Bhubaneswar: As part of the civil defence mock drill across the country amid growing tension between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack, sirens will be blown at various places in Odisha tomorrow at 4 PM, Fire Services DG Sudhanshu Sarangi informed today.

A preparatory meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary was held in this regard.

"The civil defence mock drills will be conducted in Angul, Khordha, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Dhenkanal, Puri, Koraput, and Sundargarh districts. This will continue for a week. Tomorrow, we will carry out the mock drills in several urban areas of the state. In coastal areas, the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) will use its sirens meant for natural disasters," he said.

"The aim of this mock drill is to make the public alert regarding any possible air attack by the enemy. The siren will blow for 5 minutes. We advise the public to take shelter under any concrete roof during the period," said Sarangi.

"The district administrations have been asked to identify safe shelters for slum dwellers. Within one week, the mock drills will be gradually extended from urban areas to rural areas. In case of an air attack, the civil defence volunteers will also blow siren after the attack is over. They would then deal with the post-attack damage in the area," the official said.

"Control rooms in connection with the preparedness will be set up by tomorrow at the state and district levels," he added.