Civil defence mock drills held nationwide to assess India’s emergency response preparedness

NEW DELHI: Amid escalating tensions with Pakistan, full-scale civil defence mock drills are being held across the country on Wednesday to assess India’s preparedness for emergency response.

This comes after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday instructed all states and union territories to carry out the drills to evaluate their preparedness against “new and complex threats.”

The drills are being carried out across major cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Gwalior, and Jaipur, focusing on evaluating local response capabilities to security challenges.

In Delhi, a thorough mock drill is taking place at the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) Office and at the bustling Khan Market, simulating real-life emergency situations.

In Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, the drill is being carried out in the Sirol area to test the local response capabilities.

In Mumbai, Maharashtra, emergency protocols are being tested at Cross Maidan, while in Pune, a comprehensive Civil Defence Mock Drill is taking place at Council Hall.

Bengaluru, Karnataka, is witnessing the drill at Halasuru Lake, and in Jaipur, Rajasthan, officials are conducting exercises on MI Road, further ensuring that the city is ready to handle any unforeseen threats.

These drills serve as a critical step in evaluating India’s preparedness for handling complex security situations, providing essential insights into the nation’s ability to respond swiftly and effectively.

After the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 Indian tourists, the Government of India announced a nationwide civil defence mock drill on Wednesday.

The MHA directed all states and union territories to carry out the drills, which included simulations of blackouts, air raid sirens, evacuation procedures, and public training sessions aimed at preparing for war-like emergencies.

The civil defence on Tuesday held a meeting with all its employees on the ways to protect citizens in case of an air attack in the city. Along with this, everyone was also given guidelines on protecting the public.

The civil defence individuals were also made aware of activities to be undertaken by citizens during a sudden attack, and what precautions they should take to ensure minimum damage. Information on how to manage the crowd during a disaster was also provided.

The measures include the provision of crash blackout measures, provision for early camouflaging of vital installations and updation of the evacuation plan and its rehearsal.

The Indian Armed Forces launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ in the early hours of Wednesday, hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed.

Twenty-six people were killed in the April 22 terror attack at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir. The government had said that the perpetrators would face severe punishment.

Soon after the focused strikes on terrorists and terrorist infrastructures as part of Operation Sindoor, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval spoke with his counterparts from the United States, Japan and several other countries and briefed them about India’s “measured, non-escalatory” action, sources said.

The government had convened an all-party meeting after the Pahalgam terror attack and the opposition parties had expressed their full support to the government for any action against the perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror attack.

Addressing a media briefing today on Operation Sindoor in which terror camps were targeted, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said Indian intelligence agencies have been monitoring terrorist activities and raised concerns regarding more terrorist attacks in India.

Some videos of the strikes destroying terror camps were also shown at the briefing held in the national capital today. (ANI)