Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, May 6: In the wake of the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, the police have announced that large-scale mock defence drills will be carried out at three key locations across the state — Bengaluru, Karwar, and Raichur — on Wednesday, May 7, at 4 pm, following directives from the Centre.
The drills, designed to simulate coordinated emergency responses to a terror strike, will involve the activation of high-decibel sirens and the deployment of personnel from various emergency and defence volunteer organisations.
Prashant Kumar Thakur, director general of police and commandant general of home guards, civil defence, fire and emergency services, and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), confirmed the multi-agency operation in a press briefing on Tuesday.
“We have decided to conduct the mock drills in Bengaluru, Karwar, and Raichur at 4 pm on Wednesday. Meetings have already been held with officials from the Fire Services and Civil Defence departments,” Thakur stated.
The drills will see participation from the National Cadet Corps (NCC), National Service Scheme (NSS), Civil Defence personnel, and medical professionals, showcasing a full-spectrum emergency preparedness effort.
As part of the operation, sirens have been installed at 35 strategic points — primarily fire stations and police stations —across Bengaluru. Of these, 32 sirens are currently operational, and will emit three distinct alarm tones in sequence during the drill, designed to emulate real-time warning scenarios.
“These sirens can be heard up to a distance of approximately three kilometres,” sources close to the operation revealed, urging the public not to panic upon hearing them.
In Bengaluru, the mock drills will be carried out at multiple sensitive and high-density locations including: Indian Institute, CQL, ESI Hospital, NAL, Bangalore Dairy, Canara Bank, SRS Peenya, and a number of fire and police stations such as V V Tower, Jnanabharathi, Thanisandra, Banashankari, Rajajinagar, Chamarajpet, Commercial Street, Halasuru Gate, Halasuru, Upparpet, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Kamakshipalya, K R Market, Vyalikaval, Halasuru Home Guards HQ, Peenya, Bagalur, Anjanapura, ITPL, Sarjapur, Electronics City, and Dairy Circle.
Karwar, home to the critical INS Kadamba Naval Base and the third-largest nuclear power plant in India, and Raichur, which houses a major thermal power station, have also been identified as high-priority locations for these mock drills due to their strategic significance.
Thakur added that the Union government will soon issue a public advisory containing detailed guidelines on dos and don’ts for citizens during the drills, aimed at ensuring minimal disruption and maximum cooperation.
The state police and allied emergency services urge residents to stay calm, follow official updates, and treat the drills as a vital preparation exercise in the face of evolving national security threats.