SHILLONG : The Directorate of Civil Defence & Home Guards, Meghalaya has urged the public to actively participate in a statewide mock drill on air raid and blackout scheduled for April 24 under the exercise titled “ARMEX-1 2026.”
Joint Director of Civil Defence and DIG of SDRF, B Mukhim, stated that the exercise is being conducted in the interest of national security and public safety.
“The general public is requested to participate wholeheartedly in this civil defence mock exercise,” he said.
The drill is being conducted following directives from the Ministry of Home Affairs and will take place across all districts of Meghalaya. It will involve multiple agencies including the Air Force, Army, Police, SDRF, Home Guards, Civil Defence volunteers, Fire & Emergency Services, Health Department, Power Department, State and District Disaster Management Authorities, along with local bodies such as Dorbar Shnongs, NCC, NSS and NYKS.
The exercise will be conducted in two stages.
Stage I will take place from 3 PM to 4 PM and will include simulations of search and rescue operations, fire response, evacuation procedures and medical emergency response. A civil defence siren will be sounded at 3 PM across the state to signal the start of the mock air raid scenario, and again at 4 PM to indicate the “All Clear.”
Stage II, which focuses on blackout simulation, will be conducted from 6:59 PM to 7:02 PM. At 7 PM, sirens will signal the start of the blackout drill, during which residents are requested to switch off all lights, inverters and sources of illumination.
The blackout will last for two minutes and conclude at exactly 7:02 PM with the sounding of the “All Clear” siren.
Authorities have also sought cooperation from Dorbar Shnongs, village elders and local establishments to ensure the successful execution of the drill.
Officials stated that such exercises will be conducted regularly, at least twice a year, to enhance public awareness and preparedness in case of emergencies, conflicts or war situations.