Mock drills conducted, border areas in Rajasthan on high alert

Acting on the Union Home Ministry’s directives, the mock drills were carried out in as many as 28 cities across the State

Large-scale mock drills were conducted in several cities in Rajasthan on Wednesday (May 7, 2025) in the aftermath of ‘Operation Sindoor’ and the border areas in the State were put on high alert. All schools in four border districts were closed as a precautionary measure, while blackout drills were carried out at different time slots late in the evening.

Jodhpur, Bikaner and Kishangarh airports were closed and all flights were cancelled. Flight operations to Chandigarh and Hindon from Sanganer airport in Jaipur were cancelled in view of the heightened alert, while a help desk was set up in Jodhpur for providing assistance to the passengers.

In photos: States conduct mock drills in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack

Acting on the Union Home Ministry’s directives, the mock drills were carried out in as many as 28 cities across the State. Jaipur witnessed simulated air strike response after five decades, as these exercises were earlier conducted during the 1971 India-Pakistan war.

The government officials at the State Secretariat, District Collectorate and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited head office were trained in rescue operations and emergency evacuation after the warning sirens were sounded in Jaipur. The police personnel and fire brigade units participated in the exercise at Rawatbhata, where the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station is situated.

The students and teachers at Madrasa Jamia Tayyaba at Nahari Ka Naka in Jaipur welcomed India’s airstrikes against terror hideouts in Pakistan and raised slogans in support of the operation. Madrasa head Qari Mohammed Ishaque said the children were apprised of the terror activities sponsored by the neighbouring country as well as the significance of maintaining communal harmony.

Heightened security measures were observed in Barmer and Jaisalmer districts, which share an international border with Pakistan. All the government and private schools were closed for a day and their examinations were postponed in the border districts of Barmer, Jaisalmer, Bikaner and Sriganganagar.

Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, who returned here from Gujarat’s Kevadia after attending a training camp for the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, monitored the security situation at a high-level meeting and cancelled the leaves of all police personnel. Mr. Sharma also gave instructions for compliance with the national standards for security and disaster management.

Published - May 08, 2025 07:52 am IST