STATE TIMES NEWS
SRINAGAR/JAMMU: Mock drills under Operation Shield were conducted across Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday to test and strengthen the preparedness for emergency situations, officials said.
As part of the mock drill, a blackout was observed from 8 pm to 8:15 pm as lights of government buildings, houses and business establishments were turned off, they said.
In Srinagar, lights were turned off in the Lal Chowk City centre, including the historic Ghanta Ghar (Clock Tower), as well, the officials said.
The exercise was aimed at familiarising citizens with emergency response protocols during blackout or crisis situations and to evaluate the readiness of the public and the administration.
Business activities, vehicular movement and routine operations were paused for the 15-minute duration, they added.
The civil defence mock drills, under the banner of Operation Shield, conducted by District Administrations in collaboration with SDRF and Civil Defence, aimed at strengthening the preparedness for emergency situations, the officials said.
Experts and personnel from SDRF, Health Department, Fire and Emergency Services, along with a large number of students and locals participated in the exercises, they said.
The exercises involved demonstrations of rapid response tactics, simulated rescue operations, and real-time coordination between various emergency services, they added.
The demonstrations emphasised the importance of timely, well-coordinated responses to minimize casualties and damage, the officials said.
As a part of ‘Operation Shield’ the exercise took place in presence of the Deputy Commissioner(DC) Srinagar, Dr. Bilal Mohi-Ud-Din Bhat.
Personnel from multiple Civil Defence services participated in the Mock Drill as part of the nationwide exercise to test and strengthen the preparedness.
In Anantnag, To boost civil preparedness and enhance coordination among emergency response agencies, the 2nd edition of the Civil Defence Exercise ‘Operation Shield,’ was conducted today at Home Guard Lines Khanabal, Anantnag.
District Magistrate (DM) Anantnag, Syeed Fakhruddin Hamid accompanied by other senior officers was present during the exercise.
In Ganderbal, a joint mock drill under the banner of ‘Operation Shield’ was conducted by District Administration Ganderbal in collaboration with SDRF and Civil Defence, here at Central University of Kashmir Tullmulla.
The drill was presided over by Deputy Commissioner (DC) Ganderbal, Jatin Kishore, and was attended by Additional Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal, Assistant Commissioner Revenue Ganderbal and other senior officers of the district administration.
Experts and personnel from SDRF, Health Department, Fire and Emergency Services, along with a large number of students and locals participated in the exercise.
In Kulgam, the mock drills were held simultaneously at several institutions, including Government Degree College (GDC) Kulgam, GDC D.H. Pora, AMGDC Kilam and GDC Frisal.
The drill was jointly carried out by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) Kulgam, Fire and Emergency Services, Health Department Kulgam, Revenue Department, and actively supported by NSS and NCC cadets.
Deputy Commissioner Kulgam, Athar Aamir Khan said that the Mock drill exercise under ‘Operation Shield’ aims to ensure that our institutions and public are fully prepared to deal with any emergency.
In Bandipora, a mock drill was held under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner (DC) Bandipora, Manzoor Ahmad Qadri, who presided over the proceedings and emphasized the importance of coordinated disaster preparedness.
The drill witnessed the presence of Additional Deputy Commissioner Bandipora, Zaffar Husson Shawl; Tehsildar Bandipora; DySP DAR; students, Fire and Emergency Services staff, members of the 7 J&K Battalion NCC Kupwara and Bandipora, officials from the Youth Services and Sports Department, and personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).
In Baramulla, the exercise was held in collaboration with the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Civil Defence, Fire & Emergency Services, Jammu and Kashmir Police, Department of Information & Public Relations and other departments. Before the commencement of the drill, DySP Headquarters and Dy SP DAR Baramulla briefed all participating teams about the objectives, roles, and protocols of the operation. Their detailed overview helped ensure clarity and coordination during the simulated emergency scenario. The exercise was supervised by Additional Deputy Commissioner Baramulla, Syed Altaf Hussain Musvi, and witnessed participation from officers and officials of various departments. Volunteers from Civil Defence, SDRF, and other stakeholders also played key roles in the operation.
In Pulwama, to strengthen disaster preparedness and ensure rapid emergency response, the District Administration Pulwama in coordination with Police, CRPF Pulwama and SDRF Pulwama today conducted a comprehensive civil defense mock exercise ‘Operation Shield.’
Personnel from CRPF, Jammu and Kashmir Police, Fire & Emergency Services, Health Department, SDRF, and Civil Defence units actively participated in the Operation. Youth Volunteers like Civil defence, NCC and NSS and local residents also joined in, demonstrating commendable enthusiasm and cooperation.
In Udhampur district of the Jammu division, the exercises, conducted under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner Saloni Rai, were held at 3 different locations viz. Village Kashirah near Airforce Station, Gaddi Sippi Hostel and Gujjar Bakerwal Hostel.
The officials from stakeholder departments such as Revenue, Police, Medical, Education, NDRF, SDRF, Telecom, Traffic, Fire and Emergency Services and others actively took part in the exercise in presence of a large number of local public.
The mock drill simulated a real-time emergency scenario to demonstrate coordinated response by civil defence volunteers, local residents and emergency services.
It included evacuation procedures, first-aid demonstration, fire safety measures and basic rescue operations, familiarizing citizens with immediate action plans amid crisis.
The local community actively participated, following instructions with discipline and engaging with officials to deepen their understanding of civil defence and resilience strategies.
Active participation was witnessed in the Doda district from the police department, fire and emergency services, health department, civil defense and the municipal committee. Public announcements were made to guide citizens during the drills and emphasize the importance of remaining calm and cooperative during emergencies.
As part of the mock scenario, an injured patient was successfully rescued from the simulated disaster site near Suigawri and was shifted in a well-coordinated manner to Government Medical College (GMC) Doda for further treatment. Additionally, critically injured patients were airlifted to Jammu Medical College for advanced medical care, demonstrating the district’s preparedness for handling emergency medical evacuations effectively.
Deputy Commissioner Doda commended all participating departments for their proactive involvement and emphasized the need for ongoing coordination and community participation in such preparedness activities. District Administration Rajouri successfully conducted the second Civil Defence Exercise and Mock Blackout Drill Operation Shield under the banner of #MockBlackoutDrill.
The mock drill was supervised by Deputy Controller Civil Defence Rajouri, Jabeen Lone, who coordinated the activities involving NCC cadets, NSS volunteers, SDRF personnel, civil society members and other stakeholders. As part of the drill, evacuation exercises were also conducted at selected locations within Rajouri, Sunderbani, Kalakote and Nowshera towns.
As part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen emergency preparedness and public safety, the District Administration Kathua conducted a large-scale Civil Defence Mock Drill -“Operation Shield” here at Hiranagar. The exercise was carried out at Government Middle School, Londi, located in the strategically important border belt of Hiranagar.
The drill was a coordinated effort of the Civil Administration headed by SDM Phulail Singh, Civil Defence Department, District Police, and the Territorial Army, reflecting a strong spirit of inter-agency collaboration.
