Operation Shield: From J&K to Gujarat, air raid to drone attack simulations, mock rescue ops held weeks after India-Pak ‘ceasefire’

The emergency preparedness drill, initially scheduled for May 29, was postponed due to administrative reasons. A government press release reiterated the importance of the exercise, especially to close critical gaps identified during the previous nationwide drill conducted on May 7.

A range of hostile situations were simulated on Saturday to evaluate the preparedness of civil and emergency response systems. These included air raid sirens, blackout protocols, and coordinated emergency response actions. The drills aimed to replicate real-life scenarios that could result from potential external threats, especially in areas located near the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB).

What happened under Operation Shield:

Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh: A large number of civil defence volunteers participated in mock drills held in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. Blackout rehearsals were carried out with electricity supply shut off in many places. Volunteers also acted out scenarios where injured people would be required to be transported via stretchers to ambulances.

The mock drills, which included exercises to extinguish fires, saw coordinated participation from multiple agencies, including the fire and emergency services, police, health department and disaster management authorities. Trained volunteers from the Civil Defence, National Service Scheme (NSS) and National Cadet Corps (NCC) also participated in the exercise.

A before and after shot of AIPL Lakehouse during the Black out in Ludhiana. (Express Photo by Gurmeet Singh)

A key highlight of Operation Shield was the massive participation of around 10,000 Civil Defence volunteers, who worked in close coordination with the National Cadet Corps (NCC), Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), Home Guards and National Service Scheme (NSS).

Jammu & Kashmir: As part of the mock drill conducted across Kashmir valley, a blackout was observed from 8 pm to 8:15 pm as lights of government buildings, houses and business establishments were turned off. In Srinagar, lights were turned off in the Lal Chowk City centre, including the historic Ghanta Ghar (Clock Tower), officials said. Business activities, vehicular movement and routine operations were paused for the 15-minute duration, they added.

Firefighters during the civil defence exercise ‘Operation Shield’ at Amar Niwas Complex, in Srinagar. (PTI Photo)

Experts and personnel from State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Health Department, Fire and Emergency Services, along with a large number of students and locals participated in the exercises.

Gujarat: Mock drills were held and blackouts were enforced in 18 districts of Gujarat, including Rajkot, Kutch, Patan, Morbi, Banaskantha, Chhota Udaipur and Nadiad.

“In Ahmedabad, a civil defence mock drill was organised at Sadar Bazar Cantonment in Shahibaug. Under these drills, programmes like volunteer mobilisation, air raid simulations, communication system activation, blackout protocol, blood donation camp and evacuation procedures were held,” an official release said.

Mock drill is being conducted in Jaipur. (Express Photo by Rohit Jain Paras)

Rajasthan: A mock drill, simulating an air attack from hostile actors, took place in a school in Khatipura near Jaipur, where emergency response teams practised rescue operations. Civil Defence and SDRFs activated emergency response protocols, shifting volunteers enacting as injured to nearby hospitals.

During the drill in Jaipur, people were simulated as being trapped on rooftops following the airstrike. Rescue teams used cranes to evacuate them safely.