Civil Defence Air Raid/Blackout Mock Exercise To Be Conducted In Punjab On April 24

A Civil Defence Air Raid/Blackout Mock Exercise will be conducted in Punjab on April 24 at 8 pm with the aim of testing civil defence preparedness in the state.

This exercise is being conducted in all the districts of the state as per the directions of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.

This mock exercise will begin with an air raid warning signal, during which high low pitch sirens will be sounded for a period of two minutes. During this exercise, a simulated blackout will be implemented in specific areas identified by the concerned Deputy Commissioner cum Controller, Civil Defence. The general public in these identified areas will be instructed to switch off all non essential lights during the blackout period. While all essential services will remain fully functional during the drill.

The exercise will conclude with an ‘‘All Clear’’ signal, under which a high pitched siren will be sounded  continuously for two minutes, which will mark the formal conclusion of the exercise.

During this mock exercise, field coordination will be tested through various emergency operations such as fire response operations, search and rescue operations, first aid and medical assistance, evacuation of injured persons as well as traffic and crowd control measures.

The state government has appealed to the general public that there is absolutely no need to panic during this as this is a routine procedural exercise, designed to assess and enhance civil defense preparedness in the state.