Rajasthan-Gujarat civil defence drill under Operation Shield postponed; Haryana to go ahead with mock drill on May 29
Operation Shield continues elsewhere
The civil defence drill was part of 'Operation Shield,' a nationwide exercise planned by the Directorate General of Fire Service and Home Guards. The exercise was initially set to take place in states bordering Pakistan, including Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. This was to be the second such drill following 'Operation Sindoor,' which took place across the country on May 7.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the first round of exercises revealed critical gaps in emergency preparedness in some vulnerable areas, prompting the continued push for state-level drills under the new operation.
Haryana to conduct statewide Mock Drill
While Rajasthan and Gujarat have postponed their activities, Haryana has confirmed it will carry out its civil defence exercise under Operation Shield on Thursday. The drill will be held from 5 PM to 9 PM across all 22 districts.
Key features of the drill include emergency response activities simulating aerial threats like air raids and drone swarms. Air raid sirens will be activated, and communication hotlines with the Indian Air Force will be tested. A 15-minute controlled blackout will be observed from 8 PM onwards near critical infrastructure, excluding emergency services such as hospitals, police stations, and fire stations.
Previous exercise highlighted preparedness gaps
The Ministry of Home Affairs stated that the earlier civil defence exercise, Operation Sindoor, helped in identifying weaknesses in the emergency response setup across multiple states. The continued efforts under Operation Shield aim to improve coordination between local and central agencies and test readiness in real-time scenarios.
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