Jalandhar: Authorities in Jalandhar and Ludhiana are set to conduct coordinated blackout mock drills on Friday evening between 8:00 pm and 8:15 pm as part of efforts to strengthen civil defence readiness.
In Jalandhar, the exercise will take place at the campus of Lyallpur Khalsa College for Women. Officials said the drill will begin with a two-minute air raid warning siren featuring a rising and falling sound pattern. This will be followed by a complete blackout within the campus, during which all lights will be switched off. The drill will conclude with an “all clear” signal—a continuous siren lasting two minutes.
Deputy Commissioner Varjeet Walia stated that multiple emergency response teams will participate in the simulation. These include units practicing fire-fighting, rescue operations, first aid, evacuation procedures, and crowd as well as traffic management to ensure seamless coordination during crisis situations.
Authorities clarified that the exercise in Jalandhar is restricted to the college premises and will not extend to other parts of the district. Residents have been urged not to panic and to ignore any misinformation circulating during the drill.
Meanwhile, in Ludhiana, similar preparedness exercises will be carried out at Punjab Agricultural University and nearby areas under the Aggar Nagar power division. Warning sirens are expected to sound shortly before the drill begins, prompting residents to switch off all lights and refrain from using alternative power sources such as generators or inverters.
Officials said that power supply will be temporarily suspended as part of the simulation. The exercise will involve participation from several agencies, including disaster response teams, police, municipal authorities, health services, and civil defence units.
The administration emphasized that such drills are essential to evaluate emergency response mechanisms and ensure better preparedness in case of real-life situations.
