Civil defence rules, the trainers, procedures, mechanisms and literally everything needs to be ready when the drill gets going tomorrow morning in 244 districts of the country, designed for the nature of threat they have. Do we have the wherewithal to transform the decadent archaic system to a fully operational level in no time. Indian bureaucracy needs to deliver when it is required the most. All of us would agree to the fact that there is a civilian or a civil defence component of war and if it is not in full readiness the collateral damage would be way beyond a government can handle.
Hence we see desperation all around the place. The action post Phalagam have been one off measures, to be a part of well mediated, we calibrated, which as the situation stands would end either in a surgical strike or a few of them or an all out conventional war, that only the time and can tell. The result of the last assault would prove whether the preparation was on the right track. The situation is too nebulous to comment on it. Maybe the government is also working to find the best military solution, if it were to happen.
How far the Civil Defence Rules 1968 will withstand the test of time is another story. The government has made no efforts to work on it and make it most suitable to the current circumstances. For the record, what are we trying to do and achieve? The simulated scenario is that the drill will simulate war time emergencies including air raids and missile attacks. This would lead to the activation of air raid warning sirens to test their effectiveness, The implementation of black out measures in designated areas also needs to be tried out.
The exercise would test the communication links with the Indian Air Force. Camouflaging of critical installations is also a necessity. Evaluation drills will be at the core of it. The current level of documentation, rules and expertise needs to be mapped as nothing great has been in this sector since 1971. Depending on the requirements of 2025 there is a desired level we need to achieve to be battle ready. This is known as the Readiness Gap Analysis and it is the job of the government to bridge this gap effectively.
GIVEN THE STATE OF CIVIL DEFENCE IN THIS COUNTRY IS HAS TO WORKED OUT AFRESH.
Sanjay Sahay
Have a nice evening.