Hyderabad:

The mock drills will be carried out at 259 locations across 33 states and union territories in a bid to prepare the people across the country for any potential war-like situation.

There have been rising tensions in relations between India and Pakistan after the April 22 terror attack in picturesque Baisaran valley, around 7 km away from Pahalgam in south Kashmir, in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed. Following the attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to pursue the perpetrators of the attack and those who took part in its conspiracy to the "ends of the earth" to inflict punishment on them "beyond their imagination".

In a first since the 1971 India-Pakistan war, civil defence drills will be carried out across the country today (Wednesday, May 7) in the wake of the simmering tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack.

The mock drills are being carried out at the direction of the Ministry of Home Affairs to check preparedness against "new and complex threats".

According to a home ministry communication, the measures to be taken during the mock drills include the operationalisation of air-raid warning sirens, training civilians on civil-defence aspects to protect themselves in the event of a "hostile attack" and cleaning bunkers and trenches.

The 259 'civil defence districts' with sensitive installations like nuclear plants, military bases, refineries, and hydroelectric dams will be covered by mock drills on air-raid warning sirens, civilian training for a "hostile attack" and cleaning of bunkers and trenches.

The mock drills also include the operationalisation of hotline and radio-communication links with the Indian Air Force (IAF), testing the functionality of control rooms and shadow control rooms.

The other measures are provisions for crash-blackout measures, early camouflaging of vital plants and installations and updating and rehearsing evacuation plans. The authorities in all states will involve students of educational institutions, employees of government and private organisations, hospital staff, railway and metro officials, besides uniformed personnel of the police, paramilitary and defence forces, while conducting the mock drills.

‘Civil defence districts' are different from the normal administrative district, as a geographical area having a cantonment or a refinery or a nuclear plant may be designated as a 'civil defence district' depending on the requirement and exigency.

Here is the complete list of districts where mock drills will be carried out today:

Six Jammu Kashmir Districts To Undergo Mock Drill Today

Mock drills would be conducted in six districts of the Kashmir valley today, following the Union Home Ministry's order, officials said.

The drills would be conducted in Kashmir's seven civil defence districts — Anantnag, Budgam, Baramulla, Kupwara, Srinagar, Uri (in Baramulla district), and Awantipora (in Pulwama district) – which are spread over six revenue districts.

According to an advisory issued by the Directorate of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Civil Defence Kashmir, the drill will take place at 4 pm on Wednesday.

"To enhance the Civil Defence preparedness for emergencies, a Civil Defence Mock Drill will take place on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, at 4:00 PM," the advisory read.

"As part of the drill, sirens will be activated at various locations in Kashmir. This is a practice exercise to test our emergency response systems. We kindly request all members of the public to remain calm and not be alarmed. Your cooperation is essential in making this safety initiative a success," it added.

Drill Across All Districts In Uttar Pradesh

A full-scale mock drill involving civil and police administration, fire services and disaster response force would be organised in all districts in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, the state's Director General of Police Prashant Kumar said on Tuesday.

"We have received instructions from the Government of India about Civil Defence mock drills on May 7. Nineteen districts (in Uttar Pradesh) have been identified (for the drill)," Kumar said, adding that these districts have been clubbed under different categories.

"Of these 19, one district has been placed under 'A' category, two in 'C' category, while the rest are clubbed under 'B' category. However, keeping in mind the local sensitivities, the instructions are to ensure that a joint drill across all districts involving all verticals, including civil and police administration, fire services and disaster response force, be carried out for an integrated response in an emergency," the DGP said.

Mock drills in 20 locations in Assam

A total of 20 places across Assam will host a mock drill for civil defence on Wednesday. There will be a mock drill in Assam in the following places: Bongaigaon, Dibrugarh, Dhubri, Goalpara, Jorhat, Sivasagar, Tinsukia, Tezpur, Digboi, Duliajan, Guwahati (Dispur), Rangia, Namrup, Nazira, North Lakhimpur, Numaligarh, Darrang, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong, and Kokrajhar.

Mock drills at 28 locations in Rajasthan

Mock drills will be conducted at 28 locations in Rajasthan. Guidelines have been issued to all districts in the state. This exercise aims to test and strengthen emergency preparedness in the event of a foreign attack.

Cities where the mock drill will be carried out include: Kota, Rawatbhata (Chittorgarh), Ajmer, Alwar, Barmer, Bharatpur, Bikaner, Bundi, Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Sikar, Nal (Bikaner), Suratgarh (Sri Ganganagar), Abu Road (Sirohi), Nasirabad (Ajmer), Bhiwadi, Phulera (Jaipur), Nagaur, Jalore, Beawar, Lalgarh (Sri Ganganagar), Sawai Madhopur, Pali and Bhilwara.

Karnataka: Mock drills at three places

Mock drills will be conducted in Bengaluru, Karwar, and Raichur on Wednesday. Director General of Police Prashant Kumar Thakur said the drills will continue for a week and are aimed at identifying and addressing gaps in preparedness and resources.

"Mock drills will be held at three locations in the state, including Bengaluru city, which is a metropolitan area with numerous defence establishments and is a very sensitive district for Karnataka," Thakur said. "The second location is Karwar in Uttara Kannada district, home to the Kaiga nuclear power station. The third is Raichur, selected due to the thermal power station there," he added.

Thakur said the drill will be held at 4 pm today, with the timing chosen to account for both daytime and nighttime scenarios, from Northeast India to Gujarat.

Thakur noted that sirens have been installed at various police and fire stations. In Bengaluru, 35 sirens have been deployed, of which 32 are functional, each with a range of approximately 3 km.

"People should know what actions to take when they hear the siren. We are expecting a formal guideline from Delhi on this. The decision regarding the drill was taken yesterday in Delhi, and we were informed last night," he said.

Madhya Pradesh To Conduct Drills In 5 Districts

Civil defence mock drills will be conducted in five districts of Madhya Pradesh, including Bhopal and Indore, on Wednesday. State Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said detailed instructions are being issued to the authorities concerned for the civil defence mock drills in the state. Mock drills will be held on Wednesday in five cities of the state, including Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior, Jabalpur and Katni, from 4 pm.

Gujarat: Mock Drills At 19 Locations In 13 Districts

Civil defence mock drills will be conducted at 19 locations across 13 districts of Gujarat on Wednesday.

The MHA, through a notification, has directed the Gujarat government to carry out the mock drill at 19 different locations.

These 19 locations are Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Kakrapar (Surat), Jamnagar, Gandhinagar, Kutch, Bhuj (Kutch), Nalia (Kutch), Kandla (Kutch), Vadinar (Jamnagar), Bhavnagar, Bharuch, Ankleshwar (Bharuch), Okha (Devbhumi Dwarka), Dangs, Mehsana, Narmada and Navsari.

Gujarat minister Harsh Sanghavi on Tuesday chaired a meeting with senior officials to review the proposed action plan prepared by the authorities to conduct mock drills in different parts of Gujarat, an official release said.

Mock Drills At 20 Places In Punjab, 7 In Haryana

Mock drills will be conducted at 20 places in Punjab on Wednesday. Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Tuesday said mock drills will be carried out at 20 places in the state on Wednesday, including Ferozepur, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Bathinda, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Patiala, Pathankot, Barnala and Mohali.

In Haryana also, mock drills will be conducted at many places including Ambala, Faridabad, Gurugram, Hisar, Panchkula, Panipat and Rohtak

Drills in five Jharkhand districts

The mock drill exercises will be conducted in five districts of Jharkhand on Wednesday by the administration in association with civil defence organisations.

Jharkhand Police spokesperson and IG (Operations) Amol V Homkar said the mock drill will be carried out in five districts—Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Bokaro, Godda and Sahibganj—in a bid to strengthen disaster preparedness.

“The exercise will be conducted at designated places identified by the district administrations. During the exercise, some emergencies will be simulated and the preparedness of various agencies such as civil defence, police, fire services, medical team and public to handle such situations will be studied,” he said.

The exercise will be conducted from 4 pm, he said.

Drills In 12 Districts Of Odisha

Civil defence mock drills will be conducted in 12 districts of Odisha. The mock drill will be held in Angul, Khurda, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Ganjam, Dhenkanal, Puri, Koraput, Sambalpur and Sundargarh, he said.

The mock drills will continue for a week and will be taken to the village level. The fire service department will conduct the mock drill in some urban areas, while the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) will conduct the drill in coastal areas on Wednesday.

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