Right ahead of the mock drills scheduled to take place on May 7 amid heightening tensions with Pakistan following Pahalgam terror attack, union home secretary Govind Mohan on Tuesday convened a crucial meeting.
The key meeting was attended by several high-ranking officials including the DG, Civil Defence and the DG, NDRF, as per reports.
"We are reviewing preparedness. Loop holes to be rectified have been identified," a member of the National Disaster Management Authority told news agency ANI after the meeting where the senior-most home ministry official reviewed the preparations for strengthening civil defence mechanisms.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted to pursue the perpetrators of the attack and those who took part in the conspiracy and punish them. Echoing similar sentiments, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also said it was his duty to give a befitting reply to the perpetrators of the attack.
Mock Drills Tomorrow: Details
Amid intensifying border tensions with Pakistan over the Pahalgam attack, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on May 5 instructed the northern and western states along with Union territories to conduct civil defence mock drills on May 7. The directive said that, during the drills, the civilians will be trained to protect themselves in a war like situation.
Releasing a letter pertaining to the drill, the Directorate General Fire Service, Civil Defence and Home Guards said, “In the current geo-political scenario, new and complex threats/challenges have emerged, hence, it would be prudent that optimum civil defence preparedness in the states/UTs is maintained at all times.”
"The conduct of the exercise is planned up to the village level. This exercise aims to assess and enhance the readiness of civil defence mechanisms across all states and Union territories," the letter also added.
According to the home ministry, the mock drills are expected to include the operationalisation of air-raid warning sirens, training civilians on civil-defence aspects to protect themselves in the event of a "hostile attack" and cleaning bunkers and trenches.
As part of the preparatory mock drills, the states will also experience crash-blackout measures, early camouflaging of vital plants and installations while evacuation plans will also be rehearsed.
The mock drills will also check preparedness linked to the operationalisation of hotlines and radio-communication links with the Indian Air Force (IAF), and testing the functionality of control rooms.
India-Pakistan Tension Escalates
Since the devastating attack on April 22 that killed 26 people in Pahalgam, the political tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours are on the rise.
For the past twelve days, Pakistani Army has been targeting different Indian positions along the Line of Control (LoC) since the past few days following the terror attack in Pahalgam. However, each time they met with appropriate response.
The Pakistan military has been put on high alert following India's assertion that it would hunt down the terrorists involved in the Pahalgam strike.
In view of the cross-border linkages to the Pahalgam attack, India responded with a series of retaliatory measures against Pakistan including the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), suspension of visas, closure of Wagah-Attari border amongst others.
Pakistan has also responded with tit-for-tat measures and closed its airspace to Indian-owned and operated airlines.
Pakistan's government, reacting to a series of diplomatic moves by India, warned that diverting water meant for Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty would be viewed as an 'act of war'
India's Measures Against Pakistan: Moves So Far
Water Treaty Suspended, Visa Cancelled
In view of the cross-border linkages to the Pahalgam attack, India responded with a series of retaliatory measures against Pakistan including the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), suspension of visas, closure of Wagah-Attari border amongst others.
India Bans Import, Transit From Pakistan
India on Saturday announced a ban on direct or indirect import of all goods from Pakistan with immediate effect, the Commerce Ministry said.
India also suspended exchange of all categories of mail and parcels from Pakistan through air and surface routes amid escalating tensions between the two nations.
Indian Airspace Closed
Six days after Islamabad barred Indian-operated flights from its airspace, New Delhi has responded in kind, announcing a complete ban on Pakistani-owned and operated aircraft from entering Indian airspace.
Pakistani Channels Banned
Previously, on the recommendation of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Government of India banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels having a cumulative subscriber list of approximately 63 million for circulating provocative and communally sensitive content while also propagating misleading narratives against India.
The channels that were banned include Dawn News, SAMAA TV, Irshad Bhatti, ARY News, BOL News, Raftar, The Pakistan reference, Geo News, Samaa Sports, GNN, Uzair Cricket. Umar Cheema Exclusive, Asma Shirazi, Muneeb Farooq, SUNO News HD, and Razi Naama.
Pak Actors' Social Media Handles Blocked
Recently, the official Instagram handles of several Pakistani actors, including Hania Aamir and Mahira Khan have been disabled in India. Several Indian users are currently unable to access their profiles.
Besides the two popular actors, the other Pakistani celebrities whose Instagram accounts have been disabled in India include Ali Zafar, Maya Ali, Sanam Saeed, Bilal Abbas, Iqra Aziz, Imran Abbas and Sajal Aly. However, the Instagram accounts of some other popular Pakistani actors like Fawad Khan and Wahaj Ali are still visible in India.
