In a significant civil defence move, India will stage one of its biggest-ever preparedness exercises on Wednesday, May 7. The nationwide mock drill covers 244 places and is intended to test the nation’s preparedness against perceived outside threats, including the threat of war. The exercise arrives on the heels of increased tensions and the devastating Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians. In accordance with MHA officials, the operation has been planned as a full-fledged simulation with the aim of preparing both civilians and authorities in case of emergencies, from air raids to complete blackouts.
What Will Operation Abhyas Include?
The exercise is no minor task. It entails synchronised exercises such as air raid simulations, siren drills, mass evacuations, blackout drills, and emergency rescue exercises. These simulated exercises are being organised not only in the major cities, but also in the small towns and exposed neighbourhoods, complementing readiness at all levels of the nation’s civic infrastructure.
The Ministry insisted that the exercise is just one aspect of an overarching Integrated Response System (IRS), which seeks to create public consciousness and examine how fast response teams, ranging from local police to disaster management units, can respond under war-like situations.
Also Read: Why Was India’s Pahalgam Terror Retaliation Attack Named Operation Sindoor?
What Are The Key Locations And Timings Of The Drill?
Though timings can be different in the regions, most of the mock drills are actually planned to get underway at 4 PM on May 7. Here is a glimpse at what to expect in some key locations:
1) Delhi: The capital will be conducting its complete drill from 4 PM until 7 PM, with special emphasis on black-out preparedness and evacuation drill.
2) Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh): City-wide blackout from 8 PM to 8:10 PM. People have been requested to turn off lights and avoid the use of phones, flashlights, or inverters.
3) Kerala: All 14 districts will be part of the drill starting at 4 PM, covering both urban and coastal regions.
4) Visakhapatnam: A mock air raid will be conducted in Kotha Jalaripeta, and a blackout will be done at 7 PM in the locality and Oxygen Towers.
5) Dehradun: There will be five places, including the District Magistrate Complex, where the siren and siren test in an emergency will take place.
6) Kalpakkam (Tamil Nadu): The Madras Atomic Power Station and Chennai Port Trust will be under a targeted drill from 4 PM to 4:30 PM.
Officials are calling on citizens to comply and take the drill seriously. As one high-ranking MHA source described, “Preparedness today means resilience tomorrow.”
From metro cities to far-flung villages, India is pausing for a moment, but only to prepare better for what it hopes never arrives.
Also Read: India Bans 16 Pakistani YouTube Channels After Pahalgam Terror Attack