News Brief
Nishtha Anushree
May 05, 2025, 07:13 PM | Updated 07:13 PM IST
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The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has asked several states to conduct mock drills for effective civil defence on 7 May, as per Government of India sources cited by several news reports.
The directive comes in light of escalating tensions between India and Pakistan after the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack, that killed 26 individuals. India has been keeping itself militarily prepared.
As per news reports, measures including operationalisation of Air Raid Warning Sirens and training of civilians, students, etc, on the civil defence aspects to protect themselves in the event of a hostile attack will be undertaken.
Moreover, measures also include the provision of a crash blackout, provision for early camouflaging of vital plants and installations and updation of the evacuation plan and its rehearsal.
Notably, the MHA had conducted evacuation mock drills last year too, when many schools were frequently receiving hoax bomb threats.
Meanwhile, in measures against Pakistan, India has halted Chenab water. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh earlier today (5 May), a day after meeting Air Chief Marshal A P Singh.
India has implemented a series of stringent actions against Pakistan, including the expulsion of Pakistani military attaches, the cessation of the Indus Waters Treaty, which has been in effect for over six decades, and the immediate closure of the Attari land transit post.
Nishtha Anushree is Senior Sub-editor at Swarajya. She tweets at @nishthaanushree.