Power lets down emergency drill

PUNE: The district civil defence cell’s attempts to test 75 emergency sirens in the city failed on Monday due to the power crisis in the city.
Thirty of them failed to work despite repeated attempts due power outage.
According to civil defence deputy controller Sanjivan Joshi, the testing of the signals was undertaken following a message from the Union ministry of home affairs to maintain a high level preparedness in the wake border tension between India and Pakistan.
“The testing and checking sirens and a five-day crash course for volunteers and house wardens were started immediately after receiving the red alert message on May 24,� Joshi said.
The civil defence officials are now appealing to citizens to come forward and get themselves trained in how to deal with a possible war-like situation.
The training of volunteers and house wardens was started after the attack on Parliament in December itself, he said. “Despite the department department having a total of 12,000 trained volunteers, the registration for more such volunteers and house wardens has begun on a war footing with a view to help citizens,� he said.
Established in 1941 as the Air Raid Precaution Committee (APRC) during World War it was re-named civil defence in 1946. According to Joshi, the department co-ordinates with revenue, food and distribution, health, public works and animal husbandry departments.
“Our target is also to protect 68 ‘soft’ targets in the city,� he said. Special vigil is being maintained and direct communication with the local police and all army, air force and naval establishments, he said.
The five-day training after office hours is being held at the head office in Council Hall (Tel: 6361072), Parvati 4441340), Yerawada (6692681) and Lohegaon (6614145).
The training course touches on the role of citizens during war, nature of weapons used against civilian targets, high explosive bombs, protection against bomb attacks, fire fighting, etc.