Mock drills conducted at several locations in Punjab

Authorities on Wednesday conducted mock drills at several locations in Punjab as part of the nationwide mega civil defence exercise. Mock drills simulating emergency scenarios, like fire emergencies, and rescue operations were performed in Ferozepur, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Bathinda, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Patiala, Pathankot, Barnala and Mohali.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs had asked all states to conduct mock drills on Wednesday due to the "new and complex threats" that have emerged amid rising tensions with Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack.

Officials said the drills were aimed at evaluating and enhancing the efficacy of emergency response mechanisms in real-time situations.


Scenes of volunteers enacting as injured being taken on stretchers to ambulances, fire being doused, and people rushing to safer places played out during the mock drills.

The mock drill saw coordinated participation from multiple agencies, including the fire and emergency services, police, health department, municipal corporation, and disaster management authorities.

Additionally, trained volunteers from the Civil Defence, National Service Scheme (NSS) and National Cadet Corps (NCC) also participated in the exercise.

In Mohali, the mock drill was carried out at a mall.

Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police Deepak Pareek said the people were asked to cooperate to create awareness about ways to deal with real-time emergencies.

"Whatever instructions issued by the district administration, the Army or paramilitary forces should be followed," he said.

In Ludhiana, the mock drill focused on fire safety and rescue operations at Verka Milk Plant on Ferozepur Road to bolster preparedness for potential emergencies.

Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain urged residents to remain calm, assuring them that such exercises are proactive measures to enhance safety and preparedness.

The exercise aimed to equip the public and authorities with the skills to handle crises effectively.

The drill commenced at 4 pm with an alarm, prompting swift coordination among multiple agencies, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), fire brigade, district administration, municipal corporation, police, health department, civil defence, and NCC.