There were blackouts, air raid sirens, and evacuation drills as India conducted a massive civil defence exercise on Wednesday, May 7, after Operation Sindoor dialled up tensions with Pakistan – a hark back to the 1971 war when lights were turned off routinely to reduce visibility for enemy aircraft.
A total of 244 districts in the country, categorised as ‘civil defence districts’, with sensitive installations are participating in the drills – a first in 54 years. The Home Ministry has asked all states to carry out the drills in view of the “new and complex threats” that have emerged lately.
Several states got a glimpse of the security drill on Tuesday as schools, police and local administrations conducted rehearsals on steps to take in emergencies and during potential missile strikes.
The exercises are being carried out in around 250 ‘civil defence districts’. However, some states, like Uttar Pradesh, have decided to carry it out in all districts. ‘Civil defence districts’ are different from normal districts as they house an Army cantonment or a refinery or a nuclear plant.
As part of the drill, lights might be switched off in certain areas to mimic a blackout. This is done to guard against possible air attacks.
