Mock drills in 55 places in Delhi amid India-Pak tensions: Here’s when and where

On the eve of the exercise, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the national capital is “fully prepared” for it. “Every activity is being undertaken as per the directions of the Centre,” she said.

The plan

Officials said drills will be held across all 11 districts — five locations per district — covering 660 schools and 40 markets.

For instance, in New Delhi, the drill will take place at Khan Market, Palika Kendra, Charak Palika Hospital, Vasant Vihar D-6 residential colony, and Kendriya Vidyalaya in Delhi Cantonment.

In South Delhi, the list includes the Select City Walk mall and the District Court Complex in Saket. In Southeast Delhi, Lajpat Nagar Central Market and Apollo Hospital are on the list.

According to officials, the drill will be led by district magistrates (DMs). “Delhi, being one of the key union territories, has been included in this exercise aimed at evaluating the readiness and operational effectiveness of civil defence systems during hostile scenarios,” read the minutes of a meeting held by the Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue-cum-Divisional Commissioner.

A senior official said district magistrates will procure sirens that can transmit sound over 4-5 km. “Currently, districts have winding sirens. But their range is just 200-300 metres. As this is the first-of-its-kind air raid-based and war-related drill, the government is planning to procure sirens for each district with a capacity to reach 4 km,” said the official.

“… Apart from this, 500 sirens will be installed across the city to augment the effectiveness of air-raid warning systems,” read the minutes.
Besides, the government has created a blueprint in consultation with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on drill protocol. This will include multi-tier action drills across the city, district, community, and household levels. SOPs will be given to all departments, RWAs and institutions, said officials.

The government will also provide civil defence training to students and civilians on how to protect themselves in the event of a hostile attack. “Public awareness videos like what to do during a blackout have also been finalised…,” said officials.

Roles assigned

The Education Department and Delhi District Management Authority have been assigned responsibilities such as facilitating school-level sensitisation and coordination with the National Cadet Corps, National Service Scheme, and Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, overseeing implementation and debriefing of drills, and submitting progress reports.

The Power and Health departments have been asked to ensure blackout zone implementation and readiness of emergency medical services.

About 1,800 ‘Aapada Mitras’ (Friends in Disaster) will undergo advanced training to deal with emergent situations. “This will be done through an agency suggested by the NDMA,” read the minutes.

A district-level official said hourly reports are to be sent from the state war room to the Directorate General of Civil Defense’s control room mandatorily.

Security increased

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has increased security and patrolling with special focus on tourist areas and marketplaces — especially in Central Delhi and Delhi Cantonment areas.

Police will also set up a LARD (Long Range Acoustic Device) system at its headquarters near Parliament Street. The system was procured in 2023 for crowd management. It was installed at the Delhi border last February to counter protests by farmers heading to the Capital. “This is a loudspeaker that produces sound at high decibels that may cause hearing damage. But it can be used during the mock drill exercise,” said a police officer.

In NCR cities

Gurgaon: Control rooms have been set up at the Mini Secretariat. Students will be made aware of blackout precautions during school assemblies; a staging area for relief and rescue operations will be created at Tau Devi Lal Stadium; and a blackout will be observed later in the evening, an official said.

Faridabad: Deputy Commissioner Vikram Singh held a meeting at the Mini Secretariat to review preparations. The places where the drill will take place are district headquarters, sub-divisional offices, police departments, and hospitals and will involve employees from various government and private agencies. “This mock drill will primarily focus on civil safety, emergency management, and effective handling of natural disasters. Preparations will be reviewed up to the rural level,” the officer said.

Ghaziabad and Noida: The exercise will be held at 10 schools and colleges in Ghaziabad at 10 am. Civil defence staff will educate students about the drill. In Noida, police said they are prepared to conduct the mock drill.