Gujarat Announces District Wise Blackout Drill for May 7 Civil Defence Exercise
The Gujarat government has released the schedule for a district-wise blackout mock drill on May 7, 2025, as part of a nationwide civil defence exercise.
The 30-minute blackouts are designed to test preparedness for emergency scenarios such as air strikes, and will be conducted in staggered phases across 18 districts. In a formal announcement, the government outlined the timings and regional divisions. The eastern districts—Dang, Bharuch, Navsari, Narmada, Surat, Vadodara, and Tapi—will observe the blackout from 7:30 PM to 8:00 PM. Western districts including Jamnagar, Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, Gir Somnath, and Morbi are scheduled from 8:00 PM to 8:30 PM.
The central region comprising Banaskantha, Patan, Mehsana, Bhavnagar, Gandhinagar, and Ahmedabad will undergo the blackout from 8:30 PM to 9:00 PM. Residents are instructed to switch off or cover all lights in homes, offices, and vehicles during their allotted time. The use of mobile phones or flashlights near windows has also been discouraged. Authorities emphasised that the exercise is purely precautionary and part of routine preparedness planning, urging the public not to panic.
Officials have asked for full cooperation from citizens to ensure the drill meets its objectives of strengthening disaster response mechanisms.
