As part of a strategic national preparedness mission dubbed Operation Shield, India is executing comprehensive civil defence mock drills today (Thursday) across several states sharing a border with Pakistan. These exercises are being held in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, and Jammu and Kashmir, while Punjab will carry out its drills on June 3. The initiative is aimed at enhancing the country’s response capabilities in scenarios involving air strikes, bombings, or other high-risk emergencies.
The drills are intended to test and evaluate the functioning of control rooms, air raid alert systems, and the efficiency of civil defence teams, including wardens, firefighters, rescue units, and evacuation officers. Public sirens will sound during the operations to simulate real-time emergency situations. Districts bordering Pakistan have received clear directives to prepare extensively for these drills.
In Rajasthan, key border districts including Jodhpur will witness full-scale mock responses, while in Gujarat, every district will participate. Citizens have been encouraged to register as civil defence volunteers via the state’s official portal. Simulated air attacks and blackout drills will be conducted at multiple locations.
In Haryana, a blackout will be enforced from 8:00 p.m. to 8:15 p.m., affecting all critical infrastructure except essential services. These simulations follow Operation Abhyas, a nationwide emergency exercise, and Operation Sindoor, a military retaliation launched after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which eliminated over 100 terrorists and key hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Officials assert that these mock drills are critical in ensuring coordinated, effective emergency responses and increasing national security resilience in the face of evolving threats.
