Mock Drills Held Across Delhi To Deal With Disasters, War-Like Situations

Civil Defence mock drills were conducted across 13 districts in Delhi on Thursday as part of preparations to deal with disasters and war-like situations, an official said.​

From shopping malls in North and Old Delhi and from hospitals to schools and District Management offices, the mock drills underscored the government's efforts to strengthen civil defence mechanisms, said a statement issued by the Directorate of Civil Defence.​

In the New Delhi district, frequented by VIPs and foreigners, the mock drill was conducted at the Taj Palace Hotel on Sardar Patel Marg and at the Cantonment General Hospital in Delhi Cantonment, the statement said.​

The drills were aimed at significantly improving inter-agency coordination, public awareness and the ability of local systems to respond swiftly and efficiently in the event of any hostile act or natural disaster, it said.​

Last year, on May 7, civil defence mock drills were held in coordination with the police at Indira Gandhi International Airport Terminal 3. ​

The Ministry of Home Affairs had instructed several states to conduct civil defence mock drills on May 7 last year.​

Soon after "Operation Sindoor" the local administrations conducted civil defence mock drills to enhance national security preparedness, which were held under "Operation Shield" across several states and Union Territories sharing borders with Pakistan.​

The exercises were held in Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, and Chandigarh, focusing on regions closest to the border and most susceptible to cross-border threats.​

A statement emphasised the importance of this exercise in bolstering readiness and closing critical gaps identified during a similar nationwide drill conducted earlier.​

"Operation Shield" was designed to simulate hostile situations, including air-raid sirens, blackout protocols, and various emergency response actions, to evaluate the preparedness of civil authorities, emergency services, and local populations.​

The drills aimed to replicate real-time scenarios arising from potential external threats, particularly in sensitive districts near the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB).​

According to official sources, complete blackouts were enforced in identified vulnerable civilian areas across Punjab, except for essential services such as hospitals and emergency response units.​

Sirens were sounded to alert residents, and mock response measures were enacted to test how effectively communities and response agencies react under pressure.​

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