Authorities revise mock drill locations and blackout timings across Ahmedabad city & district

In a major emergency preparedness initiative, the Ahmedabad district administration, in coordination with the District Development Office and Rural Police, has announced a large-scale mock drill across eight designated centres in the city and rural areas. The drill will simulate blackout and emergency response scenarios, with officials urging citizens to cooperate and take the exercise seriously.

The mock drill, originally scheduled from 7:30 PM to 8:00 PM, will now take place from 8:30 PM to 9:00 PM. During this half-hour, residents are requested to voluntarily switch off lights and remain indoors to simulate a citywide blackout.

Collector Sujit Kumar, District Development Officer Vivek Khare, and Ahmedabad Rural Superintendent of Police Omprakash Jat are jointly overseeing the preparations. A comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has been prepared for the exercise, covering emergency response, citizen communication, and coordination among agencies.

Drill Locations

The mock drill will be carried out at three sites within Ahmedabad city:

- Palladium Mall

- Vatva GIDC

Additionally, six rural sites across Ahmedabad district have been selected:

- Dhandhuka Municipality

- Viramgam Tank Farm

- Power Grid Station, Pirana

- Gallops Industrial Park, Changodar

- Ganeshpura Koth Mandir

- Sanand GIDC Tata Plant

Officials clarified that no drills are planned outside these selected locations in either the city or the district.

Agencies and Services Involved

The simulation will involve multiple departments, including the State Transport and RTO, Fire and Emergency Services, Health Department, and Civil Defence. Control rooms, warden posts, casualty management units, communication teams, and information dissemination services will be activated during the exercise.

Volunteers from civil society organisations will also assist, and sirens will be sounded to signal the start of the drill. Arrangements have been made to ensure continuity of emergency services, and district officers have been appointed to oversee the distribution of medicines and food during the mock scenario.

The public, as well as media representatives, will be briefed on proper protocols during air raid or fire situations. The administration stressed that citizen awareness and participation is key to the effectiveness of the drill.

Live updates and public addresses are expected from the key officials involved. The exercise aims to test the city and district’s readiness for disaster situations and improve coordination among various response units.

Citizens are encouraged to stay informed and cooperate fully to ensure the success of the initiative.

Blackout timings across Gujarat on May 7