Gangtok simulates district-wide blackout in nighttime emergency drill

The Gangtok District successfully carried out a large-scale Blackout Mock Drill on Tuesday night to evaluate and enhance its emergency preparedness. 

Organised by the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), Gangtok, the drill was conducted under the directives of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, as part of a nationwide initiative.

At precisely 9:00 PM, twenty vehicles equipped with hooters activated air raid sirens across Gangtok, signaling the start of the blackout. A complete power shutdown followed from 9:00 PM to 9:30 PM, during which residents were instructed to switch off all sources of light, including inverters, generators, and solar-powered devices. Public movement was restricted, following official advisories.

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The Power Department executed a temporary electricity cut across the district to simulate real emergency conditions. Over 200 newly inducted Disaster Management personnel and Aapda Mitra volunteers were deployed in both urban and rural areas to monitor public response and compliance.

Officials emphasised that the drill was a pre-planned exercise to test readiness against potential aerial threats.