Civil Defence Drill in Karnataka to be held only in Bengaluru and Raichur

New Delhi: In a move that has raised eyebrows for its timing, the Centre has directed all States and Union Territories to conduct a nationwide civil defence security drill tomorrow (May 7).

While the Ministry of Home Affairs’ (MHA) instructions to Chief Secretaries make no explicit reference to Pakistan, the drill comes close on the heels of the terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, heightening speculation about a possible escalation in border tensions.

The last such comprehensive drill was held in the run-up to the 1971 Indo-Pak war that resulted in the creation of Bangladesh.

No drill in Mysuru

Despite nationwide preparations for a major civil defence drill, Mysuru will not be part of the exercise, clarified Deputy Commissioner G. Lakshmikanth Reddy this morning.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, he confirmed that while Ministry of Home Affairs had issued communication regarding the drill to all districts, the exercise will only be conducted in Raichur and Bengaluru.

“In view of the highly sensitive Raichur Thermal Power Plant, the drill is being held there. Similarly, Bengaluru has been selected due to its multiple defence and railway establishments and the presence of Kempegowda International Airport,” the DC explained, adding, “There will be no such drill in Mysuru.”

Who will be part of the drill?

The upcoming exercise will span 244 Civil Defence districts across the country and aims to test and strengthen preparedness at the grassroots level. As per the MHA notification, the drill is expected to see active participation from District Controllers, Civil Defence wardens and volunteers, Home Guards, NCC, NSS, NYKS, and students from schools and colleges.

One of the key objectives is to assess the readiness of air raid warning systems and ensure coordination between the Air Force and local control rooms. The notification emphasises the need to train civilians to respond to a “hostile attack” scenario, including crash blackouts, camouflaging critical infrastructure like airfields and refineries, evacuation protocols, first-aid, firefighting, and shelter-building techniques.

The notification outlines nine specific objectives, all pointing to a heightened focus on civil preparedness in the face of potential conflict, making tomorrow’s drill one of the most significant national exercises in recent memory.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met National Security Advisor Ajit Doval this morning, this is the second time the Prime Minister has been briefed by the NSA in the past 48 hours, and it comes a day before State Governments will conduct mock security drills, for the first time since the 1971 war with Pakistan.