The ministry further stated that the exercise aims to assess and enhance the readiness of civil defence mechanisms across all states and Union Territories.
On Sunday, the police conducted a 30-minute blackout drill in Punjab's Ferozepur district. Following an advisory by the Ferozepur Cantonment board, the residents were asked to switch off lights from 2100 IST to 2130 IST. End
IST, or Indian Standard Time, is five-and-a-half hours ahead of GMT
Reported by Kuldeep Singh
Edited by Tanima Banerjee
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