New Delhi: Civil defence mock drills will be conducted on Saturday, under 'Operation Shield', across several states and Union Territories sharing borders with Pakistan. Initially planned for May 29, the drill was rescheduled due to administrative reasons.

The exercises are scheduled to begin at 5:00 p.m. The drill will be held in Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, and Chandigarh. A press release highlighted the significance of this exercise in enhancing readiness and addressing critical gaps identified during a similar nationwide drill conducted earlier this month on May 7.

'Operation Shield' is designed to simulate hostile situations, including air raid sirens, blackout protocols, and various emergency response actions to evaluate the preparedness of civil authorities, emergency services, and local populations.

The drills aim to replicate real-time scenarios that may arise from potential external threats, particularly in sensitive districts near the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB).

According to IANS, citing sources, complete blackouts will be enforced in identified vulnerable civilian areas across Punjab, except for essential services such as hospitals and emergency response units. The sirens will be sounded to alert residents, and mock response measures will be implemented to test how effectively communities and response agencies react under pressure.

The drills are expected to significantly improve inter-agency coordination, public awareness, and the ability of local systems to respond swiftly and efficiently in the event of any hostile act or natural disaster affecting the border regions. IANS