Blackout drill conducted near Tarapur Atomic Power Station in Palghar

Palghar, May 9 (PTI) A 10-minute blackout drill was conducted in a residential locality near the Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS) in Palghar district of Maharashtra on Friday evening, officials said.

It was conducted in Vijay Colony at the TAPS Residential Estate on the Tarapur-Boisar Road.

The drill commenced sharp at 8 pm with a simulated airstrike warning of a siren. Residents of all surrounding colonies turned off all the lights, shut their doors and windows, drew curtains, and used khaki paper to cover any exposed glass. Citizens remained indoors in complete silence, practising blackout protocols with discipline and composure, they said.

Speaking about the exercise, Chief of the District Disaster Management Cell, Vivekanand Kadam, said, "This blackout drill was not just symbolic. It was a critical component of our preparedness framework to train civilians for worst-case scenarios. The participation was encouraging, and the objective was to ensure that citizens understand how to respond calmly and efficiently in the event of an aerial threat."* Approximately 10 minutes after the initial alert, a second siren blared, indicating a green signal to indicate the end of the drill.

"This initiative, though prompted by the current security scenario, is equally relevant for natural disasters and other emergencies," Kadam added.

On May 7, mock drills to test the preparedness of various agencies to deal with emergencies was conducted at multiple locations in Maharashtra, including Mumbai in the wake of India's Operation Sindoor under which nine targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, including the Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold of Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba's base in Muridke, were targeted in retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack. PTI COR NP