Ministry of Home Affairs Directive on Civil Defence Exercises

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has instructed all states and Union territories to conduct civil defence exercises and rehearsals in 244 designated districts. This directive comes amid increased tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terrorist attack that claimed 26 lives.

Key Components of the Exercise

• Training citizens on self-protection methods during attacks.
• Operationalising air raid warning sirens.
• Implementing crash blackout measures.
• Camouflaging vital industrial plants and installations.
• Rehearsing evacuations.

The exercise aims to assess and enhance the readiness of civil defence mechanisms across the states and union territories. The recent runway attack by the Yemeni Houthi group at Tel Aviv airport in Israel served as a reminder of the need for such preparedness.

Target Districts

• 244 districts identified as needing civil defence preparedness.
• Includes districts near the border, those with important installations, industries, and major cities.

Implementation Details

• Initial communication sent on May 2, with an updated advisory issued subsequently.
• Exercises should be planned down to the village level.

Objectives of the Mock Drill

• Assessing the effectiveness of air raid warning systems.
• Operationalisation of hotline and radio communication links with the Indian Air Force.
• Testing the functionality of control and shadow control rooms.
• Training civilians, students, and others on protection strategies during hostile attacks.

Additional Instructions for States

• Prepare for crash blackout measures during an air raid.
• Conduct early camouflaging of vital industrial plants, factories, and installations.
• Update and rehearse evacuation plans.