Agartala, May 06: In response to nationwide alerts following the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam last month that claimed 26 lives, the Tripura government has announced a full-scale mock drill across all eight districts on Wednesday to bolster civil defence preparedness.
Tripura Home Secretary Brijesh Pandey, addressing the media at the state secretariat on Tuesday evening, stated that the decision came after a detailed meeting with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The drills, to be held simultaneously across 244 civil defence-designated districts of India, are aimed at testing response mechanisms in case of hostile attacks or emergency situations.
“Volunteers from Civil Defence, Apada Mitra, Home Guards, Tripura State Rifles (TSR), and other support teams will participate. District Disaster Management Authorities will lead the operations. Our goal is to assess preparedness, inter-agency coordination, and response efficiency,” Pandey said.
The drills will simulate real-time emergencies including air raid sirens, evacuation exercises, first aid response, and restoration of disrupted services like water and electricity. “This is an exercise, not an actual emergency. We urge citizens not to panic,” he clarified.
In Agartala, the mock drill will be held at Umakanta Academy grounds from 3:30 PM to 6 PM. Simulated earthquake scenarios will be enacted at key city locations like IGM Chowmuhani, Fire Brigade Chowmuhani, and GBP Hospital Bazar.
West Tripura District Magistrate Vishal Kumar added that, for now, the drills will be limited to institutional and volunteer levels, with no direct civilian mobilization.
The timing of the drill also coincides with recent controversial remarks from former Bangladesh BGB chief ALM Fazlur Rahman, a close aide of Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor Md Yunus, who threatened a takeover of India’s northeastern states if tensions escalate with Pakistan.
Agartala, being one of India’s closest state capitals to an international border and home to an integrated check post with Bangladesh, remains strategically sensitive amid the growing regional strain.
