Centre directs States to hold ‘civil defence’ drills

Countrywide exercise to include air-raid sirens and evacuation plans; drill to begin on May 7 and continue till May 9 amid escalating tension between India, Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday (May 5, 2025) asked States to conduct mock drills up to the village level in 244 categorised districts by operationalising air-raid warning signs, crash blackout measures, camouflaging vital installations, evacuation plans, establishing hotline with the Indian Air Force and training civilians on the aspects of civil defence measures in the event of a “hostile attack.”

States have been asked to activate control rooms, firefighting and warden services and undertake cleaning of bunkers and trenches among others. Bunkers are prevalent in border villages mostly in Jammu and Kashmir to shield civilians from cross-border firing. The mock drills are to begin countrywide on May 7 and likely to continue till May 9, a senior government official said.

Pahalgam terror attack updates: May 5, 2025

Around 4 lakh volunteers associated with the the Directorate General, Civil Defence, under the MHA will be roped in for the drill, the official told The Hindu.

Government sources confirmed to The Hindu that this comes in the backdrop of escalating tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22nd that left 26 people dead.

The DG, Civil Defence that was raised in 1962 in the wake of China war wrote to the Chief Secretaries of all States on Monday to organise civil defence exercise and rehearsal. The letter follows an earlier communication on May 2 regarding “civil defence preparedness in vulnerable areas/districts.”

The letter stated that “civil defence is considered integral component of nation’s passive defence strategy” and it would be prudent if optimum preparedness is maintained in the “current geo-political scenario” where “new and complex threats have emerged.” It said the decision to spruce up the civil defence preparedness was emphasised by the Prime Minister and Home Minister during their address to the Chief Ministers during ‘chintan shivir’ held on October 27-28, 2022 at Surajkund, Haryana,

The official said mock drills were routinely performed for disasters such as earthquakes, building collapse among others but air-sirens were used to prepare the public when there was an “external threat.”

“Every State including those on the western border will do the mock exercise beginning on May 7. The finer details will be shared on Tuesday. Some States are better equipped and for others we will issue guidelines,” said the official.

The official explained that camouflaging of vital installation amounts to switching off all illumination, including in the vicinity of the plants and vital buildings.

“We have over four lakh volunteers associated with the Civil Defence, we would try to mobilise the maximum number for the exercise. The State police will also mobilise volunteers in their jurisdictions,” said the official. School, college students, National Cadet Corps (NCC), members from Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) will be involved in the exercise.

Blackout drill

On Sunday, police conducted a 30-minute blackout drill in the Ferozepur district of Punjab, bordering Pakistan. The Ferozepur Cantonment Board issued an advisory and residents were asked to switch off lights from 9 p.m. - 9.30 p.m.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meanwhile met with defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, followed by National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval in South Block.

The instructions for beefing up civil defence preparedness come after diplomatic measures by the government of India including the putting in abeyance of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) and the cancellation of visas of Pakistani nationals in India. For the last 10 days, there has been unprovoked firing by Pakistani Army posts across the Line of Control, which have been promptly and proportionately responded to by the Indian Army.

Published - May 05, 2025 07:17 pm IST