Haryana to conduct state-wide mock drill today, 15-min blackout from 8 pm
Haryana will now conduct the state-wide mock drill – civil defence exercise — under Operation Shield on Saturday across all 22 districts to enhance state's emergency preparedness and response capabilities.
Scheduled to begin at 5 pm, the drill is being organised under the guidance of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to simulate critical incidents such as air raids, drone attacks, and other wartime scenarios in the light of current national security concerns. Earlier, this mock drill was scheduled for May 29 but was postponed as per MHA instructions.
A controlled blackout of 15 minutes will be observed from 8 pm near vital installations, with exception of essential emergency services such as hospitals, fire stations, and police stations.
Interacting with media persons here Friday, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sumita Misra said, 'The exercise aims to test existing emergency mechanisms, improve coordination between the civil administration, defence forces, and local communities and to identify areas that need to be strengthened, thus ensuring swift and effective response during any crisis.'
Misra said, 'Currently there are around 32,000 civil defence volunteers across Haryana who will contribute in this exercise. All Deputy Commissioners have been directed to call out Civil Defence Volunteers, NSS, NCC, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), Home Gaurds, etc. of their respective districts in order to brief them regarding their deployment, duties and exercises to be undertaken.'
The key components include drills responding to aerial threats such as air raids and swarms of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), activation of air raid sirens, and testing of control room communication hotlines established with the Indian Air Force.
The exercise aligns with the Incident Response System (IRS), which Haryana officially notified on January 28, 2025, under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, providing a structured framework for effective emergency response.
All Deputy Commissioners, who are also Chairpersons of District Disaster Management Authorities, along with Commissioners and Superintendents of Police, have been directed to ensure meticulous planning and execution of the exercise in their jurisdictions.
'They have been instructed to submit a detailed Action Taken Reports to the Commandant General, Home Guards, and Director, Civil Defence, Haryana, which will be compiled for state-level review and forwarded to the MHA. The above mock exercises are scheduled for May 31 between 5 pm and 9 pm and should not be the cause of alarm for the citizen,' Misra said.
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