Chandigarh, May 8 - Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan, blackout orders have been issued in several border districts of Punjab - Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Jalandhar, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur and Faridkot, border areas of Rajasthan and Jammu. The Chandigarh administration has also announced a blackout in the city. There is also a complete blackout in Panchkula (Haryana) and Zirakpur (Punjab).
There will be an eight-hour blackout in the border district of Punjab, Gurdaspur, from 9 pm on Thursday. District authorities said that this decision has been taken amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan. Fearing air strikes, the Chandigarh administration has imposed a blackout in the city. At around 9.30 pm, airstrike sirens alerted residents to switch off lights.
At around 9.50 pm, the electricity department stopped the power supply. Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav has requested all residents to respond immediately to the sound of sirens and switch off all lights and also advised them not to go outside or on rooftops. The Deputy Commissioner of Gurdaspur said in an order, “In view of the sensitive situation on the Indo-Pak border, as per the instructions of the Government of India and the Government of Punjab, to deal with the emergency situation under the Civil Defence Act 1968, there will be a complete blackout in Gurdaspur from 9 pm to 5 am from May 8 until further orders.” The order said that these orders will not be applicable in the central jail and district hospitals, but during the blackout period, doors and windows will remain closed so that light does not go out.