Odisha conducts Civil Defence Mock Drill across 12 strategic locations post Operation Sindoor

Odisha carried out a civil defence mock drill on Wednesday (May 7, 2025) across 12 strategic locations as part of a nationwide exercise prompted by the escalating tensions with Pakistan following the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians.

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The extensive exercise, coordinated by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), aimed to enhance emergency preparedness, test civilian response mechanisms, and strengthen coordination at administrative levels, starting from district headquarters to village panchayats.

A total of around 244 locations were selected for the massive drill across the country.

Civil defence mock drill to face air attacks

Fire tenders covered nine different localities in Bhubaneswar and alerted the residents by blowing sirens and making announcements through public announcement systems.

According to official sources, the participating districts of Odisha included Angul, Balasore, Bhadrak, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Khurda, Kendrapara, Koraput, Puri, Sambalpur, and Sundargarh. These 12 locations were selected based on their strategic importance and proximity to sensitive installations.

The initial phase commenced at 4.00 PM with air raid sirens activating blackout protocols in urban zones. Bhubaneswar’s drill featured emergency shelter activation, transit shelter deployments in coastal areas by OSDMA, and coordinated responses between fire services and district administrations.

Rourkela conducted a specialised mock drill at the Mini Stadium in Uditnagar, which was open to public participation.

Over 15,000 NCC cadets and NYKS volunteers trained residents in first-aid, emergency light management, and communication blackout procedures. Schools in the State conducted classroom sessions on gas mask usage prior to the practical drills.

"Mock drill was conducted with the participation of different agencies, including police, fire services, NCC, Army, Bharat Scouts and Guides, and trained volunteers. During the exercise, they displayed how to stay safe and respond in case of an air attack and evacuate people stranded in high-rise buildings. All were willing to give us assistance," Twin City Police Commissioner Suresh Dev Datta Singh expressed while briefing to mediapersons.

The exercise was part of a nationwide civil defence mock drill, ‘Operation Abhyas’.

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Notably, the mock drill directly supports India’s counterterrorism strategies following the ‘Operation Sindoor’ precision strikes against nine terrorist camps in Pakistan. Odisha’s focus on coastal districts enhances readiness for multi-domain threats, aligning with the MHA’s Category I, II, III, and IV defence requirements for high-risk zones.