Amritsar: Residents in parts of Ludhiana and Amritsar will experience a planned blackout on Friday evening as authorities carry out a coordinated civil defence exercise aimed at evaluating emergency preparedness.
The drill, scheduled for April 24 between 8:00 pm and 8:15 pm, has been organised under the directives of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Key locations include Pytex Ground in Ranjit Avenue, Amritsar, and the campus of Punjab Agricultural University, along with areas falling under the Aggar Nagar power supply division.
Officials confirmed that the exercise will simulate an emergency scenario beginning with an air raid warning siren at 8:00 pm. A preliminary alert will also be issued at approximately 7:55 pm to notify residents. During the 15-minute drill, electricity supply in designated zones will be temporarily cut, and citizens have been urged to switch off all lights to support the blackout simulation.
The initiative follows a coordination meeting led by Assistant Commissioner General Pragati Sethi and Additional Controller of Civil Defence Manpreet Singh Randhawa, who reviewed operational plans with various departments.
Authorities say the primary objective is to assess how effectively agencies and the public can respond to unforeseen crises. The exercise will involve multiple departments, including the National Disaster Response Force, local police, fire services, municipal teams, health workers, and NCC units.
In addition to the blackout, teams will conduct practice runs of emergency response measures such as firefighting, search and rescue missions, first aid delivery, evacuation procedures, and traffic management.
Officials have clarified that essential services will remain unaffected during the drill. Once the exercise concludes, an “all clear” signal—a continuous siren lasting two minutes—will be sounded to indicate normal conditions have resumed.
Residents are being encouraged to cooperate fully, as the exercise is considered a critical step in strengthening disaster response systems and ensuring public safety in emergency situations.
