Patna, May 14 (IANS) Darkness descended upon Patna, the capital of Bihar, as sirens pierced the evening air, bringing the city to a sudden standstill on Thursday.​

People froze in place, and even on the bustling roads, vehicles halted exactly where they were when the alarms began.​

The civil defence blackout and mock drill exercise commenced at 7 p.m. to evaluate the government’s emergency response systems and prepare citizens for potential crises, including aerial attacks.​

Sirens were sounded at more than 100 locations across the city at 6:58 p.m., covering areas under the Patna Municipal Corporation as well as Danapur Nizamat, Khagaul, and Phulwari Sharif.​

The two-minute siren alert was followed by a complete blackout from 7 p.m. to 7:15 p.m., during which all city lights were switched off.​

The exercise was not limited to the state capital.​

Similar mock drills were simultaneously conducted in several districts, including Kishanganj, Begusarai, Purnea, Araria, and Katihar, as part of a broader preparedness initiative.​

In Kishanganj, the district administration had alerted residents about the scheduled power cut on Thursday as part of the mock drill.​

Authorities also appealed to citizens not to panic, emphasising that the exercise was purely a preparedness measure.​

Residents were urged to strictly follow the district administration’s instructions during the drill and remain vigilant.​

“Stay alert, stay safe,” officials reiterated in their advisory.​

For any emergency assistance, citizens have been advised to contact the State Emergency Operations Centre of the Disaster Management Department at 0612-2294204/2294205, or dial the Emergency Assistance Number 1070.​

Authorities had been preparing for the drill for days, launching extensive awareness campaigns through multiple media platforms.​

Citizens were instructed to switch off all lights and strictly avoid using mobile phone flashlights during the blackout period.​

Notably, a similar exercise had been conducted last year following the “Sindoor Operation” against Pakistan, and the latest drill builds on those earlier preparedness efforts.

–IANS

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