KISHTWAR, APRIL 20: A meeting to review preparedness for the Civil Defence Air Raid/Blackout Mock Exercise (1st Mock Exercise) was held today under the chairmanship of the Deputy Commissioner, Kishtwar, Pankaj Kumar Sharma at the Meeting Hall of the Mini Secretariat, New DC Office Complex.
It was decided that the mock exercise will be conducted on April 23, 2026.
Detailed deliberations were held to ensure effective coordination and preparedness among all stakeholder departments for the successful execution of the mock drill.
The Deputy Commissioner directed the Dy. SP DAR (In-charge Deputy Controller, Civil Defence/Home Guards/SDRF), Kishtwar, to formulate a comprehensive action plan in consultation with all concerned line departments and stakeholders.
The plan shall cover inter-departmental coordination, communication protocols, emergency response mechanisms and public awareness strategies.
Emphasizing seamless coordination, the Deputy Commissioner issued necessary directions to all Heads of concerned line departments (HoDs) to ensure close collaboration among the civil administration, police, paramilitary forces, health services, fire and emergency services, transport authorities, telecommunication agencies and other allied departments.
The Deputy Commissioner stressed the importance of operational readiness and effective response during the mock exercise to assess the district’s capability in handling emergency scenarios such as air raids and blackout situations. All departments were instructed to ensure full participation, timely deployment of resources and strict adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Directions were issued to the Police Department, JPDCL and the District Red Cross Society to ensure siren arrangements and the implementation of blackout measures.
The involvement of Civil Defence Wardens, Home Guards, Fire & Emergency Services, NCC cadets, NSS volunteers, Aapda Mitra volunteers and Red Cross volunteers was also emphasized to strengthen response capacity and public participation.
The Deputy Commissioner further directed that advance intimation of the mock exercise shall be widely disseminated through print and electronic media, as well as local announcements to ensure that the public is aware that the activity is only a drill and to prevent any panic.
Key preparedness measures include the pre-positioning of response teams, ensuring the readiness of ambulances, fire services, hospitals and the activation of Control Rooms/EOCs on a 24×7 basis during the exercise period.
The concerned departments were also instructed to identify shelters and safe zones, as well as Vulnerable Areas (VAs) and Vulnerable Points (VPs) and to ensure the readiness of sirens, communication systems and emergency equipment.
The exercise will also focus on evaluating inter-agency coordination, public participation, identifying gaps and shortcomings and formulating recommendations for further strengthening emergency preparedness.
The Deputy Commissioner reiterated that adequate precautions must be taken to avoid public panic, high-risk activities should be avoided, medical teams must remain on standby and all activities should be conducted in a controlled and supervised manner, with the utmost priority given to public safety.
The meeting concluded with a call for coordinated and committed efforts from all departments to ensure the successful and effective conduct of the mock exercise across the district.
The meeting was attended by ADDC Vinod Kumar Behnal; ADC Pawan Kotwal; ACR Idrees Lone; Tehsildar (HQA to the DC), Mohd. Rafie Naik; ARTO Tasleem Wani; CEO Sanjay Dogra; representatives from Traffic Police, District Red Cross Society, Aapda Mitra volunteers and staff from concerned departments.