Punjab to Conduct Statewide ‘Air Raid & Blackout’ Mock Drill on April 24 at 8 PM
Ferozepur, April 22, 2026: In line with the directions of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, the Punjab Government will conduct a statewide Civil Defence ‘Air Raid/Blackout’ mock drill on April 24, 2026, at 8:00 PM. The exercise aims to assess the preparedness of the Civil Defence system and local administration in handling emergency situations such as an air raid.
Preparations for the drill were reviewed during a special meeting held at the Civil Defence office in Ferozepur under the leadership of Chief Warden Parminder Singh Thind and Store Superintendent of Home Guards Parminder Singh Bath. Civil Defence post wardens, sector wardens, and volunteers participated in the meeting, where duties were assigned for the smooth execution of the exercise.
District Commandant Home Guards, Gurlavdeep Singh Grewal, informed that the drill will commence with an ‘Air Raid Warning’ siren, which will sound for two minutes in a high-low pitch pattern. Following the siren, a complete blackout will be enforced in selected areas identified by the Deputy Commissioners.
Residents in the identified zones have been advised to switch off all non-essential lights during the blackout period. Essential services, including hospitals and fire brigade operations, will remain functional.
At the conclusion of the drill, an ‘All Clear’ signal will be sounded through a continuous high-pitch siren for two minutes.
The mock exercise will also include simulated emergency response and relief operations. Authorities have urged the public not to panic, emphasizing that this is a routine preparedness drill, and have appealed for full cooperation to strengthen the state’s emergency response system.