Civil defence mock drill will be conducted at 16 locations across 10 districts in Maharashtra on May 7 in line with the directions of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), officials said.
More than 10,000 volunteers of civil defence, National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets and Home Guard volunteers will participate in the mock drill, a senior official of Civil Defence, told PTI.
In Maharashtra, mock drills will be conducted in the districts of Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Raigad, Jalgaon, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg and Palghar.
The MHA has directed the authorities to conduct the mock drill in Mumbai, Uran, Tarapur, Thane, Pune, Nashik, Roha-Nagothane, Manmad, Sinnar, Thal, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Bhusawal, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg.
Some of the locations are sensitive, like Tarapur which houses the Tarapur Atomic Power Plant, the industrial belts of Roha-Nagothane, Uran and densely-populated cities like Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Pimpri-Chinchwad.
"The Centre has given instructions to all states. Maharashtra too has planned a mock drill. If details about the mock drill are revealed then it won't be a mock drill," Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said.
Amid growing tension between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack, the MHA has issued directives to states to conduct full-scale civil defence mock drills on Wednesday.
The mock drill will commence at 4 pm with a siren blaring at multiple locations. The official said the civil defence will also be assisted by district administration, fire brigade and paramedics.
"The purpose of this mock drill is to sensitise people about safety and precautionary measures to be taken during war or war-like situations," the civil defence official said.
The civil defence volunteers have been trained to give first-aid, handle emergency situations like for drill, how to handle the dead and injured, and move people to safer places, he said.
"People should not panic," the official added.
The railway too carried out a security drill at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Kurla and other major stations on Tuesday evening, which saw involvement of the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Government Railway Police (GRP) with their respective dog squad.
Railway officials said mock drills could be conducted at major railway stations like CSMT and Borivali on Tuesday.
"We are ready for the drill," the dean of a civic body-run hospital in Mumbai said.
In Pune, the mock drills will be conducted at the Council Hall and Panchayat Samiti, and Municipal Council offices in Mulshi and Talegaon.
Personnel from civil defence, the Army, Air Force, Police, Fire Brigade, NDRF, Revenue and Health Departments, municipal corporations, and district administration will participate in the exercise. Additionally, students from various colleges, National Service Scheme (NSS), and NCC cadets will also participate, District Collector Jitendra Dudi told reporters.
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