India conducts nationwide civil defence drills amid rising tensions with Pakistan

yesterday

Amid escalating tensions with Pakistan, nationwide civil defence drills are being conducted across India, including mock air raid sirens and evacuation exercises.

Transcript

00:00All right, let's cut across to the latest news break coming in from across the country, viewers.

00:09Today was the day where mock civil defense drills were to be carried out across the country,

00:14and India is keeping its day to read that.

00:18Staying safe in air raids and blackouts hours after strike on Pakistan terror.

00:23Nerves of steel, Bharat getting battle ready.

00:26Now, this is after India gave a befitting retaliation to Pakistan,

00:32a historic retaliation at that, viewers, etching history with a never-seen-before strike on Pakistan-fermenting terror.

00:41On your television screen, of course, is the mock civil drill, civil defense drill that is taking place across the country.

00:49You can see there will be sirens there, and once again, do not panic, viewers.

00:54This has been scheduled. These are live visuals that are coming through.

00:58So if you're in your city and you actually hear sirens, air sirens, this is all a part of the civil defense drill.

01:06Do not panic. We are not sounding alarmist.

01:10This is not a reaction to what happened late last night where India struck Pakistan.

01:15This was always planned in advance, and it is continuing.

01:20All the more important, though, in the current context, civil defense drills taking place across India.

01:26These images, we're going to just tell you where they are coming in from Mumbai.

01:31These images are filtering in from Mumbai.

01:33Let's dip in right now because I would think viewers, what till yesterday was preventive in the current scheme of affairs

01:44becomes all the more important that we pay attention to these civil defense drills.

01:50All right. So these visuals are coming in from Mumbai, Maharashtra, multiple sites across the country

02:14where we are going to get visuals coming in of the civil defense drills that are taking place, precautionary measure.

02:23This is at a point where generations in India, viewers, have not seen a war-like situation

02:29or to be prepared for a war-like situation.

02:32You can actually hear the siren right there in Mumbai.

02:35Sirens blaring in India post-1971.

02:39The last time we heard air sirens in our country was over 53 years ago,

02:45right before the 1971 war with Pakistan itself.

02:51So it is important as SOP, Standard Operating Procedure, that citizens in our country get equipped

02:59that if in case there are air raids, if in case there is a blackout, if in case there is a terror strike,

03:06how to react and react quickly, especially to safeguard citizens.

03:12So all of this that you see on your television screen is only precautionary.

03:18It's for our own good.

03:19And in the current context, it's best to pay attention to it.

03:24I want to cut across right now because these visuals are coming in from Mumbai.

03:29There was civil defence drill is taking place.

03:31I want to also cut across to my colleague, Piyush Mishra, who's joining us from Delhi.

03:35A similar civil defence drill is taking place at the Palika Bazar in Delhi.

03:40Aseem Bassi joins us from Amritsar, and that's a sensitive area in itself.

03:46Aseem Shibhi Moll from Trivandrum.

03:49Even southern states have been asked to conduct the civil defence drills, viewers,

03:53because we also have Divesh Singh from Mumbai and Sagai from Bengaluru.

03:58I want to cut across first to Piyush Mishra, who's joining us from Delhi.

04:04Delhi has been in the A category that needs to be prepared for civil,

04:10that needs to conduct the civil defence exercises and be prepared.

04:14Just precautionary measures, but you can already hear the air siren.

04:18Piyush, over to you.

04:19Well, absolutely, Priti, we have seen as to how there are SOPs that were issued by Ministry of Home Affairs.

04:29And right now, we are present here at a NDMC building in Palika Bazar area,

04:35where this mock drill is being carried out by civil defence workers.

04:39Here you can see as to how the Delhi Fire Service Officers have already been deployed.

04:45And workers in large numbers are taking part in this exercise,

04:50where the volunteers are being trained here.

04:53And the drill is all set to begin here as the air raid warning sirens have been blown here by the officials.

05:01And the drill has almost begun.

05:04Remember that MHA a couple of days back had also issued an advisor to all the states,

05:09saying that some measures have to be taken,

05:12which includes a training of civilians on the civil defence aspects to protect themselves in the event of a hostile attack.

05:20And here you can see how air raid siren has been, you know, blown.

05:26And after which we are seeing how the evacuation plans are being carried out here.

05:29So, in that particular SOP, it was also written that the governments will have to work on evacuation plan.

05:35And that is what is being demonstrated here, where people are being evacuated.

05:39And this is a mock drill, which is right now taking place here at NDMC building.

05:43All the people and all the workers who work here at NDMC building are being evacuated.

05:49And this is the part of a mock drill here.

05:52We are also seeing how civil defence volunteers are helping the workers here to evacuate this building

05:58as the air raid warning sirens have been blown.

06:03So, this shows the kind of mock drill activities that are taking place.

06:07We have the fire officials also deployed here in large numbers.

06:11I would ask my video attendees to continue to focus on these images, which we are getting in from the NDMC area.

06:18Everywhere we will see the Delhi police officials, fire officials.

06:22And let us also take our viewers to the equipment stores that have been, you know, brought here by the fire service officials.

06:28At one side, these sirens are being blown.

06:31On the other side, we can see the fire officials have brought these equipment stores will be used.

06:36If there is any kind of hostile attack or hostile situation takes place.

06:40Now, we are seeing how that an ambulance is also being called.

06:43Right, ambulances being pulled in, the air sirens being sounded.

06:47Viewers, you can once again, this is all precautionary.

06:51This is not a reaction to what happened yesterday.

06:53This was planned well in advance.

06:55It just makes it all the most significant in the current context of where India stands.

07:00From Piyush, who is at Palika Bazaar, where a civil defense drill is taking place.

07:05Cutting across to Shreya, who is joining us from Delhi, Kant.

07:08And Shreya, what are the visuals behind you?

07:10Well, you know, right now, Preeti, I am here at Delhi, Kant.

07:16You can see the exercise that is about to take place here.

07:19The evacuation here is an exercise which is a mock airstrike that has happened on a building.

07:25I will ask my cameraman to show you the building.

07:27I am going to come back to you when the exercise, when the mock exercise begins.

07:31And once again, viewers, underline the fact these are only mock drills, pre-planned mock drills,

07:37but significant in nature.

07:39These visuals coming in from Mumbai.

07:41Divesh, Mumbai carrying out a detailed, precise civil defense mock drill.

07:54Divesh, can you hear me?

07:57All right, we do not have Divesh, viewers,

08:00but these are the images coming in from Mumbai at this point of time.

08:05Aseem, has the civil defense drill started in Amrit, sir, yet?

08:18Aseem, can you hear me?

08:19All right, we are going to try and cut across to Aseem in just some time.

08:34Piyush is still with us from Palika Bazaar,

08:37where the civil defense exercise is taking place as I speak.

08:40Piyush, over to you.

08:41Well, certainly, across the country, Piti, there are multiple exercises those are being carried out.

08:50And right now, I am present here at NDMC building,

08:52where the mock drill is being carried out.

08:54And like you rightly mentioned, that yes,

08:56once again, we repeat that this is only a pre-planned exercise,

08:59which is being carried out across the country.

09:01And here in New Delhi, there are seven places where such exercises are being called in.

09:05And we are right now showing you the visuals

09:07that how a few workers are now being evacuated here.

09:11And this is the part of the entire drill,

09:14which is being carried out.

09:17And remember that we have also shown how the volunteers are seen

09:21sounding the air raid warning,

09:25and after which the workers are being asked to leave this premises,

09:30to leave this NDMC building.

09:31And this is the part of the evacuation plan.

09:34Let's also try to show you the visuals of the fire brigade vehicles

09:39which have been brought in here.

09:40And this is also the part of drill.

09:43Apart from that, we also have Delhi Police officials,

09:46we also have firefighters who are present here,

09:49who are also taking part in this drill.

09:52Civil defense volunteer is also dressing middle.

09:55Let's try to hear what he is saying.

09:58No, sir, what is the drill?

10:01This drill is for our air attack.

10:05If there is an air attack,

10:08then there is a basement in which we have a basement 2,

10:10which is where we all have our enemies in the basement.

10:14This is for the civil defense and the fire staff,

10:16which is the NDMC,

10:17the Delhi Fire Staff is all in the building.

10:19We have to fight the building.

10:20Why do you have to do this?

10:21Why do you have to do this?

10:22Why do you have to do this?

10:23Because the signal is like,

10:24if there is a disaster,

10:25if there is a disaster,

10:26then we have to leave the building.

10:27We have to remove the building.

10:28Now, who is the alert?

10:29Tell me about it.

10:29Now there is a red warning.

10:29Red warning.

10:30Where do you have to take people?

10:33Where do you have to take people?

10:33The area of the building is going to leave a basement too?

10:35In the basement 2?

10:36In the basement 2?

10:36Yes.

10:37Are there any procedures for us?

10:39What do you have to do this?

10:40In the basement 2?

10:40It will be a safer side, it will be a safer side.

10:45If during any kind of hostile attack, if one gets injured, how injured is also carried out.

10:53So let's also one second tell to our viewers that this is only a mock drill excise which is being carried out across the country.

11:00And here we are now seeing that few civil defence volunteers are carrying out, are now taking an injured from inside the building.

11:08Because after the, in the situation of hostile attack, if anyone gets injured then firefighters will also help.

11:15And now NDRF officials have also been called in here.

11:18You can see as to how a firefighter official is holding one worker of this building on his shoulder and that person is being brought in ambulance.

11:29So there are multiple, you know, drills those are being carried out.

11:33The ambulance has been called in. NDRF is here. And this is only a part of a mock drill.

11:40Once again, yes. You know, we want to reiterate again, viewers, all of this was pre-planned.

11:45These are mock drills that are taking place across the country. If you're hearing the siren in your city, please understand this are only precautionary measures.