Bhubaneswar: In the wake of escalating tensions between India and Pakistan following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, the Odisha State Government is set to conduct extensive civil defence mock drills across 12 districts tomorrow at 4 PM.
ACS Home, Satyabrata Sahu is monitoring the entire mock drill management to be held across the State.
The initiative, directed by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), aims to enhance public preparedness and response mechanisms in the event of potential air raids. The mock drills will simultaneously take place in Bhubaneswar (Khurda district), Hirakud (Sambalpur), Talcher (Angul), Balasore, Rourkela (Sundargarh), Paradip (Jagatsinghpur), Koraput, Gopalpur (Ganjam), Bhadrak, Puri, Dhenkanal, and Kendrapara.
A high-level preparatory meeting, chaired by Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Home Satyabrata Sahu, was convened today following a virtual briefing by the MHA with all states. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Director General of Fire Service Sudhansu Sarangi stated that the MHA has mandated all states, including Odisha, to conduct the mock drill at the designated time.
Shri Sarangi elaborated that the drills would extend beyond tomorrow, continuing for a week and reaching the village level. While the Fire Service department will oversee the drills in urban areas, the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) will take the lead in coastal regions, commencing on Wednesday.
The primary objective of these mock exercises is to raise public awareness regarding air raid protocols and to educate citizens on essential self-protection measures during aerial attacks. “The air raid sirens will blare for nearly 5 minutes at 4 pm on Wednesday. We request the people to take shelter in concrete roof buildings when the siren blares,” urged DG Sarangi. He also mentioned that designated shelter homes would be identified for slum dwellers.
Furthermore, rescue and response procedures following a simulated attack will be drilled on May 7th. State and district-level control rooms are also slated to become operational soon as part of these preparedness measures.
Reassuring the public, Shri Sarangi emphasized, “There is no need to panic. It will be a mock drill like OSDMA conducts cyclone mock drills in coastal areas. It will be conducted to make people prepared to deal with any such situation.”
Executive Director of OSDMA, Kamol Lochan Mishra, confirmed that the exercise would involve a wide range of participants, including school and college students.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, a four-member team from the National Security Guard (NSG) visited Puri today to review the security arrangements at the Jagannath temple. The team held discussions with the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) and is scheduled to meet with senior Puri Police officers.
Puri Superintendent of Police Vinit Agrawal clarified, “As part of their nation-wide plan to review the security arrangements at vital and key installations across the country, they (the NSG team) are here to review the security made for Puri’s Jagannath temple. We are cooperating with them in this regard.” He added, “There is no specific threat input. However, the police are always giving priority to Jagannath temple.”
The simultaneous focus on civil defence preparedness across the state and the security review of a key religious site like the Shree Jagannath temple underscores the heightened vigilance in Odisha amidst the prevailing geopolitical tensions.