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The Union Home Ministry has asked several states to conduct mock drills on May 7 for effective civil defence.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has directed several states to conduct nationwide mock drills on May 7 to assess preparedness for civil defence in case of hostile attacks, according to Government of India (GOI) sources.
Tensions have risen between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed. The government has said that perpetrators of the terror attack will face severe punishment.
Objectives of the May 7 mock drill
The Home Ministry notification laid down nine objectives of the security drill. The first is to assess the effectiveness of air raid warning systems and aims to prepare people for a response to an aerial attack.
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Hotline and radio communication lines with the Air Force will also be operational during this drill.
It will also test the functionality of control rooms and shadow control rooms. The notification says civilians and students must be trained in civil defence to protect themselves "in the event of hostile attack".
They said the measures to be undertaken include operationalization of Air Raid Warning Sirens and training of civilians, students, on the civil defence aspects to protect themselves in the event of a hostile attack. Measures also include the provision of crash blackout measures, which refer to training on planned blackouts to guard against aerial attacks.
As part of the drill, authorities may ask residents to switch off lights for a certain duration to mimic a blackout. The training will also include camouflaging of vital plants and installations.
This means steps to cover or shield key premises -- such as airfields, refineries and rail yards -- from enemy fire.
The drill will also check the preparedness of rescue teams and firefighters and evacuation measures.
The evacuation drills will be rehearsals for moving civilians from vulnerable areas to safe zones. Civilians will also be trained in first-aid, firefighting and shelter techniques.
Who will be part of the drill
According to the MHA notification to the states, this drill will be held across the country's 244 Civil Defence districts. "The conduct of the exercise is planned up to the village level. This exercise aims to assess and enhance the readiness of Civil Defence mechanisms across all States and Union Territories," it said.
According to the notification, the drill should see "active participation of the District Controller, various district authorities, civil defence wardens/volunteers, Home Guard (active /reservists volunteers), NCC, NSS, NYKS, college and school students".
The notification also mentions that civilians must be trained to respond to a "hostile attack".
India's diplomatic response
Following the Pahalgam terror attack, the government has announced a series of measures, including putting the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance, to send a strong message to Pakistan for its support of cross-border terrorism.
In the briefing to the Cabinet Committee on Security meeting held a day after the terror attack, the cross-border linkages of the terrorist attack were brought out. India also imposed an immediate ban on the direct or indirect import and transit of all goods originating in or exported from Pakistan, regardless of their import status, effectively halting bilateral trade flows, according to a notification by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
