Bihar: Mock drill held in six districts; Patna goes dark during civil defence exercise
Patna, May 14
Darkness descended upon Patna, the capital of Bihar, as sirens pierced the evening air, bringing the city to a sudden standstill on Thursday.
People froze in place, and even on the bustling roads, vehicles halted exactly where they were when the alarms began.
The civil defence blackout and mock drill exercise commenced at 7 p.m. to evaluate the government's emergency response systems and prepare citizens for potential crises, including aerial attacks.
Sirens were sounded at more than 100 locations across the city at 6:58 p.m., covering areas under the Patna Municipal Corporation as well as Danapur Nizamat, Khagaul, and Phulwari Sharif.
The two-minute siren alert was followed by a complete blackout from 7 p.m. to 7:15 p.m., during which all city lights were switched off.
The exercise was not limited to the state capital.
Similar mock drills were simultaneously conducted in several districts, including Kishanganj, Begusarai, Purnea, Araria, and Katihar, as part of a broader preparedness initiative.
In Kishanganj, the district administration had alerted residents about the scheduled power cut on Thursday as part of the mock drill.
Authorities also appealed to citizens not to panic, emphasising that the exercise was purely a preparedness measure.
Residents were urged to strictly follow the district administration's instructions during the drill and remain vigilant.
"Stay alert, stay safe," officials reiterated in their advisory.
For any emergency assistance, citizens have been advised to contact the State Emergency Operations Centre of the Disaster Management Department at 0612-2294204/2294205, or dial the Emergency Assistance Number 1070.
Authorities had been preparing for the drill for days, launching extensive awareness campaigns through multiple media platforms.
Citizens were instructed to switch off all lights and strictly avoid using mobile phone flashlights during the blackout period.
Notably, a similar exercise had been conducted last year following the "Sindoor Operation" against Pakistan, and the latest drill builds on those earlier preparedness efforts.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Living in Patna for 30 years, I've seen many such drills. This time it felt more organized - the siren alerts actually reached our locality in Kankarbagh. But I wish they'd do these exercises at different times, not just evening. What about testing night-time response? Also, my old parents were a bit scared - they thought it was a real emergency. Awareness needs to be better for senior citizens.
I'm an expat living in Patna for work. Honestly, this is impressive compared to what I've seen back home in the UK. The coordination between districts like Kishanganj and Begusarai shows real planning. The only thing that surprised me was how silent the city became - even the stray dogs seemed confused! 😄
As someone who served in the Army, I appreciate the seriousness of such drills. But let's be practical - we have frequent unplanned power cuts anyway in Bihar! The real test would be maintaining order during a crisis without relying on phones or lights. Still, kudos to the civil defence team for covering 100 locations. Now let's see how quickly they can restore services after a real emergency.
Patna went dark for 15 minutes and honestly, it was kind of beautiful in a strange way. No honking, no street vendors shouting, just chai-walas standing still. But here's my concern - what about hospitals and emergency services? Our government hospitals already struggle with power backup. During a real attack, the poor will suffer the most. Need to ensure PHCs have generators tested regularly. Still, good first step! 👍
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