The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has instructed all states to conduct mock drills on Wednesday amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. Home Secretary Govind Mohan has called a meeting on Tuesday regarding Civil Defence.
Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, Govind Mohan, the Home Secretary of India, has called a meeting on Tuesday regarding Civil Defence at 10:45 a.m. Chief Secretaries and heads of civil defence from across the country will participate in the meeting via video-conferencing. Preparations for civil defence are being made in 244 districts of the country.
Earlier, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) asked all states to conduct mock drills on Wednesday in view of “new and complex threats” that have emerged amid rising tensions with Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack.
Measures to be taken during civil defence mock drills
According to the MHA, the measures to be taken during the mock drills include the operationalisation of air-raid warning sirens, training civilians on civil-defence aspects to protect themselves in the event of a “hostile attack” and cleaning bunkers and trenches.
“In the current geopolitical 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 letter from the Directorate General Fire Service, Civil Defence and Home Guards said.
The mock drills will also include the operationalisation of hotline and radio-communication links with the Indian Air Force (IAF), testing the functionality of control rooms and shadow control rooms.
The letter further added, “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.”
Authorities to students: Key participants in the drill
It said that the participation of the district controllers, various district authorities, civil defence wardens, volunteers, home guards (active and reservist volunteers), National Cadet Corps (NCC), National Service Scheme (NSS), Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), and college and school students is envisaged in the exercise.
The announcement came after Home Secretary Govind Mohan met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital on Monday.
PM Modi has been holding a series of high-level meetings, including with top defence functionaries, as India mulls over countermeasures against the April 22 terror attack in south Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which claimed 26 innocent lives.
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