In an unprecedented sight on Wednesday evening, a 15-minute power blackout was observed in many areas of the national capital, including entire Lutyens' Delhi.
The exercise left the New Delhi area housing Parliament, India Gate, embassies and key administrative buildings dark as part of a nationwide civil defence mock drill.
The blackout, which took place from 8 pm to 8.15 pm, was carried out by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to simulate emergency wartime conditions.
The move, officials said, was part of 'Operation Abhyaas', a mega mock drill initiated by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in response to rising tensions with Pakistan following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.
"All residents are requested to cooperate and bear with the situation," an NDMC official said, adding that while government offices and diplomatic enclaves participated in the exercise, hospitals, metro stations, Rashtrapati Bhavan and the PMO were excluded from the power cut.
Several iconic markets and public spaces - Connaught Place, Khan Market and Town Hall in Chandni Chowk - went dark, briefly halting activity in areas usually lit up late into the night. The visual impact was stark, drawing the attention of residents and tourists alike.
Officials in Central Delhi confirmed that blackouts were executed at five major locations, including Wazirabad, Chandni Chowk and the Civic Centre. Parts of Karol Bagh and Prasad Nagar also participated in the drill.
In North West Delhi, officials said blackouts occurred at five identified spots, with a clear directive to avoid disruption to emergency services.
According to officials, in southeast Delhi, the blackout was also observed at a government school in Madan Kahadar and DLF King's Court apartments in Greater Kailash.
East Delhi authorities noted that due to rainfall and the presence of essential service providers, a complete blackout was not feasible. However, selected areas did take part to ensure symbolic participation in the nationwide exercise.
Earlier in the day, mock security drills were carried out by authorities at 55 locations in the national capital.
Though brief, the power cut in Delhi served as a reminder of the capital's readiness to respond to high-risk scenarios.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi government has made it mandatory for all high-rise commercial, institutional, and hospitality buildings to install anti-smog guns to combat pollution levels in the national capital, according to an official directive.
India stands at the cusp of becoming a global leader in exposomics research, with the potential to reshape its understanding and prevent the disease, said Dr Kalpana Balakrishnan, Dean of Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research.
Delhi on Wednesday recorded the highest minimum temperature of the season so far at 30.2 degrees Celsius, 3.5 degrees above normal.
The initiative is part of a pilot scheme aimed at tackling air pollution caused by cooking emissions.
With one foot braced on the helicopter's landing skid, a veterinarian lifted his air rifle, took aim and fired a tranquiliser dart at a polar bear.
................................ Advertisement ................................
Opinion | Why Indians Have Just Given Up On Air Pollution CrisisTanushree Ganguly
Friday December 20, 2024While some may argue that people in Delhi are now more aware of air pollution than they were a decade back, my rebuttal would be that awareness does not mean that people are concerned.
Opinion | You Must Outrage Over Filthy Air More Than Once A YearJyoti Pande Lavakare
Tuesday December 10, 2024Delhi welcomed us with monsoon rains and mangos. We were home. Fast forward a couple of years, in the winter of 2012, I found myself in denial about something other parents, mostly expats, were calling toxic air.
Opinion | Delhi's Air Pollution Situation Is Like A Bad MarriageNishtha Gautam
Friday November 22, 2024On a good day, such as today, the AQI reading in Delhi is 407. We are jubilant at the sickly sunshine trickling through the slightly dissipated smog. At least its not 1600.
दिवाली... पराली... सियासी जुगाली!Ashwini kumar
Monday November 18, 2024दिल्ली-एनसीआर में प्रदूषण का समाधान तो आज तक मिला नहीं. हर साल चिंतित होकर हम-आप सांसों की तकलीफ के साथ-साथ दिल और ब्लड प्रेशर के मरीज भी क्यों बनें?
घर में कैद बुजुर्ग और हांफते लोग, दिल्ली की सांसों में घुला ये कैसा रोग?Nidhi Kulpati
Friday November 08, 2024हमारी हवा जहरीली हो रही है. गुरुवार की शाम को जब मैं इस मुद्दे पर लिखने बैठी तो AQI लगातार 400 पार जाकर दम घोंट रहा था. बहुत लोगों को यह मामला बोरिंग लगे, लेकिन जब आप अपने साथ काम करने वालों को खांसते-हांफते देखते-सुनते हैं, तो चिंता होने लगती है. सुबह उठते ही दरवाजे खिड़कियां खोलने के लिए डॉक्टर मना कर रहे हैं. बड़े बुजुर्गों के लिए तो मॉर्निंग वॉक बाहर की दुनिया से सीधे संपर्क का ज़रिया है, लेकिन डॉक्टर इसकी भी मनाही कर रहे हैं.