Chandigarh, May 7: In line with the Union Government’s directive for a nationwide Civil Defence Mock Drill scheduled for May 7, Haryana has made elaborate preparations to ensure the success of the exercise across all its districts. A high-level virtual meeting was convened today by Union Home Secretary to review the final arrangements, which was attended by senior officials from across the country, including Haryana’s Chief Secretary Sh. Anurag Rastogi, Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, Dr. Sumita Misra and Director General Civil Defence and Home Guards Sh. Desraj Singh.

Dr. Sumita Misra, Additional Chief Secretary, Home informed that Haryana is fully prepared to conduct the Civil Defence Exercise and rehearsal at multiple levels, extending down to villages, in coordination with district and local authorities. She informed that comprehensive instructions are being issued to all Deputy Commissioners, who are ex-officio Controllers of Civil Defence in their districts, to conduct the mock drill in a rigorous and coordinated manner.

She further said that at present as per MHA guidelines, Haryana has 10 districts designated as Civil Defence towns under Category–II namely Ambala, Faridabad, Gurugram, Hissar, Panchkula, Panipat, Rohtak, Sirsa, Sonepat and Yamunanagar and Jhajjar in Category-III.

Dr. Misra highlighted that Haryana has activated a comprehensive range of civil defence mechanisms including the operational readiness of civil defence sirens, air raid warning systems in urban and sensitive areas, hotlines control room and radio communication links with the Indian Air Force and other key defence agencies. Crash blackout protocols will be implemented and evacuation drills and emergency response plans are being executed across various zones in designated areas as per the exercise guidelines. Training and sensitization programmes are being conducted for civilians, students, and key personnel on safety measures. The response capabilities of civil defence services including wardens, fire and rescue teams, depot staff, and medical responders are also being tested.

Further, she informed that the State Disaster Management Department has also been directed to activate the State level and District level Control Rooms for early warning, real time information sharing and coordination.

She further said that Haryana’s preparedness reflects its strong commitment to civil safety and disaster response, especially against the backdrop of current geopolitical challenges. “The objective of this drill is not only to test the response capabilities of our systems but also to foster a culture of alertness and resilience among the citizens,” said Dr. Misra.

The Haryana Home Department, in close coordination with the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Police, municipal bodies, and other stakeholder agencies, is committed to ensuring a successful and impactful mock drill exercise on May 7, she added.