Pahalgam aftermath: MHA directs several states to conduct mock drills on May 7 for civil defence

Home Ministry

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday directed several states to undertake a range of steps for effective civil defence on May 7, reported news agency ANI. The drills are seen as an exercise to gauge the nation's defence preparedness.

The timing of MHA's order assumes utmost significance as it comes almost two weeks after India witnessed one if its worst attacks on civilians on April 22 in South Kashmir's Pahalgam. At least 26 lives were lost and several injured during a selective attack on tourists.  The last such drill was conducted in 1971, the year in which India and Pakistan went to war on two fronts.

After the Pahalgam attack, in which innocent civilians were shot down by terrorists with links to Pakistan, there seems to be no sign of a descalation along the border. Pakistan, for 11 consecutive nights, has fired on Indian posts along the Line of Control. India has strongly responded to Islamabad's repeated cross-border firing.

States have been asked to undertake following measures by the Home Ministry:

1.Operationalization of air raid warning sirens
2. Training of civilians, students, etc, on the civil defence aspects to protect themselves in the event of a hostile attack.
3. Provision of crash black out measures
4. Provision for early camouflaging of vital plants/installations
5. Updation of evacuation plan & its rehearsal

During the drills, air raid warning sirens will be activated, and civilians and students will be trained on civil defence to protect themselves in the event of a hostile attack, according to government sources. There would be provisions for crash blackout measures and early camouflaging of vital plants and installations, the missive added.  The states have been asked to update their evacuation plan and its rehearsal, ANI further reported.

Several world leaders  conveyed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror strike must be brought to justice  and such killings of civilians hold no place in a civilised society.