Air raid sirens to sound as Panaji & Mormugao prepare for civil defence drill

Panaji: State govt on Tuesday identified two locations, one in each of Goa’s districts, for a civil defence exercise in view of the Pahalgam terror attack. Chief minister Pramod Sawant asked the public to follow the instructions communicated to them via radio and television, and participate in the exercise.In North Goa, the exercise will be conducted in Panaji, while in South Goa, it will be conducted in Vasco/Dabolim in Mormugao.The drill will be conducted following tensions between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack. Sawant said that during the exercise, air raid sirens would be activated in case communication fails. Goa and surrounding areas have an Indian naval presence and are international tourist hotspots.State govt said that the primary objective of the exercise is to assess the preparedness, response capabilities, and inter-agency coordination during civil emergencies, particularly in scenarios involving evacuation, mass casualty management, firefighting, and search and rescue operations with the involvement of civil defence volunteers.Sawant said that the home secretary held a video conference meeting with the chief secretary and both collectors. “After the video conference, like other states, Goa has identified two locations—in South Goa, Mormugao—Vasco and Dabolim, and in North Goa, the capital city, Panaji, has been selected for the mock drill,” said Sawant.During the course of the exercise, siren alerts will be sounded, and emergency response teams will be visibly active at the designated locations. Members of the public are hereby requested not to panic, as these activities are part of a pre-planned mock drill. Temporary traffic diversions may be implemented in the vicinity of the drill locations. Citizens are requested to extend full cooperation to the authorities and to refrain from spreading unverified information or rumours on social media platforms.Sawant stated that civil defence services, including the NCC, NSS, home guards, apada mitra, and the general public, will participate in the mock drills. Govt has prepared the plan and alerted the public, he said.“Such a mock drill was conducted in 1971 during the India-Pakistan war. After a long time, PM Narendra Modi took the initiative and decided to sensitise the public, which is a good thing,” said Sawant.“There should not be war, but in case there is war, the public should be alert, and that is the reason the mock drill has been conducted. Both collectors are monitoring the drill. People should follow instructions released on radio, television, or channels. People should participate in the mock drill,” he said.