India, May 10 -- They are traders, homemakers, and college students-ordinary citizens who have voluntarily signed up as Civil Defence Volunteers (CDVs) in Delhi. In times of crisis, they quietly step forward as the city's first line of response, supporting the administration in everything from disaster relief to corpse disposal.

Civil Defence may be non-combative, but its duties are crucial. The role includes safeguarding life and property during hostile attacks or natural disasters, and covers 12 specialised services such as firefighting, rescue operations, communication, and handling casualties and bodies.

Delhi currently has around 170,000 registered CDVs-up from 50,000 before the Covid-19 pandemic- against a target strength of 238,0...