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

Electricity has been restored in West Kidwai Nagar and parts of South Delhi following a scheduled 15-minute blackout conducted as part of a planned drill on Wednesday.

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.

The scheduled blackout as part of the mock drill will not happen in any residential areas in Gautam Buddh Nagar, said officials on Wednesday.

“We have identified certain factories and other similar areas in the district where the blackout will be held,” said District Magistrate Manish Kumar Verma. Verma said no residential areas have been identified for the blackout.

“We will soon be updating the complete list of places where the blackout will held,” said the DM.

Following the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22 that killed 26 people, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued directions to conduct nationwide civil defence mock drills across 244 districts as part of civil defence preparedness.

“Blackout Action Plan is a crucial component of civil defence preparedness,” said the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). “Staying calm & prepared during emergencies or hostile situations is key to ensuring national security. Regular drills & awareness of such plans can help citizens respond effectively in critical situations,” it further said. Read

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

A civil defence mock drill was conducted in Singtam, Sikkim on Wednesday. The exercise, starting at 4 pm, assumed structural damage, fire breakouts, and trapped employees. Emergency protocols were activated with sirens, road clearance, and blackout measures. Rescue teams including SDRF, civil defence, fire services, and medical units responded swiftly. Simulated challenges, like a fallen tree, were addressed with support from the Forest Department and GREF. A temporary hospital was set up, with critical cases sent to Singtam District Hospital. The drill was coordinated by the District Disaster Management Authority.

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)

Pune conducted a mock drill at the Council hall on Wednesday, following the Centre’s directive to test and strengthen preparedness mechanisms in the event of a hostile attack.

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)

There will be a power blackout from 8-8.15 pm across Lutyens' Delhi on Wednesday as part of the nationwide civil defence mock drill, the New Delhi Municipal Council has announced.

"All residents are requested to please cooperate and bear with the situation," an NDMC official said.

The blackout drill will not involve hospitals, dispensaries, Rashtrapati Bhawan, PMO, metro stations and other important establishments, the official said.

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)

Mock emergency drills were conducted across 14 districts in Kerala on Wednesday, including at the Ernakulam Collectorate building, to prepare for potential war-like situations following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The drills simulated fires and rescue operations, involving firefighters, police, and civil defence volunteers. All participants were safely evacuated, with one mock injury treated on-site. The exercise tested the readiness and coordination of emergency services. (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

The Ludhiana district administration in Punjab will conduct a blackout, as part of the civil defence mock drills, in 10 areas from 8 to 8.30 pm Wednesday. The mock drills are being held to prepare civilians for possible hostile attacks.

The Indian armed forces launched Operation Sindoor on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday and conducted multiple airstrikes targeting terrorist training camps operating on Pakistani soil.

Blackouts are strategic manoeuvres used during wartime or conflict situations. They involve cutting off power to entire cities for extended periods, often lasting through the night. Authorities instruct citizens to keep all lights off, including those powered by generators and inverters, to minimise the risk of detection. These blackouts hinder enemy aircraft from identifying and targeting structures, thus helping to protect civilians from foreign adversaries.

The district administration said, “All Ludhiana residents are requested not to believe in any kind of rumours. Official information will only be shared on official handles of District Public Relations Officer Ludhiana on Facebook, Instagram and X. If anyone shares any misinformation or spreads panic, legal action will be taken against them.” 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.

Several areas in Delhi, including Sahyog Apartments, witnessed mock drills on Wednesday as part of a nationwide emergency preparedness exercise directed by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

The drills initiated by the Delhi Fire Service and involving the NDRF tested various response systems such as air-raid warnings, blackouts, evacuations, and firefighting.

These measures follow the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives.

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...

The Pune district administration will conduct the mock drills in six areas across the city, which include, Council Hall, Mulshi Panchayat Samiti, Talegaon Municipal Council, Vanaz Industrial Estate, Pune Municipal Corporation, and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.

The District Collector Jitendra Dudi appealed to all agencies to function in a highly disciplined manner, and urged citizens not to panic or believe in any rumours. “Various demonstrations will be carried out to minimise casualties in an emergency, and hence, there is no need for public alarm, Dudi stated, as per The Indian Express report.

Districts in Maharashtra have been divided into three categories: Category I, which includes Mumbai, Palghar, and Raigad, require full implementation of civil defence programs, whilst Category II (Thane, Nashik, Pune) and Category III (Ratnagiri, Sindhuburg, Aurangabad, Bhusawal) require partial implementation in varying degrees.

In Mumbai, the drill will be held in Uran, where the JNPT port is located, and Tarapur, which is the site of a nuclear facility.

In New Delhi, the drills will be held for around three hours between 4 pm and 7 pm. They will take place across all 11 districts in the Capital — five locations per district — covering 660 schools and 40 markets.

All authorities concerned — civil defence, police, fire and medical authorities — will be involved in the exercise that will end at night with blackouts and sirens, a report in The Indian Express stated quoting officials. For schools, however, the exercise, which began at 9 am today is currently underway.

According to a senior official, respective district magistrates (DMs), who are responsible for leading the drills, will procure sirens that can transmit sound over 4-5 km. Moreover, 500 sirens will be installed across the city to augment the effectiveness of air-raid warning systems.

The Delhi Police have, meanwhile, heightened security around tourist areas and marketplaces, especially in Central Delhi and Delhi Cantonment areas. They are also planning to set up a LARD (Long Range Acoustic Device) system at its headquarters near Parliament Street.

In Gurgaon, control rooms have been set up at the Mini Secretariat. A staging area for relief and rescue operations has been created at Tau Devi Lal Stadium. A blackout will also be observed later in the evening, according to an official.

In Faridabad, the drill will take place at district headquarters, sub-divisional offices, police departments, and hospitals and will involve employees from various government and private agencies. The exercise was held at ten schools and colleges in Ghaziabad at 10 am.

The mock drills will arm citizens with the knowledge of what to do in case India is attacked. The drills also aim “to assess and enhance the readiness of Civil Defence mechanisms across all States and Union Territories,” according to a letter from the Directorate General Fire Service, Civil Defence and Home Guards to the states and UTs. “In the current geo-political 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 added.

Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan following Operation Sindoor launched in retaliation to Pahalgam terror attack, mock drill exercises will be conducted in several parts of the country today. Stay tuned here for latest updates on the mock drill