Lal Chowk, Statue Of Unity Go Dark Amid Blackout As ‘Operation Shield’ Drills Sweep Border States
A large-scale civil defence exercise, codenamed ‘Operation Shield’, was conducted across multiple Indian states, especially in border regions, to test emergency preparedness for potential airstrikes, drone attacks, and wartime scenarios. The second phase of the drill, organised under the guidelines of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), involved coordinated simulations in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Chandigarh.
In Jammu and Kashmir, blackout mock drills and emergency simulations were carried out in Srinagar’s Lal Chowk, Jammu, Ramban, Doda, and at the DC office in Srinagar.
District Magistrate Dr Bilal Mohi-Ud-Din Bhat told PTI, “We conducted a civil defence mock drill in line with MHA guidelines under Operation Shield. The drill simulated a fire situation in a building, focusing on rescue operations and firefighting mechanisms. The exercise aimed to assess the preparedness of the manpower, infrastructure, and equipment. As part of the drill, we also carried out a 10-minute blackout.”
Similar blackout exercises were reported in Amritsar, Chandigarh, Faridabad, Gurugram, and at the Statue of Unity in Ekta Nagar, Narmada district, Gujarat.
'Operation Shield' mock civil defence exercises were conducted in 18 Gujarati districts on Saturday to get the administration and populace ready for any situation, according to an official cited by PTI.
He stated that 18 districts, including Rajkot, Kutch, Patan, Morbi, Banaskantha, Chhota Udaipur, and Nadiad, all had blackouts in place. A fake civil defence exercise was held in the Sadar Bazar Cantonment in Shahibaug, Ahmedabad. Programs such as air raid simulations, communication system activation, blackout protocol, blood donation camps, evacuation protocols, and volunteer mobilisation were conducted as part of these exercises, according to an official statement.
Blackouts And Defence Drills In Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan
In Punjab, a 15-minute blackout was enforced in Hoshiarpur on Saturday night, from 8:00 pm to 8:15 pm. Deputy Commissioner Ashika Jain stated that during such situations, all lights, inverters, and generators must be switched off, including auto-on solar and CCTV lights. She advised citizens to switch off vehicle lights and park them on the roadside. “Blackouts are an important emergency measure to avoid becoming potential targets during air attacks,” she said. Jain also urged residents of high-rise buildings to move to ground floors or underground shelters and advised those without immediate shelter to take cover under trees. She warned against spreading misinformation and provocative content on social media, emphasising the role of responsible citizenship.
Mock drills were also held at Pathankot railway station, where authorities simulated a wartime scenario. Officials briefed participants on safety measures during airstrikes. SDM Arshdeep Singh supervised the drill.
In Firozpur, residents were trained in responding to bombings by fighter jets, treating the injured, evacuating people from upper floors, and tackling fire emergencies. District Civil Defence Commandant Kamalpreet Singh Dhillon said red and green siren signals were explained, and the exercise served as a precautionary measure to educate the public.
In Punjab’s Fazilka district, an air raid siren was sounded at 6:00 pm to mark the beginning of the drill. Jalalabad SDM Kanwarjit Singh said, “The main purpose of such drills is to ensure preparedness during emergencies. Public participation is crucial for an effective response.”
In Charkhi Dadri, Haryana, emergency drills were held at the mini-secretariat, court complex, BDPO office, and municipal council premises. The drill involved the police, health services, fire brigade, and civil volunteers. CTM Jitendra Kumar said the drill aimed to raise public awareness about handling emergency situations. A 15-minute blackout was observed across the district from 8:00 pm.
In Gurugram, multiple locations participated in blackout and emergency response simulations. Officials from Civil Defence, Gurugram Police, and the district administration took part in the exercise, which aimed to test rescue and relief operations.
In Barmer, Rajasthan, a drone attack was simulated in the residential quarters of Utarlai Air Force Station. Relief operations were immediately launched with the involvement of civil defence, police, and district administration. Although media coverage was restricted in the defence zone, officials including the District Collector and SP were present.
Jaipur’s Khatipura saw emergency teams simulate an air attack at a school, practising rescue operations and hospital evacuations under State Disaster Response Force and Civil Defence protocols. Cranes were used to evacuate simulated victims from rooftops.
ANI quoted DIG BSF Yogendra Singh Rathore in Jaisalmer as saying, “The objective of the ongoing mock drills in all border states is to make citizens aware of how to conduct rescue operations, and of the role of civil defence and civil administration. We are deployed at the borders and ready to assist wherever civil defence support is needed.”
These drills, postponed from their original date of 29 May, aimed to evaluate inter-agency coordination and enhance real-time response capabilities. Volunteers from Civil Defence, NSS, NCC, and other departments actively participated, with various districts planning to continue such preparedness exercises in the future.
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