Operation Shield, a massive mock drill for civil defense aimed at increasing emergency preparedness in the face of rising tensions with Pakistan, was scheduled for Thursday but has now been postponed in various border states and Union Territories due to ‘administrative reasons’.
The drill was programmed to mimic war situations such as drone strikes and aerial bombings, testing air raid alert systems, evacuation policies, and medical emergency responses. Haryana, Rajasthan, and Punjab states, as well as Union Territory Chandigarh, declared the delay late Wednesday night.
A formal alert from the Haryana Home Department read, “Following instructions from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the Haryana Home Department declared the postponement of the all-encompassing civil defence drill, Operation Shield, that was to be held on Thursday.” The deputy commissioners and the concerned departments were informed accordingly.
Operation Shield was to be held in all 22 districts of Haryana from 5 pm to 9 pm, and preparations had already been made when the postponement was declared. Chandigarh authorities repeated the statement, assuring, “There would be no blackout or mock drill,” citing central government directives as the reason for its cancellation.
Rajasthan too had scheduled conducting the drill in all 41 districts and similarly issued an order. Preparatory activities like tests of sirens and emergency set-ups, particularly along the border districts of Jaisalmer and Barmer, were already underway. A new date for conducting the mock drill is likely to be announced shortly.
Punjab, however, had already requested a new schedule since its civil defence staff are not available at present as they are currently training with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). The Union government agreed to Punjab’s request, and the drill there will now be staged on June 3. Deputy commissioners have been informed of the revised schedule.
This would be the second civil defence drill this year.
The previous drill was after Operation Sindoor, a military operation launched by Indian troops on May 7 against terrorist hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The campaign was a retaliation against the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam where 26 people died.
The post-Operation Sindoor period was marked by rising shelling and drone sorties by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control and the international border, further pressing the need for enhanced readiness in terms of civil defence. The Ministry of Home Affairs later issued alerts to western border states and Union Territories to step up preparedness through these exercises.
Whereas fresh dates for Operation Shield in Haryana, Rajasthan, and Chandigarh are pending, Punjab will go ahead with its postponed mock drill on June 3.
