Haryana is set to conduct a state-wide mock drill named "Operation Shield" on May 31, 2025, across all 22 districts to enhance the state's emergency preparedness and response capabilities. This civil defence exercise, organized under the guidance of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), aims to simulate critical incidents such as air raids, drone attacks, and other wartime scenarios, addressing current national security concerns.
The drill, scheduled between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., will involve a controlled blackout from 8 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. near vital installations. Essential emergency services like hospitals, fire stations, and police stations will be exempt from the blackout.
Dr. Sumita Misra, Additional Chief Secretary of the Haryana Home Department, emphasized that the exercise seeks to test existing emergency mechanisms, improve coordination between civil administration, defence forces, and local communities, and identify areas needing reinforcement. Around 32,000 civil defence volunteers across Haryana are expected to participate.
The exercise will involve large-scale mobilization of Civil Defence Wardens, registered volunteers, and youth organizations like the National Cadet Corps (NCC), National Service Scheme (NSS), Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), and Bharat Scouts and Guides. Deputy commissioners have been instructed to brief these volunteers on their deployment, duties, and exercises.
Key components of the drill include responding to aerial threats like air raids and drone attacks, activating air raid sirens, and testing communication hotlines between control rooms and the Indian Air Force. The exercise also aligns with the Incident Response System (IRS), officially notified by Haryana on January 28 under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
"Operation Shield" follows an earlier civil defence mock drill on May 7 and is part of a broader effort to bolster preparedness in regions bordering Pakistan. Similar drills are planned in Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. These exercises are designed to identify strengths and weaknesses in emergency responses, simulating scenarios like coordinated terror strikes and missile attacks. Participants will include state disaster response teams, local police, fire services, medical personnel, and civil defence volunteers.
