Pahalgam Terror Attack Aftermath: Blackout rehearsals, site camouflaging, evacuation & more—Massive civil defence drill to be conducted across 244 districts on May 7

Following directions from the Centre, states and Union Territories will conduct a large-scale civil defence mock drill on May 7. The timing of the order—coming just weeks after the deadly Pahalgam terror attack—has raised eyebrows, even though the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) made no direct reference to Pakistan in its official communication. 

According to the MHA directive, the mock drills will take place across 244 designated Civil Defence districts under the Civil Defence Rules, 1968. States and UTs have been instructed to organise these rehearsals with the involvement of local authorities, Civil Defence wardens, Home Guards, NCC cadets, NSS volunteers, Nehru Yuva Kendra members, and students.

The civil defence drill comes in the aftermath of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 people and was reportedly carried out by Pakistan-based terror outfits. While the Centre has not directly named the neighbour, the drill is seen as a pre-emptive step to ensure civilian and infrastructure preparedness in case of further escalation.

In the national capital, Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) have been directed to prepare detailed contingency plans. Senior officers have begun holding strategy meetings to increase patrolling and secure key locations in Delhi as part of this nationwide civil defence preparedness campaign.

This marks the first time India is conducting a mock drill of such magnitude since the 1971 conflict with Pakistan. Back then, similar drills focused on blackout rehearsals and preparing citizens to deal with airstrikes and other wartime emergencies.

During the drills, citizens can expect simulated air-raid warning sirens, fire-fighting demonstrations, and mock rescue operations. Training will also cover survival techniques during wartime attacks and safe evacuation methods. Schools, colleges, and local communities will actively participate in these exercises.

The MHA has instructed states to carry out blackout rehearsals and simulate the early hiding of key infrastructure like power plants and government buildings. These drills are aimed at reducing vulnerability during an aerial or missile attack.

The mock drills will also test operational readiness through the activation of hotlines and radio-communication links with the Indian Air Force (IAF). Control rooms and backup “shadow” control centres will be assessed for functionality during these exercises.

One key focus of the drill is to rehearse evacuation plans and ensure the public knows how to reach designated safe zones quickly. Instructions have also been issued for mock relocations and sheltering of civilians, especially in densely populated or sensitive areas.

A mock drill is a preparedness exercise conducted to simulate emergency scenarios like terrorist attacks, natural disasters, or war-like situations. These rehearsals help authorities test response protocols and train civilians to act swiftly and calmly in real-life emergencies.

A large-scale mock drill, codenamed 'Operation Abhyaas', will be conducted 244 locations across India, aimed at assessing the country’s readiness against emerging and complex threats. The exercise spans all corners of the country, with participation from 12 Category-I, 171 Category-II, and 61 Category-III districts. Among the Union Territories, drills are underway in Port Blair (A&N Islands), Chandigarh, Delhi, Puducherry, Kavaratti (Lakshadweep), and across Dadra (Silvassa) and Daman. States like Assam (15 districts), Punjab (15), Rajasthan (33), West Bengal (17), and Uttar Pradesh (17) have wide coverage, involving multiple regions such as Guwahati, Jalandhar, Jaipur, Varanasi, and Kolkata suburbs. Other participating states include Andhra Pradesh (Visakhapatnam), Bihar (Patna, Purnea), Chhattisgarh (Durg), Gujarat (Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara), Haryana (Gurugram, Faridabad, Hisar), Jammu & Kashmir (Srinagar, Jammu, Anantnag), Jharkhand (Ranchi, Bokaro, Jamshedpur), Karnataka (Bengaluru, Raichur), Kerala (14 districts), Madhya Pradesh (Bhopal, Indore), Maharashtra (Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Aurangabad), Manipur (5 districts), Meghalaya (7 districts), Mizoram (Aizawl), Nagaland (10 districts), Odisha (12 districts including Bhubaneswar, Paradip, Talcher), Sikkim (Gangtok), Tamil Nadu (Chennai, Kalpakkam), Telangana (Hyderabad), Tripura (8 districts), and Uttarakhand (Dehradun). The newly created Union Territory of Ladakh is also part of the operation, with drills scheduled in both Leh and Kargil.