NEW DELHI: The government has identified over 250 specially designated 'civil defence districts' across the country having sensitive installations like nuclear plants, military bases, refineries and hydroelectric dams, for the nationwide mock drill planned for Wednesday.
Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan on Tuesday chaired a key review meeting through video conferencing with chief secretaries of the states and the Union Territories (UTs) to finalise protocols for the massive mock drill conducted amid escalating tensions with Pakistan in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
The meeting was attended by chief secretaries and heads of civil defence from across the states besides officials from key Central forces and agencies including Directors General of Civil Defence and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
Officials said during the meeting, the participants identified "loopholes" in the defence mechanism.
"We reviewed preparedness. Loopholes have been identified,” a senior official of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) told TNIE.
The state officials have been asked to 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, the sources said.
According to sources, officials have been informed that the areas having a cantonment, refinery or a nuclear plant should be given special consideration as ‘civil defence districts' depending on the requirement and exigency.
A senior official said, "Such districts are designated by the respective state authorities, and we believe, the mock drills will be carried out in over 250 such civil defence districts across the country."
The MHA had on Monday issued an advisory directing all states and UTs to conduct coordinated civil defence exercises on May 7. These drills will cover all of India’s over 250 designated civil defence districts, many of which have been identified as vulnerable to various threats, including potential wartime scenarios.
According to sources, out of the 250 sites, 19 have been identified as to be given 'top priority' in Wednesday's drill.
The main objective of the exercise is to evaluate and enhance the preparedness of civil defence machinery in the face of any potential hostile attacks or emergencies. The mock drill will simulate a war-like situation and is expected to include the operationalisation of air raid warning systems, including the sounding of sirens, coordinated responses from local emergency services, and public safety drills.
“The idea is to prepare the nation and its administrative framework for contingencies that could arise in a hostile environment. The civil defence drill will be the first of its kind in decades and will test both infrastructure and human response across multiple regions simultaneously,” an official said.
This is the first such exercise since 1971. Notably, no such national-level civil defence drills were carried out even during the 1999 Kargil conflict (Operation Vijay).
Officials stressed the importance of public cooperation, with local authorities expected to issue detailed advisories on how residents in vulnerable zones should respond during the drill. State disaster response forces, health departments, local police, and district administrations will all participate in the exercise.
The backdrop to this drill — growing tension on the western border — underscores the urgency. The April 22 attack in Pahalgam, in which several security personnel and civilians were killed, has intensified concerns over cross-border terrorism and the possibility of further escalations.
While the government has not made any official link between the mock drill and the current geopolitical climate, the timing of the exercise has raised eyebrows among analysts and defence observers.
“This is a clear message that India is not taking any threat lightly. While it’s a routine preparedness measure on paper, the scale and timing of the drill are clearly in response to the deteriorating regional security scenario,” a senior retired military officer noted.
As India prepares for the May 7 drill, authorities are urging citizens not to panic, assuring them that the exercises are strictly precautionary and designed to improve national resilience.
Key features of the proposed exercise
Operationalisation of air raid warning siren
Operationalisation of hotline/radio communication links with Indian Air Force
Activation and manning of control rooms/shadow control rooms
Training of civilians, students etc on civil defence aspects to protect themselves in event of hostile attack
Activation of civil defence services, especially warden services, firefighting, rescue service, depot, etc
Provision of black out measures
Provision for early camouflaging of vital installations
Updation of CD plan and its rehearsal
Updation of evacuation plan and its rehearsal
Cleaning bunkers, trenches,etc
