Civil defence drills will be conducted in several states and UTs on Saturday under Operation Shield, following the nationwide exercise that took place on May 7 in the wake of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan. The states and UTs where civil mock defence drills will take place include Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Chandigarh, and Jammu & Kashmir. Earlier, the drills were scheduled to be held on May 29, later postponed to May 31st.
Operation Shield on May 31 | Here's what we know so far
Punjab
- There will be a blackout in Amritsar from 8 pm to 8:30 pm.
- There will be no blackout in the Walled City of Amritsar, which has the Golden Temple.
- There will be no blackout in the airport and the nearby villages.
- A mock drill of emergency services will be held from 5 pm to 6 pm.
Haryana
- The Haryana government will conduct the Civil Defence Exercise across all 22 districts
- The drills will begin at 5 pm and will be organised in compliance with the guidance of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
- Around 32,000 Civil Defence Volunteers across the state will contribute to this exercise.
- A controlled blackout of 15 minutes will be observed from 8 pm to 8.15 pm near vital installations, with the exception of essential emergency services such as hospitals, fire stations, and police stations.
Rajasthan
- Rajasthan will organise a coordinated mock drill and blackout simultaneously in all 41 districts of the state.
- Directives to all district collectors and magistrates regarding a statewide blackout and mock drill have been issued by the civil defence department.
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu district adminstration has said that:
- The mock drill will be conducted from 8:00 PM to 8:15 PM
- The public is advised to switch off all lights and sources of illumination (inverter lights, solar lights, torches, mobile lights, vehicle lights, etc.) immediately after the siren sounds at 8:00 PM.
What to expect?
In order to augment the civil defence preparedness against any hostile attack, the second exercise "Operation Shield" will be carried out in all the districts of states and UTs, adjoining the western border, on May 31.
During the exercise, there will be activation of centrally controlled and operated air raid sirens, and complete blackout measures adjoining civilian areas, among others, sources said.
According to the plan, during the mock drills, the evacuation of the families of one of the military stations will be practised in case of drone attacks. The deployment of medical teams and the transportation of blood units, among others, will also be done.
(With inputs from PTI)
