MOCK DRILL BREAKING: Civil Defence Mock Drill Announced in Border States Including Punjab, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Jammu & Kashmir
A civil defence mock drill is scheduled to be conducted on Thursday, May 29, 2025, across several Indian states bordering Pakistan. These include Punjab, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Jammu & Kashmir.
This announcement follows closely on the heels of "Operation Sindoor," which reportedly targeted terror hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The mock drills are aimed at enhancing emergency preparedness and response capabilities in these strategically sensitive regions.
Earlier this month, a nationwide mega civil defence mock drill, "Operation Abhyaas," was performed across 244 districts in India on May 7, 2025. This exercise simulated various hostile scenarios such as air raids, fire emergencies, and search and rescue operations.
Key aspects of these civil defence mock drills typically include:
- Activation of air-raid warning sirens: To test public alert systems and prepare citizens for potential threats.
- Blackout measures: Simulating conditions to reduce visibility during night-time attacks.
- Civilian training: Educating the public on how to protect themselves in the event of an attack, including finding shelter and basic first aid.
- Cleaning and preparing bunkers and trenches: Ensuring readiness of protective shelters.
- Updating and rehearsing evacuation plans: To ensure efficient movement of people from high-risk zones.
- Operationalizing hotline and radio-communication links with the Indian Air Force (IAF): To ensure seamless coordination.
- Testing functionality of control rooms and shadow control rooms: To assess command and control capabilities.
The drills are expected to involve active participation from district authorities, civil defence wardens and volunteers, Home Guards, NCC, NSS, NYKS, and students from schools and colleges. Residents in the affected areas are advised to stay informed through official channels and cooperate with authorities, as temporary disruptions such as power outages and siren activations may occur.
