New Delhi – In a massive mobilization of emergency response capabilities, Delhi is preparing for “Operation Abhyaas,” a nationwide civil defence exercise scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. The capital will witness multiple Mock Drill Locations in Delhi activated simultaneously at 4 PM when 60 air raid sirens blare across the city. This coordinated exercise will test the city’s preparedness for various emergency scenarios ranging from air raids to urban fires and mass casualty events.
The Mock Drill Locations in Delhi have been strategically selected across all 11 districts, with five locations designated in each district. These locations encompass a diverse mix of public spaces, including shopping malls, metro stations, hospitals, schools, and residential complexes, ensuring comprehensive coverage of different urban environments.
Operation Abhyaas: Purpose and Scale
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has organized this nationwide preparedness initiative spanning 244 towns and districts across India. In Delhi, the Mock Drill Locations in Delhi will see participation from thousands of Civil Defence Volunteers (CDVs), police officers, fire service personnel, medical teams, and disaster response units, all working in coordination to simulate responses to hostile scenarios.
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“Operation Abhyaas is both a precautionary drill and a demonstration of intent—that civil preparedness is as crucial as military strategy in national security,” explained a senior official involved in planning the exercise. The drill aims to test the national capital’s wartime readiness and civilian resilience through realistic emergency simulations.
How the Mock Drill Will Unfold?
When the sirens sound at 4 PM, the Mock Drill Locations in Delhi will immediately initiate blackout procedures, establish communication with the Indian Air Force, activate emergency control rooms, and implement evacuation protocols. Each district has deployed at least 100 Civil Defence Volunteers alongside other emergency personnel to manage the simulated crisis.
The scenarios will include emergency evacuations, urban search and rescue operations, triage of “casualties,” and sheltering civilians in temporary bunkers or demilitarized zones. In some Mock Drill Locations in Delhi, civilians will be guided to underground spaces like subways or reinforced structures.
A brief blackout has also been planned for 7 PM, although officials had not confirmed by press time whether this would be limited to vital installations or extend throughout the capital.
Educational Institutions’ Participation
As part of the broader exercise, the Delhi government has launched a safety training campaign across educational institutions. Approximately 660 schools—550 private and 110 government—will participate in special preparedness sessions conducted by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) and civil defence officials.
These educational Mock Drill Locations in Delhi will host training sessions earlier in the day, before the main exercise at 4 PM. Youth organizations like the NCC, NSS, and Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan are also participating, reflecting a strategic effort to instill civil defence awareness among younger citizens.
“The inclusion of students in Operation Abhyaas reflects a long-term strategy to build a culture of preparedness,” noted an official closely involved with the planning process.
Command and Control Mechanisms
Throughout the exercise, a sophisticated monitoring system will be in operation. Delhi Police has established a dedicated command center at their headquarters on Jai Singh Road. The C4i (Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence) center will provide real-time surveillance across the Mock Drill Locations in Delhi using over 1,500 CCTV cameras installed prior to the G20 summit.
Control rooms have been activated at multiple nodes across the city, with situation reports filed hourly from each district and compiled at the state war room. This feedback will be submitted to the Director General of Civil Defence to help refine protocols and inform future policies.
Infrastructure Upgrades and Long-term Planning
Officials revealed plans for significant improvements to Delhi’s emergency response infrastructure following the exercise. “It was decided to procure around 500 sirens to be installed permanently across Delhi to augment our air raid warning capabilities,” said an official present at the planning meeting with District Magistrates.
The Mock Drill Locations in Delhi will serve as testing grounds for these enhanced capabilities, with each government department assigned specific tasks. Once sirens sound, emergency functionaries will treat simulated casualties on-site, transport them to designated hospitals, and guide civilians to safe zones.
District-wise Mock Drill Locations in Delhi
The 55 Mock Drill Locations in Delhi span across all 11 districts:
North Delhi
- G3S Cinema Mall, Sector 11, Rohini
- Rohini Sector 18-19 Metro Station
- Babu Jag Jivan Ram Hospital, Jhangirpuri
- M2K Victoria Garden, Azadpur
- The Maan School, Holambi Khurd
South Delhi
- Select Citywalk Mall, Saket
- Birla Vidya Niketan School, Pushp Vihar
- Sitaram Bharatiya Institute of Science & Research, Mehrauli
- Anupam Apartment, Saket
- District Court Complex, Saket
East Delhi
- Maharishi Valmiki College of Education
- Scope Minar
- DM East Office
- Kondli Market
- Sahyog Apartment, Mayur Vihar Phase-1
West Delhi
- District Magistrate’s office and MCD East Zone Office, Raja Garden
- Rajouri Garden J-Block Market
- DLF Capital Greens, Moti Nagar
- SKV Mundka
- DDU Hospital, Hari Nagar
North West Delhi
- Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh
- House no. 156, Village Madanpur Dabas
- City Centre Mall, Sector 10 Rohini
- Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalya Bus Stand, Main Chowk Bawana Road
- DDA office, Madhuban Chowk
South West Delhi
- West Vegas Mall
- Nirmal Bharti Public School
- NHAI Building
- Dwarka Sector-10 Metro Station
- BPCL Bijwasan
South East Delhi
- DLF King Court, GK-2
- Apollo Hospital
- Central Market, Lajpat Nagar
- GBSSS No. 1, Madanpur Khadar
- Dy Director of Education Office, Defence Colony
New Delhi
- T3, IGI Airport
- Charak Palika Hospital
- Khan Market
- D-6 Residential Colony
- Vasant Vihar Kendriya Vidyalaya 2 Delhi Cantt; NDMC Office Building
Central Delhi
- MCD Civic Centre, Near Ram Leela Maidan
- Govt Hospital Burari
- Wazirabad Water Treatment Plant
- RWA Prasad Nagar Karol Bagh
- Chandni Chowk Main Market Near Town Hall
Shahdara
- SKV Nand Nagri
- ESIC Hospital Chota Bazaar
- J/K Bl, Dil Garden
- PWD pump house
North East Delhi
- DM Office Complex Nand Nagri
- VSAS Karawal Nagar, Veer Savarkar Bhagat Vihar
- Seelampur Market
- Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya, Yamuna Vihar
- Govt Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya No. 1 C Block Yamuna Vihar
Public Advisory and Normal Operations
Officials emphasized that the Mock Drill Locations in Delhi will not disrupt normal daily activities across the city. Markets, banks, schools, and public transportation will continue to operate as usual, with only the designated drill locations experiencing simulated emergency conditions.
“The public should not panic. This is a preparedness exercise, not a real emergency,” stressed a senior officer involved in the planning. Citizens have been advised to cooperate if they happen to be present at any of the Mock Drill Locations in Delhi during the exercise.
Final Word: A New Benchmark in Civil Preparedness
As Delhi prepares for this unprecedented civil defence exercise, officials view the Mock Drill Locations in Delhi as laboratories for improving emergency response capabilities. The feedback gathered will inform a comprehensive review by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the National Disaster Management Authority, potentially reshaping India’s civil defence policies and infrastructure.
“In a city like Delhi, with its geopolitical significance, civil defence must be seen as a shared responsibility. From schoolchildren to senior bureaucrats, everyone must be equipped to respond,” concluded a senior officer overseeing the exercise.
Operation Abhyaas represents the most comprehensive civil defence rehearsal in recent history, establishing a model that other cities across India may soon adopt.
