Operation Sindoor: Blackout ordered in Punjab’s Gurdaspur; Amritsar bans fireworks, Rajasthan on alert—check details

The Centre and the Punjab government have ordered a complete blackout in Gurdaspur district from 9:00 pm to 5:00 am, which will be in place from May 8, 2025, until further notice.

The directives were issued under the Civil Defence Act, 1968.

The move is in response to a sensitive environment along the India-Pakistan border and is aimed at addressing any potential emergency situation.

The blackout order exempts Gurdaspur Central Jail and hospitals. However, during the specified hours, the windows of these institutions must be shut and securely covered to ensure no light escapes.

According to an official statement, “due to a sensitive environment on the Indo-Pak border” there will be a complete "blackout" in Gurdaspur from 9 pm to 5 am.

Punjab & Rajasthan on high alert, leaves cancelled, schools closed in border areas

The Rajasthan and Punjab governments have cancelled leaves of all police personnel and administration officials.

Schools in the India-Pakistan border districts of both states have been closed.

An order issued by the DGP's office said that all leaves of Punjab Police officers and employees have been cancelled from May 7 due to "administrative reasons".

Both states are getting ready for a possible escalation in tensions between Pakistan and India, the officials said, according to a PTI report.

Punjab state shares a 532-km border with Pakistan, while in Rajasthan, the border stretches about 1,070 km.

Amid the soaring tensions, all schools in six border districts of Punjab — Ferozepur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran — have been shut until further orders.

In Rajasthan, all government and private schools have been shut as a precautionary measure in four border districts: Sri Ganganagar, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, and Barmer.

Operation Sindoor

India carried out air and military strikes early Wednesday under 'Operation Sindoor', two weeks after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that killed 26 people, mostly tourists.

After Indian armed forces destroyed nine terror sites deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Pakistan attempted to engage a number of military targets on the night of May 7.

The military targets were engaged in Northern and Western India, including Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai, and Bhuj, using drones and missiles.

These were neutralised by the Integrated Counter UAS Grid and Air Defence systems.

Indian Air Force S-400 Sudarshan Chakra air defence missile systems were fired on Wednesday night against drones and missiles moving towards India.