New Delhi, May 6: The platform has been scheduled for a nationwide mock drill on Wednesday, in which preparations are to be prepared to conduct air-raid sirens with all states and center areas and train people on withdrawal protocols and preparation of cleaning bunkers and trenches among other steps in the event of “hostile attacks”.
Emergency preparations, first since 1971, will be held by most states from 4 pm.
Sources said that the number of volunteers associated with this drill will be around 6 lakhs but the final number could be higher.
The drill follows the communication of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday and operates the drill due to “new and complex threats” in the states and center areas, which has emerged amid growing tension with Pakistan after the Pahgam terror attack on 22 April, claiming 26 lives.
All the states will include students from educational institutions, employees of government and private organizations, hospital staff, students of railway and metro officers, besides the police, paramilitary and uniform personnel of defense forces, in addition to the mock drills, the sources said.
Most of the weak places include metro cities like Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata and cities which have important establishments such as nuclear facilities or are with border.
A source said, “The Civil Defense Officer is going to check the capabilities of all these fields and will be corrected wherever there is a shortage of anything or is not working,” a source said.
This practice of identifying site spots will continue for the next three days.
During the day, a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan was discussed how to conduct mock exercises with active public participation of people. Official sources said that top citizens and police officers attended the meeting in the meeting.
Officials said that preparations for the operation of mega practice in states and center areas are almost complete.
The Delhi government released a list of DOS for the practice ‘Operation Abhy’ at 55 places in the national capital.
People have been advised to get acquainted with air red siren sounds (short-exploded for alerts, all-a-long bursting), identify nearest shelter places such as basements, underground car parks or nominated safe areas during the drill and keep prepared items like toch, emergency kit, water bottles among others.
People will immediately need to prevent external activities and proceed to the nearest shelter, avoid using the phone to keep the communication line free for the emergency after the sound of a siren.
In Kashmir, according to a advisor issued by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the Directorate of Civil Defense, the drill will take place at 4 pm.
Chandigarh Deputy Commissioner Nishan Kumar Yadav said that a blackout rehearsal will be held from 7.30 pm to 7.40 pm on Wednesday.
He said that a siren will be held at 7.30 pm and it will continue for 10 minutes.
In Jharkhand, a drill will be held from 4 pm for activities such as alert and danger warning through safe withdrawal of the major infrastructure in an accident case.
Given the “new and complex dangers” amidst increasing tension with Pakistan after the Pahgam terror attack, mock drills will be held on 7 May at Bengaluru, Karwar and Raichur.
Karnataka Director General of Police Prashant Kumar Thakur said that the practice would continue for a week and its purpose is to identify and address gaps in preparations and resources.
Mock drills will be held at three places in the state – Karwar and Raichur in Bangalore city, Uttara Kannada district.
Uttar Pradesh Police Chief Prashant Kumar said that even though 19 districts have been identified by the central government for mock drills, the state government has decided to take it to all the districts of the state.
He said, “We have received directions from the Government of India for the Civil Defense Mock Drill to be held on 7 May. 19 districts have been identified, one of which is in the district A category, two C category, and the rest of the districts are in D category,” he said.
Punjab Finance Minister Harapal Singh Cheema said that mock drills would be done at 20 places in the state, including Ferozepur, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Bathinda, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Patiala, Pathankot, Barnala and Mohali.
The BJP has appealed people across the country to join the mock drill.
While the BJP posted its appeal on X, party sources said that its separate units across the country have been asked to actively participate in the local administration drive. Party MPs and MLAs are expected to be part of nationwide exercise.
Officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs said that about 300 civilian defense districts with sensitive establishments such as nuclear plants, military bases, refineries and hydroelectric dams would be covered by mock drills.
Sources said that civil defense districts are different from the general administrative district, as a cantonment or refinery or nuclear plant in a geographical area can be nominated as a ‘civil defense district’ on the basis of need and exaggeration.
A source said, “Such districts are nominated by the state officials concerned, and we believe that mock drills will be done in about 300 such civil security districts across the country.”
According to the communication of a Home Ministry, the mock drill also includes the operating a hotline and radio-communication link with the Indian Air Force (IAF), which tests the functionality of the control room and shadow control papers.
“In the current geopolitical scenario, new and complex threats/challenges have come to light, therefore, it will be prudent that the preparations for optimal civil security in the states/UTS are maintained at all times,” the Directorate General Fire Service, Civil Defense and Home Guards were called by letters and union states to the states and union states.
The practice of practice is planned to the village level, and the purpose of this practice is to assess and increase the readiness of civil security system in all states and center areas.
This is not the first time that such a civil defense is being raised. Sources said that even during Kovid, the entire mechanism was used to support the government.
After the Parliament attack and even during Kargil, the Civil Defense Force was raised to help the state machinery, he said. (PTI)
