New Delhi: On Monday, the Ministry of Home Affairs instructed all states and union territories to carry out mock drills to assess their readiness against emerging and intricate threats. This directive was issued in light of heightened tensions with Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack.
The ministry announced that these drills will take place in 244 designated civil defense districts nationwide on May 7. The notification from the home ministry indicated that the mock drills will evaluate the readiness for activating air-raid warning sirens and will train civilians on civil defense measures to safeguard themselves during a hostile attack.
The drills will involve implementing crash-blackout protocols, early camouflage of critical facilities, and updating and practicing evacuation strategies. Additionally, the exercises will include establishing hotline and radio communication links with the Indian Air Force (IAF), as well as testing the functionality of control rooms and shadow control rooms. The Directorate General Fire Service, Civil Defence and Home Guards emphasized the necessity of maintaining optimal civil defense preparedness in light of the current geopolitical landscape, which has introduced new and complex threats.
The exercise is designed to extend down to the village level, aiming to evaluate and improve the readiness of civil defense systems across all states and union territories. On Tuesday, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan held a meeting to discuss the execution of these mock drills, attended by several senior officials.
A representative from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) stated after the meeting that they are reviewing preparedness and have identified areas needing rectification.
