Neglected for long, spotlight back on Civil Defence amid vacancies

The escalating India-Pakistan tensions have put the spotlight back on the long-neglected Civil Defence unit of the UP Police.

- Rohit Kumar Singh

LUCKNOW:

Till recently, the unit was considered a dumping ground for Indian Police Service officers in the state. A lone IPS officer of director general rank was posted in the Civil Defence unit of the UP Police with offices only in 19 of the state's 75 districts.

There was a perception that the Civil Defence had lost its importance due to the absence of large-scale conventional wars in recent decades. Since the 1971 India-Pakistan war, an entire generation has not been a full-blown war involving India.

But things have changed very quickly amid the present India-Pakistan conflict. The civil defence unit's sudden return to prominence came to the fore during the nationwide and statewide mock drills conducted on May 7 to test wartime preparedness on a scale not seen since 1971.