Gautam Buddha Nagar, 16 January 2026
The district administration is undertaking extensive preparations for the successful organisation of the Blackout Mock Drill, scheduled to be held on 23 January 2026 at Sharda University, Greater Noida, on the occasion of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti. In this sequence, a meeting was convened today under the chairmanship of District Magistrate Medha Rupam in the Collectorate auditorium to review the arrangements.
During the meeting, Additional District Magistrate (Judicial) / Deputy Controller, Civil Defence Department Gautam Buddha Nagar, Priyanka, gave a detailed presentation to the District Magistrate on the complete action plan, procedure and departmental participation for the blackout mock drill. She informed that the objective of the mock drill is to enhance public awareness regarding safety, relief and rescue measures during emergencies and to strengthen inter-departmental coordination.
She explained that during the mock drill, a siren will be sounded to signal an air raid warning, following which electricity supply in affected areas will be disconnected to create a blackout scenario. Citizens will then demonstrate the procedure of lying flat on the ground to take safe cover. An “all clear” siren will be sounded once the mock air raid is deemed over.
As part of the drill, Civil Defence volunteers will demonstrate the use of fire extinguishers to control small fires, while the Fire Department will show methods of extinguishing major fires. First aid will be provided to the injured, critically injured persons will be transported to hospitals by ambulance, and rescue operations will be conducted to evacuate people trapped in collapsed buildings. A formal announcement will mark the conclusion of the mock drill.
A minimum of 50 Civil Defence volunteers, along with teams from the Power Corporation, Fire Department, Health Department, NDRF, SDRF, DDMA, Police Administration and the District Administration, will actively participate in the mock drill. Training and technical support for relief and rescue operations will also be provided through disaster volunteers (Aapda Mitra).
The District Magistrate directed all concerned departments to work in close coordination to ensure an efficient, safe and effective mock drill. She emphasised that the mock drill must help the general public understand safety measures and alertness required during emergency situations, so that loss of life and property can be minimised during any disaster. She instructed all departments to ensure that every arrangement is completed well in advance to conduct a successful mock drill in the district.
The meeting was attended by Chief Fire Officer Pradeep Kumar Chaubey, Additional Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ubaid, District Disaster Specialist Omkar Chaturvedi, Sharda University representative Colonel Surendra Singh, and officials from the Transport Department, Police Department and District Administration.
