Nationwide drills to begin today at 4pm; check details here
What's the story
India will hold a nationwide mock drill on Wednesday at 4:00pm to test the country's disaster response and sensitize local authorities to possible emergencies.
During the exercise termed 'Operation Abhyaas,' cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, and Chennai will practice simulations of air raids, blackouts, evacuations, etc.
The move is part of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) bid to improve emergency preparedness in high-risk districts in India.
Drill details
Mock drills to focus on emergency preparedness
In the state of Karnataka, mock drills will be conducted in Bengaluru, Karwar, and Raichur.
The drills will also be conducted at the fire and emergency headquarters in Ulsoor, starting today. Other districts, including Uttara Kannada, Mysuru, Raichur, and Mandya, will also join in later this week.
The exercise will cover various aspects of emergency preparedness, including dealing with air raids, fire emergencies, evacuations, casualty management, etc.
Mumbai's preparation
Mumbai prepares for nationwide mock security drill
Air raid sirens will be heard at 60 places across Mumbai at 4:00pm, in the first of the country-wide mock security drills. A five-minute blackout will follow at some places.
Civil defense staff, home guards, and volunteers will gather at designated spots to check preparedness for war-like situations.
Simultaneous drills are also scheduled across Maharashtra with over 10,000 volunteers involved in different places, including Raigad, Nashik, and Pune as well as Jalgaon.
Delhi's drill
Delhi's civil defense drill to assess emergency preparedness
Meanwhile, Delhi will hold a mega civil defense drill at 55 locations at 4:00pm, simulating air raids, blackouts, and evacuations. The exercise under 'Operation Abhyaas' aims to assess the city's preparedness for emergencies.
Civil Defense volunteers, in coordination with local police, fire services, and other agencies, will be involved.
The exercise will also train schoolchildren in disaster response and make citizens aware of siren sounds and evacuation protocols.
Other cities
Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata prepare for mock drills
Chennai will see a civil defense drill at the Madras Atomic Power Station and the Chennai Port Trust. The exercise will concentrate on responding to an air raid threat and also examine civil defense coordination.
In Hyderabad, mock drills will be carried out at four locations. Sirens will ring within the Outer Ring Road (ORR) at 4pm to indicate an air raid and again at 4.30pm to signify the end of the practice.
WB
Bengal government will begin a 7-day statewide mock drill
Starting Wednesday, the West Bengal government will conduct a seven-day statewide mock drill to evaluate the preparedness of security systems.
During the exercises, sirens set up on 90 important Kolkata buildings—including the Civil Defence building, Mahajati Sadan auditorium, Calcutta High Court, and Kolkata Police Headquarters in Lalbazar—will be activated.
In Uttar Pradesh, a full-scale mock drill will be carried out across all districts.
A 10-minute blackout will be observed in Bareilly district from 8pm to 8:10pm.
Other states
Other states conducting drills
Mock drills will also be conducted in Kashmir's seven civil defense districts—Anantnag, Budgam, Baramulla, Kupwara, Srinagar, Uri (in Baramulla district), and Awantipora (in Pulwama district).
While in Kerala, mock drills will be conducted in 14 districts.
In the Northeast, an extensive mock drill will be carried out across 14 civil defense districts of Assam, while in Manipur, it will be conducted in Imphal West district.