War-preparedness drill at 100+ sites across West Bengal & 20 locations in Kolkata today, first time since 1971

KOLKATA: Hundred plus locations across Bengal and at least 20 separate sites in Kolkata are set to see the first drills to ascertain war-readiness in the civilian set-up in the state since the 1971 war.While sources said the drills will be conducted at a railway station, two public hot spots, a heritage structure and at least three schools in the city, officials refused to share details of places and time to maintain secrecy associated with the drill.Sources said 1,500-odd cops and 59,000 volunteers will be roped in for the drill. In the city, Bansdroni has been chosen as the nerve centre for civil defence activities. While the exercise is planned and controlled by state civil defence, multiple other agencies like NDRF and CISF have been asked to stay on stand-by and ready to participate in the exercise as and when alerted.As part of the drills, air raid sirens will be set off, prompting people to lie flat on the ground and cover their ears. Following this, a second siren signaling the all-clear or rescue stage will require participants to rise and help those who are injured. Officials confirmed these two sirens form part of the warning system for potential enemy attacks.An official said the drills will be conducted at 31 important towns and district headquarters in the state, including multiple points in Kolkata as per the Union Home Ministry guidelines.Another official said they were trying to fill all infrastructural gaps and procure necessary equipment within a week, indicating that this will not be a single-day exercise. After the Monday evening diktat from the Centre, a virtual meeting was held on Tuesday that was chaired by Union home secretary Govind Mohan. Chief secretary Manoj Pant, home secretary Nandini Chakraborty, disaster management secretary Rajesh Sinha, and DG civil defence Jagmohan attended it from Nabanna.An official said there were 92 siren posts in the city, but majority of them are non-functional. But after the meeting, efforts are on to make them all functional."Even, arrangements are on for training of civilians and students in safety measures, protocols for sudden blackouts, and execution of swift rescue operations during emergenciesAt the meeting, the Centre said since Bengal is a border state and is susceptible to major attacks during warfare, preparedness is a must. The Centre has designated 17 districts as highly sensitive. However, it has allotted the state full authority over selection of drill locations. An official said each district maintains 20-25 sirens, with one mandatory installation at district headquarters."Main focus would be the areas where there are Army installations and oil installations along with ports. Special focus will be on Haldia, Kalaikunda, IIT Kharagpur, Sukna and Bagdogra," he added.Officials confirmed all 62 satellite phones available in the state will be operational during the drill.(Inputs from Dwaipayan Ghosh)