Assam News: The Home Ministry has directed all states and union territories to conduct a mock drill simultaneously on May 7. The aim of this exercise is to check the preparedness of civil defense arrangements across the country. This drill will be conducted in 244 identified civil defense districts of the country, including 27 places in Assam. Out of these 27 places, 23 have been placed in category-2 and 4 in category-3. The Home Ministry says that this mock drill will be conducted at the village level so that the preparedness to deal with any emergency can be tested.
Exercises to prepare for situations like air raids and blackouts
During this mock drill, air raid warning sirens will be tested. Along with this, crash-blackout procedures, quick hiding of essential infrastructure and evacuation of people to a safe place will also be practiced. The aim of these measures is to ensure the safety of the general public in emergency situations. The Home Ministry has clarified that this exercise will not be done only on paper but with full seriousness so that there are no shortcomings when the time comes.
SOP prepared after meeting between Chief Ministers and Home Secretary
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, while talking to reporters at Lok Seva Bhavan, said that after this order from the Home Ministry, a meeting was held between the Chief Secretaries of all the states and the Home Secretary of the Center. In this meeting, preparations related to the mock drill and finalization of SOP i.e. Standard Operating Procedure were discussed. In this meeting chaired by the Home Secretary, it was also reviewed how is the condition of civil defense in which district and what improvements need to be made in it. In this meeting, many officers joined through video conference and shared updates on the arrangements of hotline connection, control room and radio communication related to the Air Force.
Appeal to civilians to remain alert and remember the 1971 war
Officials informed that during the drill, citizens will be advised to keep their first aid kit, torch, candle and cash ready so that they can buy essential items even if the digital system fails. Through this exercise, an attempt is being made to increase vigilance and awareness among the people so that in case of any national crisis, they do not panic but remain prepared. Let us tell you that such a big mock drill was previously conducted during the Indo-Pak war in 1971. In that war, India defeated Pakistan and Bangladesh emerged as an independent nation.
