India Gears Up for Nationwide Civil Defence Drill on May 7
In the wake of rising tensions after the April 22 Pahalgam attack, India will carry out its most ambitious civil defence exercise in over five decades on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. Covering 259 districts—from major metros to border towns and critical installations—this drill is designed to sharpen the nation’s readiness for air raids, blackouts, evacuations and other wartime contingencies.
Objectives of the Drill
* Recreate wartime conditions by activating air-raid sirens, enforcing simulated blackouts and conducting mass evacuations.
* Equip civilians, students and volunteers with practical training in emergency response procedures.
* Verify the robustness of air-raid warning systems, backup communications and other critical infrastructure.
Participating Regions and Key Activities
Delhi
Authorities have identified 55 strategic locations across the capital. More than 600 schools will practise evacuation and blackout protocols, while security forces boost patrols around landmarks such as Connaught Place and India Gate.
Maharashtra
The drill will span Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Raigad, Jalgaon, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg and Palghar, plus industrial hubs like Uran, Tarapur and Roha-Nagothane. Despite the exercise, Mumbai University will continue with its scheduled exams.
Karnataka
Bengaluru, Karwar and Raichur will lead a week-long series of drills aimed at identifying and remedying any gaps in civil defence.
Kerala
All 14 districts in the state will participate, evaluating local disaster-response plans and community mobilisation tactics.
Uttar Pradesh
Every district will stage full-scale exercises, with Bareilly imposing a ten-minute blackout from 8:00 to 8:10 PM to test blackout procedures.
Punjab
Drills will take place in Ferozepur, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Bathinda, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Patiala, Pathankot, Barnala and Mohali, featuring community-wide siren tests and response rehearsals.
Tamil Nadu
The Madras Atomic Power Station at Kalpakkam and Chennai Port Trust will run coordinated drills beginning at 4:00 PM.
Jammu & Kashmir
Anantnag, Budgam, Baramulla, Kupwara, Srinagar, Uri and Awantipora will engage in simulated air-raid alerts and organized evacuations.
Sikkim
Gangtok and Singtam will test siren broadcasts and mock aerial strikes, including at the NHPC power station in Balutar.
Odisha
Twelve districts—from Angul and Khurda to Sambalpur and Sundargarh—will assess their disaster-response frameworks.
Madhya Pradesh
Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Jabalpur and Katni will focus on urban evacuation and shelter-management drills.
Bihar
High alert status across the state will see Patna, Barauni, Katihar, Purnia and Begusarai issuing public advisories and blackout notices.
Manipur
Imphal West will observe the exercise at 4:00 PM, simulating emergency coordination.
Chandigarh
A ten-minute power-cut drill from 7:30 to 7:40 PM will ask residents to switch off non-essential electricity and test blackout readiness.
General Public Guidelines
This unprecedented nationwide exercise underscores India’s determination to bolster civil defence capabilities and safeguard its citizens against any future crisis.
