Bhubaneswar: Amid growing tension between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued directives to states, including Odisha, to conduct full-scale civil defence mock drills on May 7.
As per official sources, 12 places in Odisha, including capital city Bhubaneswar, have been categorised as civil defence towns/districts, where the mock drills may be held.
Mock drills will be conducted in Talcher, Paradip, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapada, Bhubaneswar, Rourkela, Jagatsinghpur, Koraput, Hirakud, Gopalpur and Dhenkanal.
The move come as India continues to examine its response to the brutal attack that killed 26 civilians, including 25 tourists, in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22.
As per government sources, the mock drills will include the operationalisation of air raid warning sirens, a rare and telling step, typically associated with heightened threat perception and preparations for hostile engagement.
Among the other key activities listed by the MHA are:
A. Training of civilians and students in key civil defence techniques to protect themselves during potential hostile attacks.
B. Provision for crash blackouts, an emergency protocol aimed at concealing cityscapes and infrastructure from potential aerial surveillance or strike.
C. Early camouflaging of vital plants and installations, a standard wartime measure to safeguard critical national assets.
D. Updation and rehearsal of evacuation plans, ensuring readiness for rapid civilian movement, if needed.
