Nationwide Civil Defence Mock Drills Held Across India After Pahalgam Attack:

Suspense Crime, Digital Desk : Following the terror incident on April 22 in Pahalgam, the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an order for all Indian states and Union Territories to conduct emergency preparedness drills. Referred to as ‘Operation Abhyaas’, these drills were meant to train the general public on essential safety protocols during emergencies.

Coordinated Nationwide Mock Exercises

Mock drills were conducted starting from 4 PM in various districts from across the nation. These included both “live fire” activities such as air raid sirens, control room activations, evacuations, and communications between civil defence units.

Safety Procedures in Key Areas Noted Within the Delhi District

In Delhi, the area around Indira Gandhi International Airport’s Terminal 3 and Khan Market, as well as schools practicing safe positions for students under desks and orienting off electricity, were focused on. Khan Market, Chandni Chowk, and other parts of the city saw civil defence volunteers, NCC cadets, and civilians participate in complete public drills.

Blackout in NDMC Region of Delhi to Test Readiness

A mock blackout was implemented within the New Delhi Municpal region between Connaught Place and Lutyens from 08:00 to 08:15 PM in New Delhi while the area remained dark, in order to test operability within the area.

Classroom Evacuations in Private Kolkata Schools

Four private schools in Kolkata—DPS Ruby Park, La Martiniere for Boys and Girls, Future Foundation—carried out organized evacuation drills with supervision by NCC personnel. The exercise was done within thirty minutes.

Bengaluru and Chennai Simulate Rescue Operations:

The emergency bells were activated at exactly 3:48 PM in Bengaluru and all the relevant emergency teams were put on alert - prompting immediate action. Some of the scenarios included fire drills and high-rise building evacuations. Meanwhile, Chennai Port, under the leadership of senior officers, ran high alert exercises with the Tamil Nadu Disaster Response Force (TNDRF).

Mumbai Focuses on Rail Emergency Management

Maharashtra conducted coordinated drills at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and in parallel with the other states focused on both platform 7 and 8 to improve response readiness during peak hours.

Hyderabad and Kerala Emphasize Station Safety and Building Safety

A joint exercise of civil defence and emergency services was arranged at Kacheguda Railway Station for the Hyderabad division, and the exercises were simultaneously carried out in all fourteen districts of kerala. Officials in Ernakulam Collectorate practiced fire evacuation from multi-storey buildings.

Jharkhand Conducts District-Level Preparedness Exercises

In coordinated emergency response, civil defence unit mock exercises were held for three hours across Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Bokaro, Godda, and Sahibganj to train participants.

Public Involvement Across All Sectors

Participating in the multi-faceted national level drills were school children, office workers, staffers in healthcare, railway employees, and various arms of the security forces which showed a some what holistic approach to nation preparedness.