New Delhi: 

The exercise aimed at assessing and enhancing on-ground coordination, response time, and preparedness for potential emergency situations. “We remain committed to the safety and security of all visitors and devotees,” Swaminarayan Akshardham management said.

India conducted nationwide civil defence preparedness exercises — ‘Operation Abhyas’– on Wednesday. The drills spanned across 244 districts. State governments and Union Territories were directed to activate air raid sirens, implement blackout protocols in designated areas, and educate the public — including students — on crucial safety measures to follow in the event of potential air or ground strikes.

Swaminarayan Akshardham in New Delhi carried out a comprehensive mock drill in collaboration with Delhi Police and emergency response teams on Wednesday, following Operation Sindoor.

As part of the mock dill, Delhi’s landmarks, including Connaught Place, India Gate, Akshardham Temple, parts of Mumbai, Bihar’s Patna and Gujarat’s Surat, went dark for the blackout exercise briefly. The drills were also carried out in cities like Pune, Bengaluru, Shimla, Ranchi, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Bhubaneswar, Gwalior, Guwahati, Bareilly, Bhopal and Jaipur, among others. The drills focused on evaluating local response capabilities to security challenges.

Earlier in the day, the Indian Armed Forces carried out military strikes — Operation Sindoor — targeting major terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Addressing a media briefing  on the operation, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said Indian intelligence agencies had been keeping tabs on terror activities and had voiced concerns about the possibility of further terrorist attacks in India.

Read More:

Army chief closely monitoring LoC violations by Pak