UP to observe 10- minute blackout and sirens across 75 districts, CM Yogi to monitor security preparations

Lucknow (The Uttam Hindu): A mock drill will be conducted simultaneously across Uttar Pradesh today to assess the state's preparedness for any emergency, especially airstrikes. During this drill, the entire state will be plunged into darkness at 6 p.m. On the state government's instructions, a simultaneous blackout will be implemented in all 75 districts, and the security agencies' coordination and alertness will be tested by sounding sirens.

Chief Minister will be present in Lucknow Police Line

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath himself will participate in this state-level main exercise program, which will be held at the Police Line in the capital Lucknow. Along with CM Yogi, all the top officials of the government including Principal Secretary Home, Principal Secretary Urban Development, Principal Secretary Health, DGP, DG Fire and Relief Commissioner will be present. In this exercise, which will be conducted under the leadership of the Civil Defense Department, officials from Civil Defense, Police, NDRF, SDRF, Fire and Health Department will ensure their response time and coordination in an emergency.

Darkness will prevail for 10 minutes

According to instructions issued by Principal Secretary Home Sanjay Prasad, as per the scheduled schedule, an air raid warning siren will sound loudly throughout the state for exactly two minutes at 6 pm. As soon as the siren sounds, power supply will be cut off and all districts will be plunged into darkness for approximately 10 minutes. During this time, all officers and employees involved in the mock drill will go on alert and conduct dummy drills of relief and rescue operations. In this regard, the Managing Director and Relief Commissioner of UPPCL, along with the District Magistrates and Police Captains of all districts, have been assigned responsibility.

Second major exercise after Indo-Pak tension

This is the second time that the police, electricity department and district administration are conducting a joint exercise on such a large scale in Uttar Pradesh. Earlier, in the year 2025, a mock drill was conducted on May 7 in view of the ongoing tension between India and Pakistan. At that time, as a precaution, the central government had conducted a civil defense mock drill in 244 districts across the country, in which 19 sensitive districts of Uttar Pradesh were included. Keeping in mind the experiences of the previous time, this time all 75 districts of the state have been included in this drill to further strengthen the security of common citizens in war-like situations.