MHA asks several states to conduct mock drills for effective civil defence; drills to include crash blackout measures

NEW DELHI: The Union Home Ministry has asked several states to conduct mock drills on May 7 for effective civil defence, government sources said.

They said the measures to be undertaken include operationalization of Air Raid Warning Sirens and training of civilians, students,etc on the civil defence aspects to protect themselves in the event of a hostile attack.

The sources said measures also include the provision of crash blackout measures, provision for early camouflaging of vital installations and updation of the evacuation plan and its rehearsal.

Tensions have risen between India and Pakistan in the wake of 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.

A 30-minute rehearsal for blackout was conducted in the entire Ferozpur Cantonment area on Sunday amid the heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack.

The rehearsal was conducted on the guidelines of the Cantonment Board/Station Commander.

“The blackout was from 9 pm to 9:30 pm. As per the orders of the senior officers, lights were fully switched off. If any vehicle was found with its light turned on, it was turned off…Police are fully alert. Deployment has been made at all intersections,” said Gurjant Singh, SHO, Ferozepur Cantt Police Station.

The government has given the armed forces complete operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets, and timing of India’s response in the wake of Pahalgam terror attack. The government has also 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.

The government convened an all-party meeting after the terror attack and Opposition parties have expressed their full support for any action taken by the government against the perpetrators of the henious attack.

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. It was noted that this attack came in the wake of the successful holding of elections in Jammu and Kashmir and its steady progress towards economic growth and development.

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.(Agencies)