Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 23 Apr: In line with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) laid down by the Directorate General of Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, a district-level mock drill on air raid and blackout preparedness will be conducted in Dehradun at 10 p.m. tomorrow. The exercise is aimed at assessing the preparedness, coordination and emergency response capacity of the civil defence mechanism.
Acting on the directions of District Magistrate and Chairman of the District Disaster Management Authority, Savin Bansal, a meeting was convened today at the NIC auditorium with the officials of various line departments to review preparations for the mock exercise. Officers designated under the Incident Response System at both district and tehsil (Sadar) levels were present during the meeting.
As part of the drill, four major locations in the city, namely ISBT, Dilaram Chowk (Raipur area), Ghantaghar and Araghar, have been identified for the exercise. A simulated blackout will be enforced in these areas from 10:05 p.m. for approximately 30 minutes, during which streetlights, park lighting and illumination at other public places will be temporarily switched off. An emergency siren will be sounded prior to the commencement of the drill to alert the public.
The officials have stated that the primary objective of the mock drill is to evaluate the operational readiness of the civil defence organisation, test blackout and warning systems, strengthen inter-departmental coordination and assess response mechanisms during emergency situations. To ensure smooth conduct of the exercise, an Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) has been established at the district level, while control rooms will also be set up at identified locations. Continuous communication will be maintained through telecommunication networks, mobile services, wireless systems and hotlines, with district-level officers from all departments deployed in control rooms round the clock.
The district administration has appealed to citizens not to panic, emphasising that the exercise is a pre-planned mock drill. The residents have been urged to cooperate with the authorities and adhere to the issued guidelines during the drill.
The administration further clarified that the mock exercise is being conducted nationwide, including at the state and district levels, under the directions of the Government of India to evaluate civil defence preparedness and emergency response capabilities. Similar objectives underpin the Dehradun exercise, including testing of blackout and warning systems, ensuring departmental coordination, and strengthening the functioning of district control rooms and communication systems.
Officials from the district administration, line departments, Civil Defence, the Army, NDRF and SDRF, along with other concerned agencies, will participate in the drill to ensure its effective implementation.
