Bhubaneswar: As per the directive from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Odisha will conduct security mock drills May 7 across 12 locations of national importance in response to a nationwide civil defence preparedness exercise.
The mock drills are part of a larger initiative mandated by the Union Home Ministry, aimed at enhancing emergency response capabilities amid rising geopolitical threats.
Key sites in Odisha likely to be involved include the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur, Abdul Kalam Island off Dhamra coast, and the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) MiG manufacturing unit in Sunabeda.
Besides these three, the other nine key locations are: Talcher, Bhubaneswar, Hirakud, Paradip, Rourkela, Dhenkanal, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara.
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The preparations come as India continues to weigh its response to the brutal attack that killed 26 civilians, including 25 tourists, in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam April 22.
According to officials, the exercise will include the operationalisation of air raid warning sirens, civil defence training for civilians and students, crash blackout procedures, camouflaging of critical infrastructure, and updates to evacuation plans, followed by rehearsals.
Other components of the drill involve the cleaning and maintenance of bunkers and trenches, and testing of hotline and radio communication systems with the Indian Air Force. Control rooms and shadow control rooms will also undergo functionality checks.
“The home secretary will review civil defence preparedness across 244 districts. Chief secretaries and civil defence heads from all states and union territories will join the review meeting via video conference,” a source in the MHA said.
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A letter from the Directorate General of Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards noted that, “In the current geopolitical scenario, new and complex threats have emerged. Therefore, it is essential that states and union territories maintain optimum civil defence preparedness at all times.”
PNN & Agencies
