MHA asks states to conduct civil defence mock drills amid rising tension with Pakistan

The Union Home Ministry has asked several states to conduct a mock drill on May 7 for effective civil defence, reports said on Monday.

The MHA’s order comes at a time when tension soared between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terrorist attack. The last such drill was conducted in 1971, the year in which the two countries went to war.

The drills will include operationalisation of air raid warning sirens and training of civilians and students on the civil defence aspects to protect themselves in the event of an attack.

Provision of crash blackout measures, provision for early camouflaging of vital installations and updation of the evacuation plan and its rehearsal will also be part of the measures, ANI reported, quoting sources.

On Sunday, a 30-minute blackout rehearsal was conducted at the Ferozepur Cantonment area in Punjab. All lights were turned off in the area after a siren went off at 9 pm.

Tension has mounted between India and Pakistan after the April 22 attack in which 26 civilians, mostly tourists, were killed after terrorists sprayed bullets at them at Pahalgam in Anantnag district.

India has alleged cross-border linkage to the attack and taken a slew of punitive measures against Pakistan, including the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty. New Delhi has also downgraded diplomatic ties, suspended bilateral trade, closed its airspace for Pakistani airlines and cancelled short-term visas issued to Pakistani nationals.

India also closed the land border crossing at Attari.

The suspension of the Indus Water Treaty has sparked an outrage among the Pakistani leadership, with Islamabad saying any altering of the water flow would be considered an act of war.