Latest news with #DirectorateofCivilDefence
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Op Shield: State to hold‘confidential' mock drillon civil defence today
Jaipur/Jaisalmer: Chief secretary Sudhansh Pant held a high-level meeting at the secretariat on Friday to review preparations for the second statewide civil defence blackout and mock drill under 'Operation Shield', scheduled for Saturday. The meeting was attended by senior officials and civil defence controllers, who were advised to decide on the timing of the blackout and drill based on local conditions while keeping the schedule and locations confidential. Pant stressed on the need for full preparedness in emergency scenarios, especially in times of war. He instructed officials to ensure that all sirens and communication systems were functioning properly, and underlined the importance of drawing lessons from the first mock drill to improve coordination and response mechanisms. Jagjit Singh Monga, director of the Directorate of Civil Defence, briefed those present on the participation of various departments and units, including the Air Force, medical services, local bodies, home guards, power dept, police, and district administration. But many citizens are confused due to a lack of clear communication from the administration. Though internal directives have been issued to district collectors and magistrates, no official guidelines have been shared with the public regarding their role in the blackout.
Mint
6 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
Mock Drill to be held in 4 states bordering Pakistan tomorrow
A civil defense mock drill is scheduled to take place on Thursday, May 29, across the Indian states adjoining Pakistan— Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir. The Directorate of Civil Defence has issued instructions for the same, reported Hindustan Times. According to the HT report, Haryana government is poised to undertake a significant state-wide civil defence exercise, titled 'Operation Shield,' scheduled for May 29. This comprehensive drill will be conducted across all 22 districts from 5 pm onwards, aiming to bolster the state's emergency preparedness and response mechanisms. This civil defense mock drill comes weeks after India launched 'Operation Sindoor' against Pakistan on the intervening night of May 6 and 7, to avenge the Pahalgam terror attack. in which 26 tourists were killed on April 22. This development comes weeks after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) conducted Operation Abhyas -- a nationwide mock drill -- on May 7, hours before India launched Operation Sindoor. On May 7, India conducted a nationwide civil defence mock drill under the aegis of the Ministry of Home Affairs, designated as 'Operation Abhyas,' aimed at bolstering the nation's preparedness for war-like emergencies amid heightened tensions with Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack. This large-scale exercise encompassed 244 designated civil defence districts across multiple states and union territories, including major metropolitan areas such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad. The civil defense mock drill involved a series of coordinated activities designed to simulate real wartime conditions: activation of air raid sirens to test public alert systems; implementation of blackout procedures requiring citizens to switch off lights to mimic power outages and reduce visibility during potential aerial threats; evacuation rehearsals to ensure efficient civilian movement to safe zones; and widespread civilian training sessions on safety protocols, first aid, and emergency response.
India Today
27-05-2025
- General
- India Today
How Operation Sindoor prompted air raid siren revamp in Mumbai and beyond
Air raid sirens, which once acted as sentinels of Mumbai and its surroundings, are set to be revived in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, India's military response to Pakistan after the terror attack in Pahalgam last state has 492 air raid siren points in all—311 in Mumbai, 85 in Pune, 33 in Nashik, 21 in Tarapur, 16 in Raigad and 26 in Thane. These were installed in phases after the 1962 India-China war, as per central government guidelines, and came in handy for sounding air raid warnings during the wars with Pakistan in 1965 and 1971. Even later, the sirens would be sounded at 9 am every of these public sirens, including some in Mumbai, are now dysfunctional. The centrally-operated system gradually went into oblivion after 2004 due to technological obsolescence. The torrential rain-triggered flooding of the Mumbai region in 2005 also damaged some underground cables that connected these sirens. The last time the air raid sirens were sounded was in July 2006 to pay tributes to the victims of serial bomb blasts in suburban trains in technological obsolescence has meant each siren is to be operated manually, and the decentralised nature of these operations made it difficult for government agencies to verify if these civil defence sirens, especially those in non-governmental premises, were working. However, some sirens installed on government buildings such as Cross Maidan and the Directorate office at Kalaghoda are tested On May 7, the union home ministry had issued an advisory to all states and Union territories for undertaking mock drills. This included the operationalisation of air raid sirens. Sources said that only 50 to 60 sirens in Mumbai were found to be working, and of the 492 sirens in the state, around 50 per cent were sirens are now being revived as part of efforts to sound emergency alerts and prepare for a war-like scenario in the future. Yogesh Kadam, Maharashtra minister of state for home, told INDIA TODAY that the government had sought a proposal from the Directorate of Civil Defence for upgrade of these sirens. 'This is an old system and we will upgrade it,' he Kumar, director general of police and director of civil defence, Maharashtra, said they were working on reviving and strengthening the existing sirens in Mumbai and the coastal districts of Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg. Newer sirens were also being installed in the legacy network.'On the instructions of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, the state government has provided funds as per the provisions of the Civil Defence Act, 1968, and Disaster Management Act, 2005 We will have a minimum of 100 sirens in good condition in Mumbai, and in vital areas like Uran and Tarapur,' said stated that procurement of these sirens and their installation were underway. Apart from bolstering the traditional sirens, the directorate is also planning to procure and install a state-of-art system in the Tarapur, located around 130 km from Mumbai in Palghar district, has a nuclear power plant—the Tarapur Atomic Power Station—Uran in Raigad district is located in proximity to sensitive installations such as the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, an Oil and Natural Gas Corporation plant and a gas thermal power station operated by the Maharashtra State Power Generation officials said that using air raid sirens came with its own set of challenges in a heavily built-up city like Mumbai, where much had changed since the times these sirens had been originally installed. 'The highrise buildings in Mumbai act as sound barriers for traditional sirens. The glass faade on these buildings does not allow the sound to penetrate deep. The ambient noise in the city is also high,' an official civil defence mechanism has its roots in the 'Air Raid Precaution Committee', which was established in August 1937 in the run-up to World War II. In October 1939, air raid precaution wardens were enrolled for the first time in Bombay. In October 1941, air raid precaution was redesignated as civil to India Today MagazineTune InMust Watch
Indian Express
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Civil defence authorities seek units in all districts for better coordination
The Directorate of Civil Defence (DCD), which carried out safety drills across the state last week following Indo-Pakistan tensions, has sought establishment of Civil Defence units in all districts of the state for better coordinatio. Currently, only eight districts in the state, primarily those along the coastline, have Civil Defence units. The official said having more units would mean extra manpower, which can be diverted to any place in case of an emergency. This, along with various other reinforcements including filling up of vacancies and advanced alarm systems, have been sought by the Directorate of Civil Defence so as to improve efficiency in the face of any emergency-like situation in the future. An official said since the role of the Civil Defence had not been highlighted as they were during the recent drills, several of the reinforcements sought by them had been pending before the government. 'However, this time around, the government seems positive in the aftermath of what transpired. We are hoping that the reinforcements sought by us will approved,' said the official. The official said they have also sought filling up of the vacancies at the Directorate which hardly has 150 people working for 450 posts. The official added that they are also in talks with the government to upgrade the emergency sirens, several of which are not working, and replace them with the ones using more advanced systems. The official said the government has also approved the inclusion of civil defence in the academic curriculum of the Mumbai University to train students from college-level.
Indian Express
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Mumbai University: Maha govt to introduce civil defence course in University's curriculum
The Maharashtra government has decided to introduce a civil defence course in the Mumbai University curriculum, acknowledging the key role the volunteer-based emergency response mechanism can play during emergencies amid a spotlight on the Indo-Pakistan conflict that necessitated mock drill exercises. The government is also trying to strengthen the Directorate of Civil Defence, beset by multiple issues ranging from manpower crunch to paltry daily allowance and logistical problems, including inadequate sirens, vehicles and ambulances. The Directorate of Civil Defence and the University of Mumbai recently signed a memorandum of Understanding (MoU), finalising the inclusion of the Civil Defence course in the academic curriculum, Director of Civil Defence Prabhat Kumar told PTI. This course will be taught in all engineering colleges affiliated with the University of Mumbai and will carry a weightage of 25 marks. 'Students who wish to serve the nation while pursuing their education will get an opportunity through this course,' Kumar said, adding that students will be trained in rescue operations and saving lives during emergencies. They will also be prepared to work alongside government and civic agencies, such as disaster management cells, fire brigades, and hospitals, especially during emergency and war-like situations. The spotlight on civil defence has intensified following mock drills conducted across coastal districts and Pune, Nashik, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. These drills aimed to raise awareness among volunteers and the general public. The mock drills involved around 10,000 volunteers from Civil Defence, Home Guard, NDRF, and other emergency response agencies. An official said the government is taking appropriate steps to strengthen civil defence, and its revival is underway. The Directorate of Civil Defence has long struggled with shortages in manpower, vehicles (including rescue vans and ambulances), sirens, and training equipment. However, these requirements are likely to be fulfilled soon, he said. Although the sanctioned manpower for Civil Defence is 420 personnel, operations are being carried out with only 135 staff members across the state. He said some units, like those in Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg, have only one full-time government employee each. 'In emergencies, Civil Defence needs its ambulances and vehicles. However, many of the existing vehicles are in poor condition, with some on the verge of being scrapped,' the official noted. Volunteers currently receive a daily allowance of Rs 150 for their service. A proposal has been submitted to the government to increase this amount to Rs 500 per day. He added that in addition to the proposed allowance hike, proposals for increasing manpower, training equipment, and sirens have also been submitted. The government is positive about meeting these demands.
