Bhubaneswar: Amid rising tensions with Pakistan, civil defence mock drills were conducted in several states, including Odisha, on Wednesday at 4 PM. These drills involved activating air-raid warning sirens and training civilians in civil defence measures to protect themselves during a ‘hostile attack’.
The government conducted mock drills in 244 districts across the country, including 12 places in Odisha. The drills started with the first siren and concluded after the second siren sounded. The sirens sounded in 12 places in the state, including the capital city Bhubaneswar.
The mock drills were organized in Balasore, Koraput, Bhubaneswar, Gopalpur, Hirakud, Paradip, Rourkela, Bhadrak, Dhenkanal, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, and Talcher. Police, fire brigade, and NCC teams practiced responding to war scenarios, bomb blasts, and fire incidents.
“This mock drill is a practice of how the rescue team will rescue people in trouble,” said S Devdutt Singh, Commissioner of Police. The drills aimed to prepare people to defend themselves in emergency situations and understand the response mechanisms.
The war sirens used during the drill can be heard from 2 to 5 km away and produce a distinct, distorted sound at 120 to 140 decibels, different from normal alarms or ambulance sirens.
