Civil Defence Mock Drills Postponed in Border States
NEW DELHI: Authorities have announced that the civil defence mock drills planned for Thursday in states sharing borders with Pakistan have been postponed due to "administrative reasons."
These drills were set to take place in several states, including Gujarat, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Jammu and Kashmir as part of an initiative called Operation Shield.
In a circular, the information departments from Gujarat, Haryana, and Rajasthan confirmed the postponement, stating, “The civil defence exercise ‘Operation Shield’, originally scheduled for May 29, 2025, has been postponed for administrative reasons.” They asked for suitable instructions to be sent to all civil defence controllers and stakeholders, noting that new dates would be communicated soon.
The Punjab government, however, has proposed June 3 as a potential date for their own mock drill, explaining that their civil defence team is currently in training with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). A senior officer from the Punjab police shared that the central government has agreed to this request.
The planned exercise aimed to prepare for various scenarios involving air raids from enemy aircraft, drones, and missile attacks across all districts in states and Union Territories along India’s western border.
Prior communications from the Directorate General of Fire Services and Home Guards had indicated that the drills would be held in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, and Chandigarh, focusing on testing emergency response, evacuation protocols, and communication between agencies in case of cross-border tensions or terrorist activities.
This decision follows India’s recent Operation Sindoor, a counter-operation aimed at terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, in response to an attack that claimed the lives of 26 civilians in Pahalgam on April 22. The operation resulted in significant military exchanges between India and Pakistan, leading to a ceasefire agreement on May 10.
