The Home Ministry of India has asked several states to conduct “mock drills” this week amid escalating tensions with Pakistan. The announcement came less than a day after Ferozepur Cantonment in Punjab conducted a 30-minute blackout drill in light of “prevailing war threats”. Both Pakistan and India have announced escalating tit-for-tat measures over the past two weeks following a deadly terrorist attack in the Pahalgam region of Kashmir.
According to an ANI report quoting government sources, the Home Ministry has outlined several measures for “effective civil defence” and asked states to conduct drills on May 7. This includes the operationalisation of air raid warning sirens and training of civilians and students etc on ways to protect themselves in the event of a hostile attack. The drills will also focus on provision of crash black out measures and provisions for early camouflaging of vital plants or installations. States have also been asked to work on updating evacuation plans rehearsing the same.
Indian authorities have repeatedly vowed a “befitting reply” to the incident while Pakistani intelligence warned about an “imminent threat of kinetic action”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also met with top military officials last week — giving the armed forces a “free hand” to respond to the Pahalgam attack. The PM has vowed to pursue the perpetrators and those part of the conspiracy to the “ends of the earth” to inflict punishment on them “beyond their imagination”.