CHANDIGARH: Amid soaring tension between India and Pakistan, debris resembling parts of a missile was found in the fields near Kamahi Devi village in Hoshiarpur district. Such objects were found at three more places in Bathinda district of Punjab.
The metal debris was found Thursday evening and appeared akin to a missile. Acting promptly, the villagers informed the police. The Indian Air Force (IAF) was also informed. Thereafter, the area was cordoned off. An IAF team arrived at the spot and conducted preliminary investigation before collecting the debris, sources said.
Debris resembling that of missiles were also found near Bir Talab Basti number 4 area in Bathinda, at Gehri Baghi village in the district. Also, a house in Tungwali village sustained minor damage during the incident reported last night as the windows and door panes were shattered due to an explosion. A shed in the house was also damaged. The police reached the site early on Friday morning. The villagers said that such minor incidents are common in war-like situations. Local MLA Master Jagsir Singh who visited the area praised the courage of the villagers.
Meanwhile on Friday morning the Chandigarh Administration sounded a fresh air raid siren, appealing to people to remain indoors. An air warning has been received from the air force station of a possible attack. Sirens are being sounded. All are advised to remain indoors and stay away from balconies, an official statement issued by the Chandigarh administration said. About an hour later, it said the siren for the alert was over.
The people across the state especially border districts Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Ferozepur, Fazilka, Taran Taran and Pathankot had a tense night following complete blackout. Meanwhile, the SAS Nagar district administration on Friday began installing new air raid sirens with 30 requisitioned for Kharar and 20 for Zirakpur and Dera Bassi.
The state government has allocated emergency funds to all the deputy commissioners across the state to address exigencies with the option to request additional funds as required in view of the prevailing situation.
Also, the government has cancelled the leaves of all IAS and PCS officers in the state with immediate effect.
"In view of the prevailing situation and preparedness for the emergency response system, it has been decided that no officer shall proceed on any kind of leave or leave their station of posting without explicit approval of the Chief Secretary Punjab. All the leaves approved so far stand cancelled. Meticulous compliance may be ensured failing which suitable action under relevant rules shall be initiated," stated a letter issued by Punjab, secretary personnel, Gurpreet Kaur Sapra.
The Punjab police has already cancelled the leave of its personnel.
The Punjab Government has asked the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to immediately transfer the wheat that has been bought in the border districts of Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Ferozepur and Fazilka.
A concerted effort has been put in to speed up the lifting of wheat from the six border districts of the state. Sources said that the government has informed the FCI officials to check the destination where the wheat needs to be sent and also check the availability of rakes for transporting the wheat. As on date, on an average about 15 rail rakes of wheat a day is moved from Punjab to the recipient states.
Meanwhile the Punjab Police has deployed specialized forces, including SOG Hits, SSG, and Ghatak teams, accompanied by bulletproof vehicles. Also in coordination with the BSF, 73 well-equipped nakas have been set-up at strategic points, enhancing the second line of defence. The Village Defence Committees (VDCs) have also been formed throughout the border areas to support local security measures.
Apart from this, 14 additional companies of Punjab Armed Police have been deployed in border districts and state-level control rooms along with district-level control rooms have been established to ensure seamless communication and coordination among all security forces, said sources.
In the neighboring Haryana, Deputy Commissioner of Ambala has ordered a complete blackout from 8 pm till 6 am. The orders in this regard were issued by District Magistrate Ajay Singh Tomer. The administration also banned the use of inverters or generators for outdoor lighting.
"In view of the prevailing circumstances and intelligence inputs indicating a potential air strike threat from Pakistan, it is imperative to ensure complete blackout during the night hours for public safety and strategic interests. And whereas, use of inverter, generator and any other power backup used for outdoor lights, bill board, street lights etc may invite any terror/drone attack in District Ambala,” the order said.
The order was issued under Section 163 (Power to issue order in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023.
