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Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Chandigadh rricity strengthens emergency readiness with Op Shield drills
Mock drills and blackout rehearsals were conducted across Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula as part of the nationwide second civil defence exercise 'Operation Shield'. In Chandigarh, a scenario involving an attack by a swarm of enemy drones was simulated at the Air Force Station. In response to the simulated threat, the station commander sought immediate assistance from the civil administration to evacuate families from the station premises to a safer location. Upon receiving the request, the health department, fire services and civil defence units were promptly activated. The injured were triaged on site, and those with serious conditions were swiftly transported to the nearest hospital. Remaining evacuees were relocated to the Community Centre in Sector 47, where comprehensive medical check-ups and treatment were provided. Further, a coordinated 10-minute blackout drill from 8 pm to 8.10 pm was also observed by all residents of Kishangarh and IT Park. Deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav said the response of residents during the blackout drill reflected city's shared commitment to collective safety and civil defence preparedness. He extended gratitude to residents, civil defence volunteers and all departments involved, noting the seamless execution of the drill without disruption or confusion. The exercise aimed to test and enhance the coordination, preparedness and response capabilities of civil and defence agencies in the event of an emergency, he added. Over at Mohali, as soon as an air raid siren was sounded, emergency response teams rushed to the building of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited Storage-cum-Bottling Plant at Lalru around 6 pm. The entire operation was supervised by Anmol Singh Dhaliwal, additional deputy commissioner (Rural Development). Dera Bassi SDM Amit Gupta, while briefing details, said the mock drill included Home Guards (Civil Defence), NDRF, fire fighting and medical teams and local administration. He said after sounding the air raid siren, a rescue operation was immediately started to save civilians/workers stuck in the plant. As many as 20 stranded persons were rescued by the teams and rushed to designated health facilities by ambulances. Deputy commissioner Komal Mittal said the mock drill was exercised as per the part of the Operation Shield to check preparedness and real response time. Gupta added that a blackout was also enforced from 8 pm to 8.30 pm in the municipal limits of Dera Bassi and Lalru towns, barring emergency services establishments like hospitals and nursing homes. He said residents had been alerted about the blackout in the day time to abide with all precautions to replicate real-time emergency conditions by switching off lights, street lights and vehicle lights. In Panchkula, a comprehensive mock drill was conducted at the PWD rest house in Sector 1. The exercise, overseen by deputy commissioner Monika Gupta, simulated an emergency evacuation, swiftly moving individuals from the building to safety. At 5 pm, a blaring siren initiated the drill, prompting a rapid and coordinated response from various departments. Police, Home Guard, fire department, civil defence, Red Cross, Mera Yuva Bharat volunteers, and other relevant agencies quickly deployed their resources to the site. Fire department personnel efficiently deployed ladders, rescuing people from the first and second floors using stretchers, ropes and manual carries. All evacuees were then promptly transported to secure locations and hospitals via ambulances and buses, demonstrating effective inter-departmental coordination. Blackout faces criticism over siren, public compliance The 15-minute blackout observed in Panchkula from 8 pm to 8.15 pm revealed several shortcomings, according to local residents and welfare associations. Many resident welfare associations reported that sirens failed to sound in their sectors, contradicting claims of sufficient installations. Deputy commissioner Monika Gupta said the lapses will be examined. Some RWAs also pointed out lack of public participation, with many failing to switch off lights and usual traffic continuing during the blackout period. SK Nayar, president of the Citizens' Welfare Association, and Ravinder Sharma, president of the Senior Citizens' Welfare Council, confirmed not hearing sirens in their respective Sector-15 and Sector-11 residential areas.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Himachal Pradesh cabinet decides to fill 700 posts of Home Guard and regularise 203 panchayat secretaries
Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh cabinet has decided to fill 700 posts of Home Guards volunteer and agreed to regularise 203 zila parishad cadre panchayat secretaries who have completed two years on contract by March 31, 2025. Chaired by chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Saturday's cabinet meeting also removed a key hurdle for aspiring resident doctors by scrapping the one-year mandatory field posting requirement before applying for senior residency. The change brings uniformity to eligibility criteria at Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, and Dr Rajendra Prasad Govt Medical College, Tanda, aligning them with the Atal Institute of Medical Superspecialities (AIMSS), Chamiyana. In a bid to cut plastic waste, ministers approved a pilot 'Deposit Refund Scheme 2025'. Under the initiative, consumers will pay a refundable deposit when buying products with certain packaging, such as glass bottles, plastic containers, cans and multilayered materials. The deposit will be returned once the empty packaging is returned. Other decisions included relocating the Himachal Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) office from Shimla to Dharamshala and launching a fresh reservation roster for panchayati raj institution (PRI) members and chairpersons, a move last seen in 2010. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Check if You Are Eligible for a Free Hearing Aid Test Best Hearing Aids Undo The cabinet also allowed the Himachal Pradesh Forest Development Corporation to collect minor minerals and carry out dredging in forest rivers and ponds to improve resource use and environmental outcomes. In education, a new elementary block will be created at Baddi in Solan district by bifurcating the Ramshahar block. Administrative restructuring of Sulah, Bhawarna, and Lambagaon development blocks in Kangra, along with Bharanj in Hamirpur district, was also approved to ease governance delivery. MSID:: 121535367 413 | Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh cabinet has decided to fill 700 posts of Home Guards volunteer and agreed to regularise 203 zila parishad cadre panchayat secretaries who have completed two years on contract by March 31, 2025. Chaired by chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Saturday's cabinet meeting also removed a key hurdle for aspiring resident doctors by scrapping the one-year mandatory field posting requirement before applying for senior residency. The change brings uniformity to eligibility criteria at Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, and Dr Rajendra Prasad Govt Medical College, Tanda, aligning them with the Atal Institute of Medical Superspecialities (AIMSS), Chamiyana. In a bid to cut plastic waste, ministers approved a pilot 'Deposit Refund Scheme 2025'. Under the initiative, consumers will pay a refundable deposit when buying products with certain packaging, such as glass bottles, plastic containers, cans and multilayered materials. The deposit will be returned once the empty packaging is returned. Other decisions included relocating the Himachal Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) office from Shimla to Dharamshala and launching a fresh reservation roster for panchayati raj institution (PRI) members and chairpersons, a move last seen in 2010. The cabinet also allowed the Himachal Pradesh Forest Development Corporation to collect minor minerals and carry out dredging in forest rivers and ponds to improve resource use and environmental outcomes. In education, a new elementary block will be created at Baddi in Solan district by bifurcating the Ramshahar block. Administrative restructuring of Sulah, Bhawarna, and Lambagaon development blocks in Kangra, along with Bharanj in Hamirpur district, was also approved to ease governance delivery. MSID:: 121535367 413 |
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Mohali observes mock drill under Operation Shield
1 2 3 Mohali: As soon as an air raid siren was sounded, emergency response teams rushed to the building of BPCL's storage-cum-bottling plant of compressed LPG at Lalru on Saturday evening around 6 pm. This was an emergency scenario created by the district administration Mohali at the BPCL plant to check the preparedness of emergency response time under Operation Shield. The operation was supervised by a senior PCS officer and an ex-serviceman Anmol Singh Dhaliwal, additional deputy commissioner (rural development). He said the mock drill planned here was to simulate emergency response procedures for rescuing individuals present at the site. SDM Derabassi Amit Gupta said the drill included the Home Guards (Civil Defence), NDRF, firefighting and medical teams, and local administration. The number of stranded persons was 20, who were rescued from inside by the teams and rushed to designated health facilities by ambulances. Deputy commissioner Komal Mittal said the drill was to check the preparedness and real response time. A blackout was also planned from 8 pm to 8.30 pm as a part of this mock drill in Derabassi and Lalru towns (municipal limits), barring emergency services establishments like hospitals and nursing homes.
The Print
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
Civil defence exercise ‘Operation Shield' conducted in Punjab and Haryana
Scenes of volunteers enacting as injured being taken on stretchers to ambulances and fire being put out played out during the mock drills. The emergency situations were simulated in all districts of the two neighbouring states during the exercise, which began on Saturday evening. Chandigarh, May 31 (PTI) The authorities in Punjab and Haryana on Saturday conducted a major statewide civil defence exercise named 'Operation Shield' to enhance emergency preparedness and response capabilities. The drills were aimed at evaluating and enhancing the efficacy of emergency response mechanisms in real-time situations. The mock drills saw coordinated participation from multiple agencies, including the fire and emergency services, police, health department and disaster management authorities. The trained volunteers from the Civil Defence, National Service Scheme (NSS) and National Cadet Corps (NCC) also participated in the exercise. This drill was earlier scheduled for May 29, but it was postponed as per instructions of the Union Home Ministry. The comprehensive drill was organised under the guidance of the Union Home Ministry to simulate critical incidents such as air raids, drone attacks and other wartime scenarios in the light of current national security concerns. The exercise was conducted across Punjab and Haryana. In Punjab's Hoshiarpur, the drill was based on a hypothetical scenario in which a swarm of enemy drones attacked a military station, prompting the station commander to seek immediate assistance from the civil administration. In response, a coordinated effort was simulated to rescue and evacuate 20 affected individuals to a safe location. Speaking at the conclusion of the drill, Deputy Commissioner Ashika Jain said that the exercise was part of the government's proactive preparedness strategy to ensure efficient coordination and operational readiness of the administration during any crisis. She clarified that the drill was a routine preparedness measure and there was no cause for panic among residents. 'The primary objective of the mock drill is to mentally prepare the public for emergency situations and ensure seamless inter-departmental coordination,' said Jain, urging the youth to follow official guidelines and actively support awareness campaigns. The drill witnessed active participation from the Civil Defence, the fire department, medical teams, 12 Punjab NCC, police personnel and Home Guards. A detailed review of inter-agency coordination and swift response capabilities was also carried out during the exercise. Dasuya Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Kanwaljit Singh coordinated the drill in collaboration with the Punjab Police, Home Guards, Civil Defence, Civil Surgeon's office and the fire department, ensuring its successful execution. The event also drew attention from the local residents, many of whom appreciated the administration's initiative and emphasized the importance of such preparedness measures. The officials assured that similar drills would be held in future to further strengthen the district's emergency response mechanisms. An air raid warning siren was sounded in Punjab's Fazilka, a border district, at 6 pm following which the drill began. Jalalabad SDM Kanwarjit Singh said the main purpose of such drill was to keep oneself prepared in the event of any emergency situation. He emphasized the participation of people in such an exercise, stressing that any emergency situation can be dealt with in a better manner with public participation. PTI CHS AS AS This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Civil defence exercise 'Operation Shield' conducted in Punjab and Haryana
The authorities in Punjab and Haryana on Saturday conducted a major Statewide civil defence exercise named "Operation Shield" to enhance emergency preparedness and response capabilities. The emergency situations were simulated in all districts of the two neighbouring States during the exercise, which began on Saturday evening. Scenes of volunteers enacting as injured being taken on stretchers to ambulances and fire being put out played out during the mock drills. The drills were aimed at evaluating and enhancing the efficacy of emergency response mechanisms in real-time situations. The mock drills saw coordinated participation from multiple agencies, including the fire and emergency services, police, health department and disaster management authorities. The trained volunteers from the Civil Defence, National Service Scheme (NSS) and National Cadet Corps (NCC) also participated in the exercise. This drill was earlier scheduled for May 29, but it was postponed as per instructions of the Union Home Ministry. The comprehensive drill was organised under the guidance of the Union Home Ministry to simulate critical incidents such as air raids, drone attacks and other wartime scenarios in the light of current national security concerns. The exercise was conducted across Punjab and Haryana. In Punjab's Hoshiarpur, the drill was based on a hypothetical scenario in which a swarm of enemy drones attacked a military station, prompting the station commander to seek immediate assistance from the civil administration. In response, a coordinated effort was simulated to rescue and evacuate 20 affected individuals to a safe location. Speaking at the conclusion of the drill, Deputy Commissioner Ashika Jain said that the exercise was part of the government's proactive preparedness strategy to ensure efficient coordination and operational readiness of the administration during any crisis. She clarified that the drill was a routine preparedness measure and there was no cause for panic among residents. "The primary objective of the mock drill is to mentally prepare the public for emergency situations and ensure seamless inter-departmental coordination," said Jain, urging the youth to follow official guidelines and actively support awareness campaigns. The drill witnessed active participation from the Civil Defence, the fire department, medical teams, 12 Punjab NCC, police personnel and Home Guards. A detailed review of inter-agency coordination and swift response capabilities was also carried out during the exercise. Dasuya Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Kanwaljit Singh coordinated the drill in collaboration with the Punjab Police, Home Guards, Civil Defence, Civil Surgeon's office and the fire department, ensuring its successful execution. The event also drew attention from the local residents, many of whom appreciated the administration's initiative and emphasized the importance of such preparedness measures. The officials assured that similar drills would be held in future to further strengthen the district's emergency response mechanisms. An air raid warning siren was sounded in Punjab's Fazilka, a border district, at 6 pm following which the drill began. Jalalabad SDM Kanwarjit Singh said the main purpose of such drill was to keep oneself prepared in the event of any emergency situation. He emphasized the participation of people in such an exercise, stressing that any emergency situation can be dealt with in a better manner with public participation.
