Mock drill will be part of emergency preparedness protocol: Bihar DGP

Patna, May 6 (IANS) Ahead of the nationwide mock drill scheduled for Wednesday at 7 PM, Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) Vinay Kumar emphasised that the exercise is part of a larger strategy to strengthen the state's preparedness for emergencies, including natural and man-made disasters.

Speaking to IANS, DGP Kumar said, “For any emergency like earthquakes, floods, fire incidents, or other natural calamities, we routinely conduct mock drills to evaluate our preparedness. Wednesday’s mock drill is aimed at checking the robustness of our security and emergency response systems.”

He highlighted the legal framework backing such exercises: “India has a Civil Defence Act of 1968, and similar rules were enacted in 1962 and 1971. Each district has an operational civil defence organisation. Whenever external aggression or internal disturbances arise, we activate the civil defence system accordingly.”

The drill will be conducted across five cities in Bihar, including Patna, and will feature a complete blackout from 7:00 PM to 7:10 PM.

During this time, sirens will be sounded and the public will be urged to follow civil defence protocols.

“This mock drill is being carried out to activate our civil defence network from the subdivision down to the village level,” said the DGP.

He also mentioned the Civil Defence Institute in Bihta, Patna district, where thousands of volunteers receive regular training to ensure a swift and effective response in real disaster situations.

During the drill, emergency equipment and alert systems like sirens will be tested for functionality.

“If any equipment is found non-operational, we will begin immediate repair work,” Kumar stated.

On the blackout, Kumar clarified, “It is an integral part of the mock drill. We will observe how people respond, especially those using emergency lighting systems such as generators or inverters, or those driving with vehicle headlights on. The aim is to create awareness so that people follow civil defence guidelines, which could save lives during a real emergency or war-like situation.”

--IANS

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