NEW DELHI: The civil defence exercise across 244 districts and towns on Wednesday is designed to be the beginning of a serious and sustained effort by the Modi govt to test and activate civil defence set-ups across the country and ultimately nudge them into a state of permanent readiness against exigencies, including hostile attacks.
While the trigger for the countrywide exercise has obviously been the surging tensions with Pakistan, govt is looking at it as a prelude to a long-term effort to prepare the population for a range of contingencies - from conflict with the hostile neighbour to a natural calamity, and mishaps involving dangerous and inflammable substances.
"We obviously want to be ready for the immediate and near-term but there will be learningsf or the long-term," said an official involved in overseeing the run-up to the first such exercise after 1971.
Another official told TOI, "The drills, to be conducted across civil defence (CD) districts or towns with varying levels of vulnerability, will help us understand where we stand. They will make the general public aware of the role of the CD set-up in bolstering the country's defence and the drill to be followed during hostile attacks, including deciphering and responding to air raid warnings and enforcing a 'blackout' against air-dropped gravity bombs. CD volunteers in the field will guide people on response to varied situations."
Union home secretary Govind Mohan on Tuesday held a meeting with state chief secretaries and UT administrators to discuss the CD drill, which will simulate war-like scenarios in the 244 CD districts, amid talk of an impending retaliation against Pakistan over the Pahalgam attack.
The chief secretaries were told to activate DMs - who double up as coordinators for civil defence - and ensure that 'wardens' are appointed for different 'grids' or functions, systems upgraded to respond to exigencies, including war, and CD volunteers enrolled and trained to guide citizens to achieve goals like saving lives, minimising damage to property, maintaining continuity of production, and keeping public morale high in the face of hostile actions.
"As of now, each of the 244 CD districts or towns, are at different levels of preparedness. The CD exercise on Wednesday will help the Union home ministry learn to what extent states/UTs have created this set-up or are utilising it, how trained and prepared staff/volunteers are and what more needs to be done to help them attain a uniform level of preparedness," the official said.
In the drill, when the IAF hotline with DMs communicate an air-raid warning, a siren would be sounded by the DM. The siren would be different for an approaching 'enemy' aircraft, an overhead aircraft, and after they have left. Where there are critical facilities like hospitals, volunteers will tell the public that windows may be 'blackened' with paper or cloth etc; where not, a power cut may be effected.
The drill in each civil defence district or town will be different depending on its vulnerability. Delhi, the central seat of power, and Mumbai are among the 12 most vulnerable or 'Category I' districts, while 171 fall in category 'II' and 61 in category 'III'.
While the trigger for the countrywide exercise has obviously been the surging tensions with Pakistan, govt is looking at it as a prelude to a long-term effort to prepare the population for a range of contingencies - from conflict with the hostile neighbour to a natural calamity, and mishaps involving dangerous and inflammable substances.
"We obviously want to be ready for the immediate and near-term but there will be learningsf or the long-term," said an official involved in overseeing the run-up to the first such exercise after 1971.
Another official told TOI, "The drills, to be conducted across civil defence (CD) districts or towns with varying levels of vulnerability, will help us understand where we stand. They will make the general public aware of the role of the CD set-up in bolstering the country's defence and the drill to be followed during hostile attacks, including deciphering and responding to air raid warnings and enforcing a 'blackout' against air-dropped gravity bombs. CD volunteers in the field will guide people on response to varied situations."
Union home secretary Govind Mohan on Tuesday held a meeting with state chief secretaries and UT administrators to discuss the CD drill, which will simulate war-like scenarios in the 244 CD districts, amid talk of an impending retaliation against Pakistan over the Pahalgam attack.
The chief secretaries were told to activate DMs - who double up as coordinators for civil defence - and ensure that 'wardens' are appointed for different 'grids' or functions, systems upgraded to respond to exigencies, including war, and CD volunteers enrolled and trained to guide citizens to achieve goals like saving lives, minimising damage to property, maintaining continuity of production, and keeping public morale high in the face of hostile actions.
"As of now, each of the 244 CD districts or towns, are at different levels of preparedness. The CD exercise on Wednesday will help the Union home ministry learn to what extent states/UTs have created this set-up or are utilising it, how trained and prepared staff/volunteers are and what more needs to be done to help them attain a uniform level of preparedness," the official said.
In the drill, when the IAF hotline with DMs communicate an air-raid warning, a siren would be sounded by the DM. The siren would be different for an approaching 'enemy' aircraft, an overhead aircraft, and after they have left. Where there are critical facilities like hospitals, volunteers will tell the public that windows may be 'blackened' with paper or cloth etc; where not, a power cut may be effected.
The drill in each civil defence district or town will be different depending on its vulnerability. Delhi, the central seat of power, and Mumbai are among the 12 most vulnerable or 'Category I' districts, while 171 fall in category 'II' and 61 in category 'III'.
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