The Directorate of Civil Defence and Home Guards, Meghalaya, has announced a statewide civil defence mock exercise on air raid and blackout, titled “ARMEX-I 2026,”to be conducted on April 24, following directives from the Directorate General of Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The large-scale exercise will be carried out across all districts of the state, involving multiple agencies including the Air Force, Army, Police, SDRF, Home Guards, Civil Defence volunteers, Fire and Emergency Services, Health and Power Departments, along with community bodies such as Dorbar Shnongs and traditional village institutions.
According to Deputy Inspector General (DIG) SDRF, B. Mukhim, “The exercise is aimed at enhancing preparedness and coordination among all stakeholders in the event of an air raid emergency.”
He further added, “It will also help assess response mechanisms including search and rescue, fire response, evacuation, and medical support.”
The mock drill will be conducted in two stages. Stage I will take place from 3 PM to 4 PM, focusing on emergency response simulations. “A civil defence siren will be sounded at 3 PM to signal the start of the exercise and a mock air raid, followed by an ‘all clear’ siren at 4 PM,” officials informed.
Stage II, scheduled between 6:59 PM and 7:02 PM, will simulate an air raid blackout scenario. “During this phase, the public is requested to switch off all lights and sources of illumination as part of the blackout drill,” authorities said, urging widespread participation.
Appealing for cooperation, DIG SDRF B. Mukhim emphasized, “The success of this exercise depends on active public participation, including support from Dorbar Shnongs, village elders, and local establishments.”
The administration has reassured citizens that the exercise is only a preparedness measure and urged people not to panic during the siren alerts.