BENGALURU: With tensions escalating between India and Pakistan in the wake of the terrorist attack in Baisaran in Pahalgam, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday issued a notice on preparedness for conducting civil defence and exercise in all states and Union Territories.
The MHA notice, without referring to the Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 26 innocent civilians, including a Nepalese were killed, stated that the MHA has decided to organise ‘Civil Defence Exercise’ and rehearsal in close coordination with all states and Union Territories on May 7, across all 244 civil districts up to the village level in the country, reads the MHA notice. The MHA has asked all heads of civil defence in all states and UTs to attend the virtual meeting on May 6.
The rehearsal is to assess the readiness of civil defence mechanisms across the country and has asked for active participation of Home Guards, NCC, NSS, NYKS and college students. According to placed sources, in Karnataka the district commandants, civil defence, in all 31 districts, including eight in Bengaluru, have been instructed to activate civil defence personnel in their units and give a report by 8am Tuesday to the DGP and Commandant General, Civil Defence, Prashant Kumar Thakur.
Sources added that the commandants have also been asked to activate civil defence equipment in their districts, which includes identifying air raid shelters, conducting mock drills for blackouts, air radio sirens and handling rescue equipment. Civil defence personnel are largely volunteers who are professionals and have been trained in civil defence.
In some districts, police officers of the rank of Additional Superintendent of Police are commandants, civil defence.
In Bengaluru, out of 35 air radio sirens, most are said to be of 1971 Bangladesh war vintage, and 32 are said to be functional, said sources.