Patna: The Government of Bihar will conduct a large-scale civil defence mock drill involving simulated air raid and blackout scenarios across six districts on May 14, following directives issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The exercise will be carried out in:
- Patna
- Kishanganj
- Begusarai
- Purnia
- Araria
- Katihar
The Directorate of Civil Defence Bihar has been designated as the nodal agency for coordinating the operation.
Table-Top Exercise Conducted Ahead Of Drill
Ahead of the exercise, officials conducted a “Table Top Exercise” through video conferencing on Wednesday to review preparedness and coordination mechanisms.
The session was chaired by:
- Principal Secretary Santosh Kumar Mall
- Director General Paresh Saxena
Disaster management officials from all participating districts joined the review meeting.
During the presentation, Md Nadimul Gaffar Siddiqui outlined the six operational components of the mock drill and explained the sequence in which they would be carried out.
Public Asked Not To Panic During Blackout
Officials said the blackout exercise would take place between 7pm and 7:15pm on May 14.
Appealing to the public to remain calm, Santosh Kumar Mall urged residents to cooperate fully by:
- avoiding the use of generators in apartment complexes
- refraining from using mobile screens, flashlights or other light sources
- observing a complete blackout during the designated period
He said regular mock drills were essential for strengthening public awareness and preparedness for emergency situations and disasters.
Sirens, Hospitals And Power Coordination
The principal secretary directed district authorities to ensure proper arrangements for warning sirens across all participating districts.
Officials were also instructed to coordinate with the Energy Department to ensure effective implementation of the blackout exercise.
Authorities said sirens could additionally be sounded using:
- public address systems installed at road intersections
- police station equipment
- fire brigade vehicles
Mall also instructed officials to ensure hospital windows were covered with curtains or privacy screens during the exercise.
Begusarai Praised For Previous Exercise
During the review meeting, Paresh Saxena briefed officials on operational procedures related to civil defence mock drills and explained the objectives behind the exercise.
He noted that Begusarai had performed particularly well during a previous drill and urged other districts to complete preparations on similar lines.
Multiple Agencies Participate
Participants in the video conference included:
- Bihar State Disaster Management Authority vice-chairman Uday Kant Mishra
- officials from the State Disaster Response Force
- representatives of the National Disaster Response Force
- Railway Protection Force personnel
- representatives from the National Service Scheme
- representatives from the National Cadet Corps
- officials from the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan
District-level disaster management officials from all participating districts also attended the exercise.
