Blackouts ordered in border districts amid India-Pakistan tensions

Chandigarh: Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan, authorities have ordered blackouts in several border districts of Punjab, Rajasthan, and Jammu. The move is part of emergency measures to deal with the sensitive situation along the Indo-Pak border.

In Punjab, blackouts have been imposed in Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Jalandhar, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur, and Faridkot. The Chandigarh administration has also announced a blackout, with neighbouring areas Panchkula in Haryana and Zirakpur in Punjab following suit.

The Gurdaspur district administration said an eight-hour nightly blackout would begin from 9 pm on Thursday. “In view of the sensitive situation along the Indo-Pak border, there will be a complete blackout from 9 pm to 5 am in Gurdaspur from May 8 till further orders, to deal with the emergency situation under the Civil Defence Act, 1968, as per the directions of the Government of India and the Government of Punjab,” the Deputy Commissioner of Gurdaspur said in an official order.

The order clarified that exemptions would apply to the central jail and district hospitals. However, it directed that during the blackout period, all doors and windows must remain closed to prevent any light from escaping.