Home ministry tells states to conduct civil defence drills on May 7 amid India-Pakistan tensions

The Union home ministry on Monday directed several states to conduct mock drills on Wednesday for civil defence, ANI reported, quoting unidentified government officials.

The exercise will involve testing air raid sirens, training civilians and students to protect themselves, blackout procedures, camouflaging key sites and practicing revised evacuation plans in case of a “hostile event”.

On Sunday, a 30-minute blackout drill was carried out in the Ferozement cantonment area, located in Punjab near the Pakistan border, The Indian Express reported.

The drill, directed by the Board’s Chief Executive Officer and the Station Commander was conducted from 9 pm to 9.30 pm.

The developments came amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack.

The attack at the Baisaran area near the town of Pahalgam on April 22 left 26 persons dead and 17 injured. The terrorists targeted tourists after asking their names to ascertain their religion, the police said. All but three of those killed were Hindu.

After the attack, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, a 1960 agreement on water sharing, citing Islamabad’s support for “sustained cross-border terrorism”. The suspension could potentially limit the flow of Indus River waters into Pakistan, affecting millions.

India also cancelled all visas issued to Pakistani nationals and ordered those already in the country to leave, including individuals on medical visas.

On Wednesday, India shut its airspace to...

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