Bhubaneswar, May 6: Odisha Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Satyabrata Sahoo on Tuesday chaired a review meeting in Bhubaneswar over the preparedness for the nationwide Civil Defence Mock Drill announced by the Union Home Ministry.
Senior officials were present at the meeting, with Superintendents of Police (SPs) from the respective districts joining virtually.
The review was held in response to the MHA's recent directives on Civil Defence, aimed at evaluating preparedness levels across the state.
According to government sources, the Union Home Ministry has directed several states to conduct mock drills on May 7 to strengthen Civil Defence effectiveness. The drills will include the activation of Air Raid Warning Sirens and training for civilians, students, and others on Civil Defence procedures to safeguard against hostile attacks.
Additionally, sources noted that preparedness measures will involve implementing crash blackout protocols, camouflaging critical installations, and updating and rehearsing evacuation plans.
It is worth mentioning that the Union Home Ministry has announced a nationwide Civil Defence Mock Drill on May 7 amid the ongoing tension between India and Pakistan over the horrific Pahalgam terrorist attack and concerns of potential military escalation.
A full-scale civil defence rehearsal will be held at all 244 categorised Civil Defence Districts across India including 12 sensitive locations in Odisha which have been categorized as civil defence towns/districts. Several areas are also marked as strategically sensitive, including Chandipur in Balasore, Dhamra, and capital city of Bhubaneswar.
The mock drill will be conducted at Talcher, Balasore, Koraput, Bhubaneswar, Gopalpur, Hirakud, Paradip, Rourkela, Bhadrak, Dhenkanal, Jagatsinghpur, and Kendrapara starting tomorrow, said Odisha Fire Services DG Sudhanshu Sarangi.
According to the Defence Ministry’s classification, Talcher is designated as a Category-1 civil defence district. Districts such as Balasore, Koraput, Bhubaneswar, Gopalpur, Hirakud, Rourkela, and Paradip are placed in Category-2, while Bhadrak, Dhenkanal, Jagatsinghpur, and Kendrapara are classified under Category-3. These places will be on alert and mock drills will be carried out across strategic locations and vital installations.
Districts like Cuttack, Puri, and the Paradip port zone could be considered high-risk areas in the event of an armed conflict or a large-scale terrorist attack as they host key defence installations, major ports, or important administrative centers. They are likely to be sites for mock drills and preparedness exercises.
Residents in these areas will be notified in advance, with mock exercises simulating air raids, blackout conditions, evacuation procedures, and emergency rescue operations.
Government sources indicate that the mock drills will feature the activation of air raid warning sirens—a rare and significant measure typically linked to elevated threat levels and readiness for potential hostile engagements.
Citizens are urged to fully cooperate, treat the exercise as a valuable learning experience, and remain prepared for any eventuality amid ongoing heightened tensions.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has outlined several key activities as part of the preparedness initiative:
A. Training civilians and students in essential civil defence techniques to help them protect themselves during potential hostile attacks.
B. Implementing crash blackouts—an emergency protocol designed to obscure urban areas and infrastructure from possible aerial surveillance or strikes.
C. Early camouflage of vital facilities and installations, a standard wartime practice to protect critical national assets.
D. Updating and rehearsing evacuation plans to ensure swift and effective civilian movement in the event of an emergency.
The Ministry stated that the drills aim to evaluate and strengthen operational readiness, coordination with the Indian Air Force, civilian preparedness, and response mechanisms to hostile threats—especially air raids. Odisha’s exercises are expected to align closely with this national strategy.
