JAIPUR — Amid the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan, mock drills
will be conducted on Thursday in the border states of Rajasthan, Jammu and
Kashmir, Gujarat and Punjab, officials said on Wednesday.
These drills in the states bordering Pakistan will be
held following directives from the Union government, as these areas came under
heavy attack from across the border during the recent conflict between the two
nations.
Sirens will be sounded during the drills, and emergency
preparedness systems will be closely examined.
The Civil Defence department in Rajasthan has already
initiated preparations and is issuing instructions to all districts.
Special emphasis is being placed on the districts located
along the India-Pakistan border, where enhanced measures are underway.
Jodhpur District Collector Gaurav Agarwal confirmed that
a mock drill will be held in Jodhpur on Thursday, although the exact timing is
yet to be finalised.
Barmer Collector Tina Dabi added, “We have received
instructions regarding the mock drill scheduled for tomorrow. A meeting will be
held to plan its implementation.”
This comes after a similar exercise was conducted on May
7 in 28 cities across Rajasthan, aimed at preparing for potential air strikes.
The increased focus on emergency preparedness came after
the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 when, in response, the Indian defence
forces launched ‘Operation Sindoor’, targeting nine terrorist hideouts in
Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir and Pakistan in which over 100 terrorists were
neutralised.
The operation has led to heightened tensions between
India and Pakistan.
A mock drill is a simulation exercise designed to assess
how the public and administration would respond in the event of an emergency,
such as an air strike or bomb attack.
The primary objective of the mock drills is to evaluate
the operationality of control rooms and air raid warning systems. It also
assesses the effectiveness of civil defence services.
A blackout exercise involves switching off all lights in
a designated area for a set period.
This tactic is used to make it more difficult for the
enemy to locate and target key areas during an attack, thereby enhancing the
region’s security under cover of darkness.
