Amritsar, April 24 (K.L. Jit Walia) – A civil defence mock drill involving a complete blackout was conducted in the city on Thursday night, during which lights remained switched off in the Ranjit Avenue area.
The exercise was carried out from 8:00 PM to 8:30 PM at Pytex Ground, Ranjit Avenue. Sirens were sounded across the city exactly at 8:00 PM to signal the start of the drill. Residents and business establishments also cooperated voluntarily by turning off lights during the exercise.
Assistant Commissioner (General) Pragati Sethi stated that a full blackout was practiced as part of the drill, with support from the electricity department and the public. Civil defence personnel also educated citizens on safety measures and evacuation procedures in case of a potential air attack.
She explained that in such emergency situations, all lights, inverters, and generators should be completely switched off. Auto-on solar or CCTV lights must also be disabled, and vehicles should be parked on the roadside with their lights turned off to avoid becoming potential targets during an air strike.
Additional Controller and District Commandant Manpreet Singh Randhawa informed that such mock drills are conducted nationwide every year in April and November as per central government guidelines to prepare citizens for emergency situations.
The drill saw the presence of District Revenue Officer Navkirat Singh Randhawa, Civil Defence Instructor Harjaye Khanna, officials from the health, police, and electricity departments, along with NCC cadets.
KL JIT WALIA
