A comprehensive drill was organised across states bordering with Pakistan including Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat, Punjab and Rajasthan on Saturday under the guidance of the Union Home Ministry to simulate critical incidents such as air raids, drone attacks and other wartime scenarios in the light of current national security concerns.
The drills took place few weeks after Operation Sindoor that led to military clash between India and Pakistan. Following the horrific Pahalgam attack on April 22, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, decimating terror infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Pakistan.
According to reports, Pakistan fired missiles and 200 drones towards Gujarat during Operation Sindoor but failed to cause any harm to military installations, soldiers or civilians as every attack of the neighbouring nation was foiled by Indian forces.
Operation Shield was launched in order to spread awareness among the residents of the bordering states for similar situations in future.
Rajasthan
A mock drill to prepare local authorities and public for potential emergencies involving airstrikes and drone attacks was conducted in Jaipur and other parts of Rajasthan under Operation Shield, officials said.
The drill took place in a school in Khatipura, where emergency response teams practised rescue operations.
The simulation included a scenario in which an air attack was made. Civil Defense and State Disaster Response Force teams quickly activated their emergency response protocols, swiftly shifting volunteers enacting as injured to nearby hospital.
The mock drill was conducted in other cities of the state as per the the state government directions following the instructions from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.
Designated locations were used for the mock drill.
During the drill in Jaipur, people were simulated as being trapped on rooftops following the airstrike. Rescue teams used cranes to evacuate them safely.
Gujarat
Mock civil defence drills under 'Operation Shield' were held in 18 districts of Gujarat on Saturday to prepare citizens and the administration for any eventuality, an official informed PTI.
Blackouts were also enforced in areas in 18 districts, including Rajkot, Kutch, Patan, Morbi, Banaskantha, Chhota Udaipur and Nadiad, he added.
"In Ahmedabad, a civil defence mock drill was organized at Sadar Bazar Cantonment in Shahibaug. Under these drills, programmes like volunteer mobilization, air raid simulations, communication system activation, blackout protocol, blood donation camp and evacuation procedures were held," an official release said.
Chandigarh
Security mock drills in Chandigarh included blackout drill with a mock call regarding evacuation to monitor their response time. A separate exercise on the movement of home guards in emergency situations was also noted.
DC Nishant Yadav reportedly said, "We conducted the second civil defence drills here. We envisioned some scenarios in which we received a mock call from Chandigarh Air Force Station stating that some people needed to be relocated. We moved 20 people to the Sector 47 community centre. We noted the response time. We are also doing an exercise to ensure the movement of home guards in an emergency situation."
Jammu And Kashmir
A mock drill of fire simulation was conducted in Srinagar in a building for building prompt rescue operations and firefighting mechanisms.
A 10-minute blackout was also observed at Lal Chowk.
District Magistrate Dr Bilal Mohi-Ud-Din Bhat told India Today, "We conducted a civil defence drill in line with the MHA guidelines under Operation Shield. The exercise aimed to assess the preparedness of the manpower, infrastructure and equipment. As part of the drill, we also carried out a 10-minute blackout."
Punjab
A blackout protocol drill was held in Amritsar to ensure the coordination of civil defence departments during war-like situations.
Commandant Jaskaran Singh said, "Several districts are at higher risk as they share a border with Pakistan, such as Amritsar, Pathankot, Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur, Firozpur and Fazilka. Conducting such exercises is to ensure that maximum administration is operational during war-like situations. It teaches how to be safe at home during air strikes and drone attacks, staying at home and how to save oneself during blackouts,"
