Are civil defence mock drills being held in border states today? Officials share updates
Operation Shield, a civil defence mock drill scheduled for Thursday across several border states and Union Territories, has been postponed due to administrative reasons. The drill, aimed at strengthening emergency preparedness amid ongoing tensions with Pakistan, was to simulate responses to hostile attacks including drone strikes and air raids.
States including Haryana, Rajasthan, and Punjab, as well as the Union Territory of Chandigarh, officially announced the postponement of the exercise late Wednesday evening. According to officials, the decision was taken due to "administrative reasons," though no further details were immediately provided.
An official statement from the Haryana Home Department confirmed the postponement, stating, 'According to the instructions of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the Haryana Home Department announced the postponement of the comprehensive civil defence exercise, Operation Shield, which was scheduled to be conducted on Thursday.' All deputy commissioners and relevant stakeholders were notified accordingly.
Chandigarh's administration echoed the announcement, clarifying that there would be 'no blackout or mock drill' on Thursday, attributing the decision to instructions from the Government of India.
Operation Shield was initially planned to be conducted across all 22 districts of Haryana between 5 pm and 9 pm, involving full-scale simulation of wartime scenarios such as air raids and drone attacks. The exercise was designed to test evacuation protocols, activate air raid sirens, and mobilize medical and emergency response teams.
Rajasthan, which had also planned a comprehensive mock drill in all its 41 districts, issued a similar order for postponement. According to a statement from the state's Home Department, a new date for the drill will be announced soon. Preparations for drills, including siren activation and special arrangements in border districts like Jaisalmer and Barmer, had already begun when the directive from the Centre arrived.
Punjab took a different approach, proactively requesting a rescheduling of the exercise due to its civil defence staff currently undergoing training with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). The Centre accepted Punjab's proposal to conduct the drill on June 3, and deputy commissioners have been informed of the revised date.
This is the second time such mock drills are being held this year. The first were held in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, a military campaign launched on May 7 by Indian forces targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The campaign was a direct response to the deadly April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, where 26 people were killed.
In the days following Operation Sindoor, retaliatory shelling and drone incursions by Pakistani forces along the Line of Control and international border heightened national security concerns. This prompted the Ministry of Home Affairs to instruct vulnerable states and UTs along the western border to bolster their civil defence readiness.
New dates for Operation Shield in Haryana, Rajasthan, and Chandigarh are expected to be announced shortly. Meanwhile, Punjab will proceed with its drill on June 3.
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