Delhi Observes 15-Minute Power Blackout In Emergency Preparedness Drill
New Delhi:
In an unprecedented sight on Wednesday evening, a 15-minute power blackout was observed in many areas of the national capital, including entire Lutyens' Delhi.
The exercise left the New Delhi area housing Parliament, India Gate, embassies and key administrative buildings dark as part of a nationwide civil defence mock drill.
The blackout, which took place from 8 pm to 8.15 pm, was carried out by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to simulate emergency wartime conditions.
The move, officials said, was part of 'Operation Abhyaas', a mega mock drill initiated by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in response to rising tensions with Pakistan following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.
"All residents are requested to cooperate and bear with the situation," an NDMC official said, adding that while government offices and diplomatic enclaves participated in the exercise, hospitals, metro stations, Rashtrapati Bhavan and the PMO were excluded from the power cut.
Several iconic markets and public spaces - Connaught Place, Khan Market and Town Hall in Chandni Chowk - went dark, briefly halting activity in areas usually lit up late into the night. The visual impact was stark, drawing the attention of residents and tourists alike.
Officials in Central Delhi confirmed that blackouts were executed at five major locations, including Wazirabad, Chandni Chowk and the Civic Centre. Parts of Karol Bagh and Prasad Nagar also participated in the drill.
In North West Delhi, officials said blackouts occurred at five identified spots, with a clear directive to avoid disruption to emergency services.
According to officials, in southeast Delhi, the blackout was also observed at a government school in Madan Kahadar and DLF King's Court apartments in Greater Kailash.
East Delhi authorities noted that due to rainfall and the presence of essential service providers, a complete blackout was not feasible. However, selected areas did take part to ensure symbolic participation in the nationwide exercise.
Earlier in the day, mock security drills were carried out by authorities at 55 locations in the national capital.
Though brief, the power cut in Delhi served as a reminder of the capital's readiness to respond to high-risk scenarios.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
‘Had told Congress to wait until delegations return': Supriya Sule on NCP(SP) missing from INDIA letter for Parliament session on Operation Sindoor
After the NCP (SP) chose not to join the INDIA bloc in its demand for a special Parliament session on the Pahalgam terrorist attack and Operation Sindoor, the Opposition party's MP Supriya Sule said on Thursday that she had requested the Congress to wait until the multi-party delegations returned before calling the bloc's meetings to discuss the matter. Sixteen Opposition parties have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding a special Parliament session. 'My party's stand was that there was no need for a debate when Operation Sindoor was still underway. Pawar Saheb always said that on matters of foreign affairs and national security, one has to back the government of the day,' Sule said while addressing a press conference in Mumbai upon her return after leading a multi-party delegation to Qatar, Ethiopia, Egypt, and South Africa. 'How can I be seen demanding a special session of Parliament and a debate while putting forth my country's point of view abroad at the same time. I said we will question the government over the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor when Parliament's monsoon session begins… I had spoken to the decision-making people within the Congress to wait until all multi-party delegations return from abroad before calling the meeting,' she said, adding that she had conveyed that she would attend the INDIA bloc meetings after her return. Sule said the Opposition would seek answers from the government on internal security issues during the monsoon session of Parliament. 'This (INDIA) is an alliance of parties. Just because I have a different view on some issue does not mean I think those with different views are wrong. We are in a democracy and each party has its own views,' she said. In the wake of Operation Sindoor, the government sent multi-party delegations to different countries to highlight Pakistan's continued support for terrorism and India's response. Sule called her tour productive and said the leadership of all four countries–Qatar, South Africa, Egypt, and Ethiopia–had expressed strong solidarity with India and condemned all acts of terrorism. The four countries also praised the de-escalation in the standoff, she said.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
3 hours ago
- First Post
British MP Bob Blackman urges UK govt to stand with India against terrorism
'This week, I met a cross-party delegation of Indian MPs. We discussed the fragile truce between India and Pakistan, at risk of being broken by further terrorist attacks. As India seeks deeper security ties with the West, I urged the Govt to stand with India against terrorism," said Blackman on X read more British MP Bob Blackman has reiterated his support for India and called on the Keir Starmer-led UK government to stand resolutely with New Delhi in its fight against terrorism. Blackman, who had previously backed India's 'Operation Sindoor' and criticised Pakistan as a 'failed state" for its alleged support of terrorism, made these remarks while speaking in Parliament. Later, he also shared the clip of his speech in Parliament on X, and wrote, 'This week, I met a cross-party delegation of Indian MPs. We discussed the fragile truce between India and Pakistan, at risk of being broken by further terrorist attacks. As India seeks deeper security ties with the West, I urged the Govt to stand with India against terrorism." STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This week, I met a cross-party delegation of Indian MPs. We discussed the fragile truce between India and Pakistan, at risk of being broken by further terrorist attacks. As India seeks deeper security ties with the West, I urged the Govt to stand with India against terrorism. — Bob Blackman (@BobBlackman) June 5, 2025 A delegation led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad is visiting Europe as part of India's diplomatic outreach following the recent terrorist attack in J&K's Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists On Tuesday, Blackman had strongly criticised Pakistan, calling it a 'failed state' and questioning whether 'democracy or generals' were truly in control in Islamabad. Speaking to ANI after meeting the Indian delegation in London, Blackman urged the international community to support India in its fight against terrorism. He accused Pakistan of fostering terrorism on Indian soil and condemned its continued illegal occupation of parts of Jammu and Kashmir. 'Pakistan is a failed state. We don't have democracy in Pakistan. We have the people of parts of Pakistan, who are suffering under Pakistani military rule. So who's in charge? Is it the democracy or the Generals? And it's quite clear that terrorism is encouraged from Pakistan into sovereign India,' Blackman had said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies
The Hindu
5 hours ago
- The Hindu
Jose K. Mani calls for discussion on Indo-U.S. trade agreement
Kerala Congress (M) chairman Jose K. Mani, MP, has called upon the Union government not to proceed with the proposed Free Trade Framework Agreement between India and the United States, holding that it would severely harm the interests of Indian farmers. In statement here on Wednesday, Mr. Mani alleged that the agreement was being pushed as part of the ongoing U.S.-China trade war and demanded that all terms and details of the proposed framework be made public and a thorough discussion be held in Parliament. According to him the agreement would adversely affect small-scale dairy, poultry, coconut and rubber farmers. 'In a situation where domestic milk production is already non-profitable, a surge of imported foreign milk and milk products could devastate the dairy sector. The import of chicken meat could push the ₹1 lakh-crore poultry industry into a crisis, resulting in massive job losses. Large-scale imports of soybean oil would destabilise the coconut oil market and the proposed import of synthetic rubber at ₹90 per kg would deal a severe blow to the domestic rubber sector,' he pointed out.
