Is Your City on the List? Nationwide Civil Defence Mock Drills Set for May 7

Is Your City on the List: In response to increasing security concerns following the Pahalgam terror attack, the Union ministry of home affairs will conduct a civil defence mock drill across 244 districts across the country on May 7 to improve emergency response and public safety systems.

Union home secretary Govind Mohan will review the preparations with chief secretaries and heads of civil defence across the country in a video conference meeting on Tuesday.

Also Read: Shashi Tharoor Reveals UNSC Dynamics: Says China Will Veto Any Resolution Against Pakistan

According to an official communication issued by the Directorate General of Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards, the civil defence mock drills will include the operationalisation of air-raid warning sirens, cleaning and rehabilitation of bunkers and trenches for shelter, and training of civilians on protective actions in hostile attacks.

Other elements that will be included are crash-blackout procedures and the blacking out of essential installations, implementation of evacuation plans, and checking of communication lines with the IAF through hotline and radio comms. The control rooms and shadow control rooms will be checked for operational status.

The exercise will take place down to the village level and will involve civil defence wardens, home guards, NCC and NSS cadets, NYKS volunteers and students from schools and colleges.“In the current geo-political scenario, new and complex thre .

Also Read: Civil Defence Mock Drill Scheduled Nationwide Tomorrow: Will Daily Services Be Affected?

“In the current geo-political scenario, new and complex threats/challenges have emerged, hence, it would be prudent that optimum civil defence preparedness in the states/UTs is maintained at all times,” the ministry stated.

The civil defence mock drill comes on the heels of a fatal terror attack in south Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to have the attackers brought to justice, stating they would be pursued "to the ends of the earth."

A civil defence mock drill is a pretend emergency stimulus for civilians and entities, which is still emergency-related, and includes activities to prepare for threats such as war, natural disasters, terrorist attacks or any hostile event. Specifically, the objective of a civil defence drill is to test civil defence system effectiveness, and for individuals to learn how to deal with real-life situations in emergency conditions.

Also Read: Bilawal Bhutto Seeks Peace with India After Earlier ‘Blood in River’ Threat