A civil defence mock drill is scheduled to take place at Dera Natung Government College in Itanagar, along with a city-wide emergency preparedness exercise, on 8 August between 8 pm and 9 pm.
The exercise aims to assess the preparedness and coordination among various government departments, security forces, emergency services, and the public during emergency situations, according to ICR DC Toko Babu.
As part of the drill, an air raid siren will be sounded at 8 pm, followed by a 15-minute blackout across the Itanagar Capital Region (ICR) from 8 pm to 8:15 pm. Police and fire service vehicles fitted with sirens and the Itanagar smart city public address system will simultaneously sound their sirens as part of the exercise.
Traffic diversions may be enforced, and movement of vehicles regulated to facilitate emergency response operations. Essential services such as hospitals, police establishments, emergency services, and the control room will remain exempted from the blackout.
Citizens have been advised to switch off all lights, remain indoors, avoid panic, and cooperate with the district administration and emergency response agencies. The DC has urged citizens not to panic and to extend their full cooperation during the exercise.
A coordination meeting was held in West Kameng district to discuss the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders for the civil defence blackout mock drill. The meeting, chaired by Deputy Commissioner Dr Dilip Kumar, was attended by Superintendent of Police Dorjee Wangdi Thongon, heads of departments, and representatives from the NDRF, SDRF, NSS, and NCC.
Participants shared their suggestions and inputs to ensure the effective conduct of the mock drill.
