Mock drills to be held again tomorrow in 4 states bordering Pakistan
Apart from the four border states, elaborate civil defence mock drills will also be conducted in Haryana under “Operation Shield” on May 29
Within weeks of the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan after the two nuclear-armed neighbours traded air strikes in the wake of Operation Sindoor, civil defence mock drills will be held on Thursday (May 29) in four states bordering Pakistan – Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.
Mock drills in Haryana
According to reports, apart from the four border states, elaborate civil defence mock drills will also be conducted in Haryana under “Operation Shield” on Thursday.
The key objective of the civil defence mock drills in Haryana is to improve the coordination between civil administration, defence forces and local communities.
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What is Operation Shield?
Haryana government sources told the media that as part of Operation Shield, there will be a major mobilisation of civil defence forces, registered volunteers and members of organisations like National Cadet Corps (NCC), National Service Scheme (NSS), Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), and Bharat Scouts and Guides.
There will also be a controlled blackout near critical areas for 15 minutes from 8 pm. However, according to media reports, essential emergency services like hospitals and police stations will be exempted from carrying out the blackout.
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PM’s dig at Pak
The announcement to hold civil defence mock drills in four states bordering Pakistan comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a rally in Gujarat’s Gandhi Nagar that it was no longer a proxy war against India by Pakistan, as terrorists killed during Operation Sindoor were given state funerals by the neighbouring country.
The Prime Minister, in an apparent dig at the Opposition, also said that the strikes on terror targets in Pakistan were conducted in front of cameras so that no one “back home” could ask for evidence.
Also Read: Operation Sindoor: Mock drills conducted in various cities across India
Earlier, mock drills were held in 244 districts under the direction of the Union Home Ministry. These mock drills included blackout exercises, familiarising the public with how to respond to air raid sirens, evacuation protocols and raising public awareness on how to respond to emergencies resembling wartime scenarios.
The mock drills were held days before the Indian military conducted precision strikes on nine terror bases in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and mainland Pakistan, killing 100 terrorists.