Mock drills conducted in 6 states, UTs to enhance wartime emergency preparedness

Chandigarh/Srinagar/Jaipur: Mock drills were conducted on Saturday in states and Union territories adjoining the western border -- from Jammu and Kashmir to Gujarat -- to enhance wartime emergency preparedness and response capabilities, officials said.

Exercises simulating air raids, drone attacks and other wartime scenarios were conducted, while emergency response teams practised rescue operations as part of the civil defence mock drills under Operation Shield in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana and Chandigarh.

The exercise was earlier scheduled for May 29, but was postponed by the Union home ministry.

On May 7, the government conducted the first civil defence exercise across the country.

While the announcement was made a few days earlier amid heightened tensions with Pakistan in the wake of the April 22 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalagam in which 26 people were killed, Operation Sindoor was carried out by India in the early hours of May 7 through which the defence forces targeted terror camps at nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

On Saturday, the drills were held in all districts of Punjab and neighbouring Haryana, featuring scenes of volunteers simulating injuries and being carried on stretchers to ambulances, while firefighters practised extinguishing flames.

Blackout rehearsals were also carried out in both states and the Union Territory of Chandigarh, as electricity was shut down at many places.

According to an official, drills were conducted to simulate critical incidents in light of current national security concerns and to evaluate the efficacy of emergency response mechanisms in real-time situations at the three places.

There was coordinated participation from multiple agencies, including fire, police, health, and disaster management, while trained volunteers from the Civil Defence, National Service Scheme (NSS) and National Cadet Corps (NCC) also participated in the exercise, he said.

A key highlight of Operation Shield was the massive participation of around 10,000 Civil Defence volunteers, who worked in close coordination with the NCC, the NSS, the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), Home Guards, he said.

Blackout rehearsals began at around 8 pm and continued from 10 minutes to half an hour in various cities. In Punjab's Fazilka, a border district, the blackout drill was planned at 9 pm for half an hour.

In Chandigarh, a scenario was simulated at the Air Force Station involving an attack by a swarm of enemy drones. In response, the station commander sought assistance from the civil administration to evacuate families from the station premises.

Similarly, in Punjab's Hoshiarpur, the drill was based on a hypothetical scenario in which enemy drones attacked a military station, prompting the station commander to seek immediate assistance from the civil administration.

An air raid warning siren was sounded in Fazilka at 6 pm, following which the drill began.

Emergency response teams practised rescue operations at a school in Khatipura in Rajasthan's Jaipur in a hypothetical air attack scenario.

Civil Defence and State Disaster Response Force teams quickly activated their emergency response protocols and shifted volunteers acting as injured to nearby hospitals.

During the drill, volunteers acted as if they were trapped on rooftops following the airstrike. Rescue teams used cranes to evacuate them safely.

Similar mock drills were conducted in other cities of the state.

As part of the mock drill in Kashmir, a blackout was observed from 8 pm to 8.15 pm with lights of government buildings, houses and business establishments being turned off.

In Srinagar, lights were switched off at the Lal Chowk City centre, including the historic Ghanta Ghar (Clock Tower), officials said.

Business activities, vehicular movement and routine operations were paused for the 15-minute duration, they added.

Experts and personnel from the SDRF, Health Department, Fire and Emergency Services, along with a large number of students and locals, participated in the exercise, they said.

In Gujarat, the drills were conducted in 18 districts of the state, including Rajkot, Kutch, Patan, Morbi, Banaskantha, Chhota Udaipur and Nadiad.

"In Ahmedabad, a civil defence mock drill was organised at Sadar Bazar Cantonment in Shahibaug. Under these drills, programmes like volunteer mobilisation, air raid simulations, communication system activation, blackout protocol, blood donation camp and evacuation procedures were held," an official release said.