New Delhi: In a significant directive aimed at enhancing national security preparedness, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday ordered states and union territories across India to conduct comprehensive mock drills. The move comes amidst heightened security concerns, particularly in the wake of recent terror activities and prevailing tensions.
The MHA statement specified that these crucial exercises are designed to check readiness against “new and complex threats” and are scheduled to be held on May 7th. The drills will encompass a total of 244 categorised civil defence districts identified across the country.
The directive is seen as a proactive step following recent security incidents, underscoring the government’s focus on civil defence readiness in potential crisis situations.
National Security Focus: Checking Preparedness
The primary objective of the mock drills, according to the home ministry’s notification, is multifaceted:
- Operational Readiness: To test the operationalisation of air-raid warning sirens.
- Civilian Training: To train civilians on essential civil-defence aspects, equipping them with knowledge to protect themselves in the event of a “hostile attack.”
Inside the Drill: What the Exercise Will Entail
The upcoming exercises will simulate various aspects of a threat scenario, including:
- Implementing crash-blackout measures.
- Executing early camouflaging procedures for vital plants and installations.
- Updating and rehearsing crucial evacuation plans.
- Testing the operationalisation of hotline and radio-communication links with the Indian Air Force (IAF).
- Checking the full functionality of primary and shadow control rooms.
Full List: 244 Districts Undergoing Mock Drills
Below is the complete list of the 244 civil defence districts where these vital preparedness drills will be conducted on May 7th, categorised by priority level as designated by the Ministry of Home Affairs:
Category I – High Priority Locations
- Andaman & Nicobar Islands: Port Blair
- Andhra Pradesh: Visakhapatnam
- Arunachal Pradesh: Aalo (West Siang), Itanagar, Tawang
- Assam: Hayuling, Bongaigaon, Dibrugarh, Dhubri, Goalpara, Jorhat, Sibsagar, Tinsukia, Tezpur, Digboi, Duliajan, Guwahati (Dispur), Rangia, Namrup, Nazira, North Lakhimpur, Numaligarh
- Bihar: Barauni, Katihar, Patna, Purnea, Begusarai
- Chandigarh: Chandigarh
- Chhattisgarh: Durg (Bhilai)
- Dadra & Nagar Haveli: Silvasa
- Daman & Diu: Daman
- Delhi: Delhi (including New Delhi and Cantonment)
- Goa: North Goa (Panaji), South Goa (Mormugao, Vasco, Dabolim)
- Gujarat: Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Kakrapar, Jamnagar, Gandhinagar, Bhavnagar, Kandla, Nalia, Ankleshwar, Okha, Vadinar
- Haryana: Ambala, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Hissar, Panchkula, Panipat, Rohtak, Sirsa, Sonepat, Yamunanagar
- Himachal Pradesh: Shimla
- Jammu & Kashmir (including Ladakh): Anantnag, Pulwama, Badgam, Baramulla, Doda, Jammu, Kargil, Kathua, Kupwara, Leh, Poonch, Rajauri, Srinagar, Udhampur, Samba, Akhnoor, Uri, Naushera, Sunderbani, Awantipur
- Jharkhand: Bokaro, Gomio, Jamshedpur, Ranchi
- Karnataka: Bengaluru (Urban), Malleshwaram, Raichur
- Kerala: Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram
- Lakshadweep: Kavaratti
- Madhya Pradesh: Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore, Jabalpur, Katni
- Maharashtra: Mumbai, Uran, Tarapur, Thane, Pune, Nasik, Rohn-Dhatao-Nagothane, Monmad, Sinner, Thal-Vayshot, Pimpri-Chinchwad
- Manipur: Imphal, Churachandpur, Ukhrul, Moreh, Ningthoukhong
- Meghalaya: Shillong (East Khasi Hills), Jawai (Jaintia Hills), Tura (West Garo Hills)
- Mizoram: Aizawl
- Nagaland: Dimapur, Kohima, Mokokchung, Mon, Phek, Tuensang, Wokha, Zunheboto, Kiphire, Peren
- Odisha: Talcher, Hirakud, Paradip, Rourkela, Balasore, Koraput, Bhubaneswar, Gopalpur
- Puducherry: Puducherry
- Punjab: Amritsar, Bhatinda, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Ropar, Sangrur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Pathankot, Adampur, Barnala, Bhakra-Nangal, Halwara, Kotkapura, Batala, Mohali (SAS Nagar), Abohar, Faridpur
- Rajasthan: Ajmer, Alwar, Barmer, Bharatpur, Bikaner, Bundi, Ganganagar, Phulera (Jaipur), Nagaur (Merta Road), Jalore, Beawar, Hanumangarh, Jaipur, Lalgarh, Jaisalmer, Sawai Madhopur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Sikar, Nal, Suratgarh, Abu Road, Nasirabad, Bhivari, Pali, Bhilwara, Kota, Rawatbhata
- Sikkim: Gangtok
- Tamil Nadu: Chennai, Kalpakkam
- Telangana: Hyderabad
- Tripura: Agartala
- Uttar Pradesh: Bulandshahr (Narora), Agra, Allahabad, Bareilly, Ghaziabad, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Mathura, Meerut, Moradabad, Saharanpur, Varanasi, Bakshi-Ka-Talab, Mughalsarai, Sarsawa, Bagpat, Muzaffarnagar
- Uttarakhand: Dehradun
- West Bengal: Cooch Behar, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Malda, Siliguri, Greater Kolkata, Durgapur, Haldia, Hashimara, Kharagpur, Burnpur-Asansol, Farakka-Khejuriaghat, Chittaranjan, Balurghat, Alipurduar, Raiganj, Islampur, Dinhata, Makhiligunj, Mathabhanga, Kalimpong, Jaldhaka, Kurseong, Kolaghat, Bardhaman, Birbhum, East & West Medinipur, Howrah, Hooghly, Murshidabad
Category II – Medium Priority Locations
- Assam: Darrang, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong, Kokrajhar
- Gujarat: Bharuch, Dangs, Kutch, Mehsana, Narmada, Navsari
- Haryana: Jhajjar
- Jharkhand: Godda, Sahebganj
- Maharashtra: Aurangabad, Bhusawal, Raigarh, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg
- Odisha: Bhadrak, Dhenkanal, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara
Category III – Low Priority Locations
- Arunachal Pradesh: Bomdila
The nationwide mock drills underscore the government’s commitment to ensuring that civil defence mechanisms across potentially vulnerable areas are robust, updated, and ready to respond effectively to modern security challenges.