On Friday, January 23, 2026, all of Uttar Pradesh’s 75 districts will take part in a big mock blackout drill at exactly 6 PM. The blackout drill isn’t a real emergency or a real power outage. However, the UP blackout is a planned test exercise organised by the state government and safety teams so officials and citizens know what to do if there’s ever a real crisis such as an air raid or natural disaster.
What will happen in the UP blackout?
According to reports, at 6 PM sharp, lights will go off across the entire state for a short time. Sirens will ring out across districts to signal that the UP blackout drill has begun. Everybody is being told to stay calm and not panic, because this is just a drill and not a real outage or danger. Officials have stressed that there is no need to be afraid the blackout is part of the training and not a technical fault.
During the UP blackout drill, emergency teams from the police, civil defence, fire services, disaster response units and health departments will all take part in simulations to practise how to move injured people to hospitals, how to coordinate rescue responses, and how civilians should react safely. The goal is to make sure everyone from authorities to residents know what to do in case of a real situation where power goes out and sirens sound.
What advice have officials issued for the UP blackout?
Officials have issued clear advice for people at home during UP blackout, to turn off lights and electrical devices, stay indoors, avoid using mobile phones and flashlights, and don’t step out unless it’s necessary. Rumours and fear should be ignored. This is just a practice run to build awareness and preparedness, not a real emergency.
The UP blackout drill today is part of a bigger effort to improve readiness across the state. Earlier, similar civil defence drills which included siren tests, evacuation routines and blackouts have been carried out in various cities like Noida, Ghaziabad and Lucknow under nationwide security exercises.
