This blackout practice, which is happening on Friday, April 24th between 8:00 pm and 8:15 pm, will see people in certain areas turn off non essential lights once the sirens sound. The authorities have said essential services will not be affected by the test.
This test comes from directions by the Ministry of Home Affairs and is to check emergency readiness and make on-the-ground teamwork stronger. Only certain areas will actually have the power go out, and deputy commissioners (the heads of districts) will be in charge of making sure it happens.
What will happen during the drill
It will begin with an air raid warning. The sirens will make a high and then a low sound for two minutes. After that, power will be cut in the selected areas to act as if there’s a war or another kind of emergency.
The authorities will be testing how well important emergency services work: fire departments, teams to find and rescue people, first aid and medical help, getting injured people to safety, and managing traffic and crowds. The drill finishes with an “All Clear” signal. The sirens will make a single high-pitched sound for two minutes.
Key steps during the exercise include:
– Two-minute high-low siren to start
– Temporary blackout in identified areas
– Simulated multi-agency emergency response
– Two-minute continuous siren to close
Where and when in Punjab
All districts in Punjab will be included in the blackout practice, but each district will do things according to its own local emergency plans. The time for the practice is specifically 8:00 pm to 8:15 pm and the district administrations will organise everything.
In Ludhiana, the blackout will be at Punjab Agricultural University and in the areas supplied by the Aggar Nagar PSPCL division. In Faridkot, the exercise is expected to be at Dr Hari Singh Sewak Senior Secondary School.
Resident guidance in Punjab
People are being asked to turn off any lights they don’t need for those fifteen minutes. Officials want to remind everyone that vital services will keep going and that this is a pre-planned safety exercise.
For easy reference, note these key points for Punjab:
– Switch off non-essential lights from 8 pm to 8:15 pm
– Follow local instructions shared by authorities
– Wait for the All Clear siren to resume normal activity
Parallel drills in Jammu and Kashmir
The district administrations in Jammu and Kashmir are also doing similar readiness tests. In Kupwara, they’re having a preparation practice at 3:30 pm on April 24th, and then a blackout exercise between 8:00 pm and 8:10 pm as local authorities have said.
The practice in Anantnag will be on April 23rd. Residents there have been told to turn off all lights and close their curtains to stop any light escaping, as part of the way they are pretending to have a blackout.
For J and K residents, officials issued these instructions:
– Switch off all lights after the siren
– Turn off inverter, solar, and vehicle lights
– Avoid using torches or mobile flashlights
– Draw curtains to block light
Why the exercise matters
Officials say the drill is a very important way to see how well the authorities and the public react when things get stressful. By simulating air attacks and power failures, the administrations can judge how well departments are communicating, working together, and how quickly they respond.
This is happening close to the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor strikes on May tth last year. Before those strikes, a similar practice was done across the country, so that’s a recent example of how preparedness activities work.
What comes next
The “All Clear” siren will mean the practice is over and people can go back to normal. The authorities will then look at how the fire service, medical teams, evacuation procedures and traffic management all performed to find areas for improvement and get ready for actual emergencies.
