Delhi civil defence mock drill tests air raid warnings, blackout, and evacuations across 13 districts

A civil defence mock drill across Delhi’s 13 districts tested emergency preparedness for a hostile attack scenario. The Directorate of Civil Defence ran exercises at 17 sites, including hospitals and schools, using air raid warnings, sirens, crash blackout measures, and evacuation to bunker areas. Teams also rehearsed rescue and medical response procedures.

A civil defence mock drill took place across Delhi’s 13 districts on Thursday. It tested readiness for a hostile attack with air raid alerts, evacuation steps and planned blackouts. The Directorate of Civil Defence ran the exercise at 17 sites from 8 pm. Locations included hospitals, schools, housing complexes, offices and public areas, an official statement said.

The drill included search and rescue practice, planned evacuations and medical response. Teams moved people to identified bunker areas and treated mock casualties. A hotline linked the Air Force Station at Arjangarh with civil defence control centres. Sirens then sounded, and selected areas followed a crash blackout to check compliance.

Delhi civil defence mock drill tests blackout and evacuation

During the blackout period, lights were turned off to mirror wartime conditions. Officials checked how well residents and staff followed blackout rules. The statement said teams also mapped vulnerable sites and key installations. These were reviewed for risk reduction measures, including camouflage, as part of the same exercise.

At Rainbow Childrens Hospital in Malviya Nagar, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Jitendra Kumar described the initial response. "We received alerts and moved to the staging area before deploying teams for the operation.\" Jitendra Kumar added that disaster response units and medical staff worked together during the simulated emergency.

Delhi civil defence mock drill involves multiple agencies

A police official linked to the drill said another exercise took place earlier in the day. \"We practised how to move people to safe locations and how medical teams would respond if there were casualties.\" The police official said several groups joined, including civil defence, national cadet corps, civic bodies and disaster management teams.

According to the statement, control rooms and operations centres were activated during the drill. These included regional civil defence control centres and civil defence control rooms. Emergency operations centres of the revenue department also functioned. Coordination centres for different emergency support teams worked together through the exercise.

Many agencies demonstrated specific tasks during the mock drill. These included the Delhi Police, the Delhi Fire Services and civil defence volunteers. The health department, the National Disaster Response Force and the National Cadet Corps also took part. National Service Scheme volunteers, the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan and Home Guards joined too.

Thousands of civil defence volunteers and emergency responders participated, the statement said. Public participation and awareness were built into the drill. Officials reported quick mobilisation and effective use of emergency protocols. The statement added that coordination across agencies was strong and the public response was encouraging.

The drill covered well-known sites across the city, the statement said. Venues included the Taj Palace Hotel, Delhi Cantonment General Hospital and Raj Kumari Amrit Kaur College of Nursing. Omaxe Mall in Chandni Chowk was also part of the exercise. These locations helped test procedures in different public settings.

The statement said such drills are held at intervals to improve emergency preparedness. District magistrates and civil defence controllers supervised Thursday’s exercise. The officials will submit detailed reports to the civil defence headquarters on April 3. The assessment will then be shared with the Ministry of Home Affairs, it added.

The Directorate of Civil Defence and the revenue department said public safety remained a priority. The statement said citizens were asked to stay aware of advisories and cooperate during drills. People were also urged to follow safety protocols, including blackout measures, during emergencies, as the city reviews the exercise results.

With inputs from PTI