When the weather turns nasty or a crisis hits, civil defence teams are the first line of help. From floods in Delhi to landslides in Uttarakhand, these agencies coordinate rescue, warning, and relief efforts. This page pulls together the most recent stories, so you know what’s going on and how to stay safe.
India’s monsoon season is in full swing, and the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued several high‑level warnings. A red alert hit Punjab, Delhi‑NCR, and parts of Uttar Pradesh after relentless rain swamped low‑lying colonies. The Yamuna rose to 207.44 metres, just shy of its 1978 record, causing travel delays and even halting cremations at Nigambodh Ghat.
In Uttarakhand, a cloudburst in Chamoli’s Tharali district prompted an IMD orange alert for the next 24 hours. Authorities warned of flash floods and landslides along key highways. Similar alerts have been posted for Jammu & Kashmir, where above‑average September rain is expected to trigger flash‑flood and landslide warnings.
These alerts are more than headlines—they trigger civil defence actions like evacuation orders, setting up temporary shelters, and deploying rescue boats. For example, in Bihar, rising Ganga waters forced the government to launch community kitchens and dispatch over 1,200 boats to rescue stranded residents.
When a disaster strikes, civil defence teams coordinate with police, fire services, and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). Their tasks include:
In Delhi‑NCR, police issued diversions on the Outer Ring Road and near IGI Airport after heavy rains flooded key arteries. In Punjab, teams are working round‑the‑clock to clear drain breaches that caused waterlogging in densely populated colonies.
While the focus is often on big‑scale events, civil defence also handles smaller incidents—like the recent hand fracture of Australian cricketer Cooper Connolly, where local medical responders provided quick aid before he was flown to a specialist centre.
Staying prepared is simple: keep an emergency kit, note the nearest shelter, and follow official alerts. When you hear a red or orange warning, trust the civil defence advice—those alerts are backed by experts who track weather patterns in real time.
So next time you see a flood warning or a landslide alert, remember the civil defence crews behind the scenes. Their job is to keep communities safe, and staying informed is the first step you can take to help them out.
Operation Shield, a major civil defence drill set for May 29 in India’s border states and Chandigarh, has been postponed. The exercise was designed to gauge responses to air raids and missile threats. Punjab may hold the drill on June 3. The move follows cross-border clashes and military action in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.