India, May 7 -- Sixty air raid sirens will blare across Delhi at around 4pm on Wednesday, signalling the start of "Operation Abhyaas", a nationwide civil defence mock drill that will mobilise thousands of volunteers, police officers, rescue teams and bureaucrats in response to simulated hostile scenarios.

The drill will recreate a range of emergencies-from air raids and urban fires to casualty evacuations and temporary hospital setups-with an aim to test the national capital's wartime readiness and civilian resilience. As part of the exercise, Delhi will see coordinated action at over 55 locations, five in each of the city's 11 districts, officials aware of the plan said.

The event, organised under the aegis of the Union ministry of hom...