Amritsar (Dawarka Nath Rana): As part of a civil defence preparedness exercise, a blackout mock drill was conducted in Amritsar city on April 25, from 8:00 PM to 8:30 PM at Pytex Ground, Ranjit Avenue, during which lights in the designated area were switched off.
The mock drill began at 8:00 PM sharp with sirens sounding across the city. During the exercise, residents voluntarily supported the initiative by switching off lights in their homes and commercial establishments.
Assistant Commissioner General Prakriti Sethi stated that the exercise involved a planned blackout drill in coordination with the electricity department and public participation. She added that during the drill, procedures related to emergency response in case of an air attack were demonstrated by civil defence personnel.
The objective of the exercise was to prepare residents for emergency situations such as potential air raids or wartime scenarios. She emphasized that in such situations, all lights, inverters, generators, auto-on solar lights, and CCTV lights should be switched off. Vehicles should be parked on the roadside with lights turned off to avoid detection.
She further explained that crash blackout is considered an important emergency measure to prevent cities from becoming potential targets during aerial threats.
Additional Controller-cum-District Commandant Manpreet Singh Randhawa informed that, as per Government of India guidelines, mock drills are conducted twice a year in April and November across the country to prepare citizens for unforeseen emergencies.
The exercise was attended by District Revenue Officer Navkirat Singh Randhawa, Civil Defence Instructor Harjaye Khanna, along with officials from the Health Department, Police Department, Electricity Department, and NCC cadets.
