Chandigarh Prepares Blackout Drill Amid Tensions

**Chandigarh Prepares for Blackout Drill Amid Rising Tensions with Pakistan** Chandigarh: In response to directives from the Union Home Ministry amidst escalating tensions with Pakistan following the April 22 Pahalgam attack, the Chandigarh administration has organized a city-wide blackout drill for Wednesday. Residents have been requested to turn off all electrical appliances for a 10-minute duration from 7:30 pm to 7:40 pm, Chandigarh Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav announced. The intended precautionary measure comes as part of a broader initiative to prepare for "new and complex threats." Air raid warning sirens will signal the start of the blackout at 7:30 pm, blaring for the entire duration of the exercise. Yadav urged citizens to switch off their lights and remain indoors to effectively simulate the conditions of a city-wide power outage. Key infrastructure, including hospitals and medical facilities, will maintain power to ensure no disruption of essential services. Residents have been advised to keep any backup generators or inverters off. In preparation, the administration has engaged with local residents' welfare associations and commercial entities to align on participation guidelines. Businesses, particularly in markets and malls, have been urged to cooperate by shutting their lights. For those who are out during the blackout, Yadav advised halting vehicles and turning off car lights. "Our aim is to test the response capabilities of our emergency services," he stated, emphasizing that the drill is precautionary and should not incite alarm. The initiative, while voluntary, is part of a broader effort to enhance the city's emergency preparedness capabilities. It includes coordination with several agencies such as fire services, police, health authorities, the municipal corporation, and disaster management teams. Volunteer organizations like the Civil Defence, National Service Scheme, and National Cadet Corps will actively participate. Yadav urged the public to remain calm and not to succumb to panic or spread misinformation about the drill. "This is a mock exercise and poses no actual threat,” he reassured, indicating plans for additional drills in the future. Ahead of Wednesday’s exercise, a comprehensive strategy meeting was held to ensure logistical readiness. The focus extended to a full-scale mock drill involving building collapses and fire incidents at designated locations. In parallel, the Mohali district administration is set to conduct a similar mock drill targeting evacuations at academic and industrial sites to evaluate the functionality of air-raid warning systems. A concurrent blackout drill is slated for Mohali, running parallel to the timings in Chandigarh. These initiatives underscore a concerted effort to bolster regional security preparedness amid rising bilateral tensions, ensuring that emergency protocols are robust and responsive.