No Blackout in Pune During Nationwide Mock Drills on May 7, Confirms Collector

Pune, 6th May 2025: Pune residents can expect normalcy tomorrow as the city will not participate in blackout rehearsals during the nationwide civil defence mock drills scheduled for 7th May. Pune District Collector Jitendra Dudi confirmed that while Pune will engage in various preparedness activities, blackout exercises are not planned for the city at this time.

“The mock drill is being taken as a precautionary measure; nobody needs to panic,” said Dudi. “The Central Government has directed us to conduct these drills to prepare people. They will decide all aspects, and we are following their guidance.”

The Union Home Ministry has mandated these drills across 244 districts to enhance civil defence readiness amid heightened security concerns. The exercises will include air raid sirens, evacuation rehearsals, and coordination among various departments. However, Dudi emphasized that blackout rehearsals will not occur in Pune, stating, “Blackout rehearsal won’t be there in Pune. It’s going to be in Mumbai; some place has been decided. But it won’t be in Pune. In the coming days, it might be, but tomorrow there won’t be any blackout rehearsal.”

In Pune, the mock drill will commence at 4 PM at the Council Hall. Rural areas, including Talegaon Nagar Parishad and Mulshi Panchayat Samiti, will conduct their own drills at the same time. The drills aim to test emergency response mechanisms, including the use of sirens as warning signals, evacuation procedures, and coordination among the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), District Administration, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), and defence departments.

“If a war takes place tomorrow, we should be ready,” Dudi remarked. “In the mock drill, a siren will be played. It’s a sign of warning. Those who hear the siren should move to safety. For those who don’t hear it, the drill will demonstrate how they would be located, evacuated, and transported to hospitals.”

The drills will also involve college students assisting in guiding citizens to safety, as part of an awareness initiative. “Along with the administrative system, college students will help guide people during the mock drills. This is part of the awareness effort,” Dudi added.