Mock Drill in India Today LIVE Updates: Air raid sirens to blackouts seen nationwide as India holds civil defence drills day after Op Sindoor

Amidst heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following New Delhi’s retaliatory strike Operation Sindoor, the nationwide civil defence mock drills named ‘Operation Abhyas’ were held in Pune simultaneously at six different locations on Wednesday.

The mock drills featured simulated bombing attacks and subsequent search and rescue, casualty evacuation and fire brigade operations. The drills were also aimed at assessment of the control rooms and shadow control rooms, dissemination of information through radio communication and overall emergency response time.

The drills were held at the Council Hall, Vanaz Industrial Estate, Pune Municipal Corporation, Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, Mulshi Panchayat Samiti and Talegaon Municipal Council. Read here

Authorities conducted a large-scale civil defence mock drill, 'Operation Abhyaas', at 55 locations across Delhi, simulating hostile scenarios like air raids, fires, and building collapses. Prominent spots including Khan Market, Select Citywalk Mall, Chandni Chowk, and the NDMC and RBI buildings witnessed evacuation drills, rescue simulations, and first aid demonstrations.

West Kidwai Nagar and parts of South Delhi experience blackouts as part of a planned drill.

Over 1,000 personnel from various departments participated, aiming to raise public awareness and preparedness. The drills occurred shortly after India's military strikes on terror targets in Pakistan and PoK, heightening the sense of urgency.

Hours after Indian armed forces delivered a swift and accurate targetted military response on terrorist training camps and launchpads in Kashmir and Pak-occupied Kashmir in response to the Pahalgam terror attack last month that left 26 dead, Tripura today joined mock drill alongwith all other states and Union Territories of the country as part of the preparedness in the event of any emergency situation or hostile attack.

The mock drill was conducted across all eight districts of the state with the largest drill being held at Umakanta Academy grounds in Agartala as part of the nationwide mock drill ordered by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to strengthen civil defence mechanisms in the event of an emergency situation or a hostile attack.

The mock drill involving disaster management forces, Apada Mitra, civil defence volunteers and personnel from other agencies, medical officers etc involved earthquake rescue drill and an air crash and electronic blackout drill is scheduled to be conducted later in the evening. Read

Following directives from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs after the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, mock drills were conducted across several cities in Rajasthan. The drills, simulating scenarios like air strikes and police station attacks, began at 4 PM. In Jaipur, an air strike was simulated at the BSNL office on MI Road, involving evacuation and deployment of emergency services. Similar drills were held in Bikaner and other locations, with officials monitoring agency coordination and response times. Senior police and administrative officers were present during the exercises. (PTI)

A mock drill simulating a bomb attack was conducted in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday, as mandated by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Personnel from the NDRF, SDRF, police, and other departments participated, enacting rescue operations. The drill included stretcher evacuations, train coach patrols, and emergency vehicle deployments. Volunteers and NCC cadets also assisted. The locations chosen for the exercise were Kotha Jalaripeta and Oxygen Towers, as announced by District Collector M N Harendhira Prasad. (PTI)

Civil defence mock drills were conducted across 12 districts of Odisha, including Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur, and Rourkela, to assess emergency preparedness amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan. The exercises, held under the Ministry of Home Affairs' directive, involved coordinated efforts by police, fire services, the Army, NCC, Bharat Scouts and Guides, and volunteers. The drills simulated scenarios like fires and high-rise evacuations to train responders and prepare the public for potential war-like situations, thereby boosting security forces' morale. (PTI)

Operation Abhyas is a nationwide civil defence mock drill initiative conducted in 244 high-threat districts across India, including major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chandigarh.

The drills comes after the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, that killed 26 people.

Key Features:

Simulated Scenarios: Air raids, blackouts, fire emergencies, rescue and evacuation drills, and temporary hospital setups. Timing: Typically between 4 PM and 7 PM, with variations depending on location.

Delhi: Exercises across all 11 districts, involving 660 schools and 40 markets, with 500 new sirens to be installed.

Security: Heightened police presence in sensitive areas; LARD systems planned near Parliament Street.

Other Regions: Gurgaon, Faridabad, Ghaziabad: Control rooms, blackout protocols, school/college involvement. Maharashtra: Full drills in Mumbai, Palghar, Raigad; partial in Pune, Nashik, etc.

Karnataka, Telangana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Punjab, Chandigarh: Localised drills in vital areas including nuclear sites, ports, and markets.

General Rules: Air raid sirens signal the start.

Public must seek shelter, turn off lights, halt vehicle movement, and avoid electrical/gas usage. Read

Authorities in Delhi conducted large-scale mock security drills under the nationwide civil defence exercise 'Operation Abhyaas' across 55 locations. Simulating emergencies like air raids, fires, and rescue operations, the drills involved sirens, evacuations, and deployment of security forces, civil defence volunteers, and emergency services. Key sites included Khan Market, Chandni Chowk, the NDMC and RBI buildings, and the Indira Gandhi International Airport, as per PTI reports. The drills follow Indian military strikes on terror targets in Pakistan and PoK under Operation Sindoor, launched in response to the recent Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.

The Haryana government has announced that a civil mock drill will be conducted in all 22 districts starting at 4 pm Wednesday, instead of just 11 districts as previously announced.

Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi chaired a meeting in the afternoon and reviewed arrangements for the mock drill, called 'Operation Abhyaas'. The blackout, as part of the mock drill, will be observed for 10 minutes from 7.50 pm to 8 pm. “The general public has been requested to switch off all lights in their homes during these 10 minutes," Rastogi said.

The decision to extend mock drills to all districts followed Operation Sindoor, India's military operation which targeted terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (Pok) past Wednesday midnight.

“The exercise will commence at key government installations, public sector units and other critical sites. Deputy commissioners have been instructed to activate their civil defence systems as part of the coordinated response. Comprehensive directives have been issued to all deputy commissioners and superintendents of police regarding the operational aspects of the mock drill," Rastogi said.

The mock drill will involve home guards, civil defence volunteers, the police, National Cadet Corps (NCC) officers, and Aapada mtras under the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

“The aim of the exercise is preparation and precaution, not panic," Rastogi said, urging deputy commissioners to hold press conferences in their respective districts and inform the public that this is “merely a preparatory drill, reassuring them there is no cause for concern”. Continue reading...