Six locations in Jharkhand, including Ranchi, Bokaro, East Singhbhum, Godda, Sahebganj, and Gomio, have been designated as locations for civil defence exercises on May 7. The Union Home Ministry has asked all the states to conduct a mock drill for civil security on May 7 to avoid possible air attacks by the enemy.
During this, electricity will be switched off, so that the enemy can be distracted from the target during the war. Along with this, common citizens and students will be told the ways to keep themselves safe in case of an air attack. Mock drill will be held in Ranchi, Bokaro, Gomia, Jamshedpur, Godda and Sahibganj of Jharkhand.
Administrative officials say that preparations are going on for mock drill in six major cities of the state. On the question of keeping these six cities of Jharkhand in the category of civil security, the officials said that all these cities have a special specialty. Actually, there is an army cantonment in Ranchi. There are steel as well as power plants in Jamshedpur, Bokaro and Godda, while there is an ordinance factory in Gomia. There is a port on the banks of the river Ganga in Sahibganj district. Apart from this, the border of Godda and Sahibganj is very close to Bangladesh.
Usually, in case of war, the enemy tries to target such places. Therefore, it is believed that mock drill will be held in all these six cities of the state on the evening of May 7. During the mock drill, electricity will be switched off as soon as the siren sounds. The speed of vehicles running on the roads will stop. Let us tell you that Bokaro, Gomia, Jamshedpur and Ranchi have been placed in category-2. While Godda and Sahibganj have been placed in category-3.
In March 2010, the Central Directorate General of Civil Defense issued a letter to the Director, Civil Defense of all the states and union territories and divided the states, districts and cities into three categories in terms of civil defense. Under this, 13 states of the country have been placed in category-1. Whereas 201 districts have been included in category-2 and 45 cities in category-3. In this way, a total of 259 places have been placed in the category of civil security.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday directed all states and union territories to conduct the drills to test and strengthen the country’s preparedness against modern and complex threats.
During the mock drills, there will be simulated air-raid warnings, evacuation rehearsals, blackout protocols, and even activation of hotline communications with the Indian Air Force.
The exercise will also entail crash-blackout measures, early camouflaging of vital plants and installations and updating and rehearsing evacuation plans.
The mock drills will also include the operationalisation of the hotline and radio-communication links with the Indian Air Force (IAF), testing the functionality of control rooms and shadow control rooms.