Rajasthan steps up security measures, imposes blackout from 9pm to 4am in border districts
JAIPUR/JODHPUR/JAISALMER: Amid heightened tensions following Pakistan's attempted attack on 15 military installations in northern and western regions, including three air force bases in Rajasthan, the state govt has initiated a series of precautionary measures. These include blackout in border districts, suspension of leaves for police personnel, school closures, and a ramp-up of ground and aerial security operations.District administrations in Barmer, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, and Sriganganagar have enforced a nightly blackout from 9pm to 4am, which will continue till further notice. Residents in these areas have been instructed to remain indoors, turn off all lights, and to avoid any outdoor movement during blackout hours. Residents are also advised to stockpile essential rations and keep important documents handy in case of emergency evacuation orders.The blackout is part of a larger security plan meant to reduce visibility in border towns and minimise potential threats. Illuminated boards, banners, and signages have also been ordered to be taken down. Anyone found violating the blackout norms could face legal action.To alert residents, the district administration will use a two-phase siren system. The first siren, lasting around two minutes, will signal the start of the blackout. No lights are to be turned on until the second siren indicating the end of the alert period. Officials emphasised that these measures are purely precautionary and urged the public not to panic, cooperate fully, and report any suspicious activity, object, person, or drone to the nearest police station, Army post, or BSF outpost.On Thursday, the state police cancelled all types of leaves for personnel across the state. In a directive issued by ADGP Vishal Bansal, all police officers, including range IGs, commissioners, district SPs, DCPs, and commandants, have been ordered to ensure that no personnel go on leave unless approved in cases of emergency.The directive is aimed at maximising deployment and readiness across the state. In Bikaner range, IG Omprakash confirmed that drones have been completely banned in border areas. Police and other security agencies have intensified patrolling to protect civilians and deter any threats. He appealed to residents to remain alert and immediately report any unusual activity.Barmer district collector Tina Dabi reaffirmed the blackout order and said the restrictions were necessary in light of current circumstances. Similar announcements have been made by administrative officials in other affected districts. All govt and private schools, including CBSE-affiliated institutions, madrassas, coaching institutes, and anganwadi centers, have been ordered shut in Barmer, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Sriganganagar and Jodhpur and all examinations have also been put on hold until further orders. University exams in Jodhpur's Jai Narayan Vyas University have also been indefinitely postponed.In the aftermath of Pakistan's failed attack on Phalodi, SP Pooja Awana said security has been stepped up across the region. As per the district administration's directives, all hospitals have been directed to ensure essentials, including electricity, water, and fuel. Shops and hotels have been directed to down their shutters by 10pm and district collector Harji Lal Atal has directed private blood banks to keep sufficient stock of blood."We have ordered 450 beds to be reserved across all hospitals in the district, including Phalodi District Hospital. Sufficient blood stocks, ICUs, ambulances and oxygen cylinders are being kept in readiness, and all leaves have been cancelled forthwith. Hospitals have also been instructed to keep generators ready for power backup," said Atal.Orders have also been issued to reserve around 400 beds in 26 private hospitals across the district with their cooperation. Arrangements have also been made for emergency shelter in approximately 25 buildings in Phalodi and Bap.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
41 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Soldiers injured in Operation Sindoor again ready to give befitting reply to Pakistan: BSF DIG
Asserting that soldiers injured in the attack carried out by Pakistan in response to Operation Sindoor have returned from hospital with high morale, a senior BSF officer on Saturday (June 7, 2025) said they are once again ready to give Pakistan a befitting reply in case of any misadventure. He said the Border Security Force (BSF) is guarding the borders excellently, and no one needs to worry as long as the Force is standing on the borders. "It has been over one month since Operation Sindoor. The personnel from our forces who were injured have now returned from the hospital. The morale of the Border Security Force is extremely high," BSF DIG Prabhakar Joshi told reporters in Jammu. He said the soldiers who were injured have returned from the hospital and are once again ready to take revenge against Pakistan. "This time, they are prepared with double the strength compared to before to confront any fresh misadventure from Pakistan and to give a fitting reply, one that will make them remember it painfully for generations to come." He praised the jawans and said these are the brave BSF jawans who gave a fierce reply to Pakistan's shelling during Operation Sindoor from May 7–10. "They are ready for duty again. Our reply was so strong, Pakistan's future generations will remember it. India speaks less, strikes hard," he said. The DIG said the BSF has responded on the border with full strength. "Not a single BSF post has been withdrawn and even those beyond the fence are holding their ground firmly," he said. On the security front, he said patrolling on the border is being carried out with utmost vigilance and the safety of the posts is being ensured. "The Border Security Force is guarding the borders excellently and as long as the BSF is standing on the borders, no one needs to worry," he added. The DIG said the nation has full faith that her brave security forces will respond effectively, giving Pakistan such a lesson that it will never forget in its lifetime. "If Pakistan dares to repeat its misadventures, our forces are fully prepared to give a crushing reply once again," he added. The injured officers, four of them, have returned to their duties and expressed high morale to serve at their posts. Sub-Inspector of BSF Vyas Dev, whose one leg suffered a major battle injury during Operation Sindoor, said he has suffered a major disability but has not lost his spirit. "Even today, we stand ready to return to the border and give a befitting reply to Pakistan," he said. Sub-Inspector Dev, who lost two colleagues during a bomb shell attack on his post, said this is the courage that defines the country's security forces. "We are proud of it. We are ready to give a befitting reply. "I am ready to give a befitting reply to Pakistan if it dares to mess with us. It was an opportunity for me to take part in Operation Sindoor," he said. Similarly, another jawan, Constable Bhupendra Vajpayee of BSF from Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh, has joined duty again after recovering from his battle injury. 'On May 9, during Operation Sindoor, Pakistan fired heavily on our BOP. We responded with full force.' "Despite injuries from a drone attack, I am back and ready for duty. This time, we will not only stop them but also hoist the Tricolour on their soil," he said.
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Centre plans elaborate security measures for Amarnath Yatra
The central government has decided to put in place several security measures for the annual Amarnath Yatra to ensure safety of the pilgrims, including paramilitary cover for convoys and deployment of additional paramilitary forces along the route, officials said on Saturday. The pilgrimage, scheduled to begin on July 3 and end on August 9, is being held amid a high security alert following Operation Sindoor which was triggered by the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed the lives of 22 civilians. One of the routes for the trek to the shrine crosses through Pahalgam. Earlier, horizontal access roads to the shrine were blocked for regular traffic by the region's traffic police and local volunteers. 'This time, because of the high alert, there will be teams of paramilitary force personnel, who will also secure entry points to the highway. The number of personnel at each point will depend on the location of the access point, topography and the population of the area,' an officer aware of the details said. The officer said that several security review meetings have been held over the last few weeks to take stock of the preparations for the yatra, the duration of which is 38 days this year compared to 52 last year. Every convoy escorted by paramilitary forces will have a jammer to add an extra layer of security, the officer said. 'Convoys were always bunched up in large numbers and escorted by police teams in the past. This time, while the horizontal access roads are already blocked and secured, the escort vehicles themselves will have cell phone jammers. This is an additional layer of security,' the officer said. Separately, the MHA has sanctioned 581 companies of paramilitary forces, up from last year's 510, the officer said. The 581 companies include all the central armed police forces — CRPF, BSF, CISF, SSB and ITBP. CRPF, however, will have the highest number of personnel deployed for security with 219 companies. The sanctioned strength of one CRPF company is around 120-130 depending on the location. CRPF, which already has a large contingent in J&K as part of the internal security and counter terror roles, is the nodal agency for all agencies during the Yatra. The number does not include those from the J&K police and the Indian Army contingents. 'The additional companies from across the country will start moving towards the valley by the end of this week. At all remote locations, personnel will have access to satellite phones so that communication is not affected under any circumstances. All these measures are in addition to all the usual measures like having road opening parties(ROPs), bomb disposal squad(BDS), K9 teams and drones for surveillance. Police verification of all civilian workers, including Yatra Niwas volunteers, pony riders and shopkeepers will also start soon,' the second official said.
The Print
5 hours ago
- The Print
Soldiers injured in Operation Sindoor again ready to give befitting reply to Pakistan: BSF DIG
'It has been over one month since Operation Sindoor. The personnel from our forces who were injured have now returned from the hospital. The morale of the Border Security Force is extremely high,' BSF DIG Prabhakar Joshi told reporters here. He said the Border Security Force (BSF) is guarding the borders excellently, and no one needs to worry as long as the Force is standing on the borders. Jammu, Jun 7 (PTI) Asserting that soldiers injured in the attack carried out by Pakistan in response to Operation Sindoor have returned from hospital with high morale, a senior BSF officer on Saturday said they are once again ready to give Pakistan a befitting reply in case of any misadventure. He said the soldiers who were injured have returned from the hospital and are once again ready to take revenge against Pakistan. 'This time, they are prepared with double the strength compared to before to confront any fresh misadventure from Pakistan and to give a fitting reply, one that will make them remember it painfully for generations to come.' He praised the jawans and said these are the brave BSF jawans who gave a fierce reply to Pakistan's shelling during Operation Sindoor from May 7–10. 'They are ready for duty again. Our reply was so strong, Pakistan's future generations will remember it. India speaks less, strikes hard,' he said. The DIG said the BSF has responded on the border with full strength. 'Not a single BSF post has been withdrawn and even those beyond the fence are holding their ground firmly,' he said. On the security front, he said patrolling on the border is being carried out with utmost vigilance and the safety of the posts is being ensured. 'The Border Security Force is guarding the borders excellently and as long as the BSF is standing on the borders, no one needs to worry,' he added. The DIG said the nation has full faith that her brave security forces will respond effectively, giving Pakistan such a lesson that it will never forget in its lifetime. 'If Pakistan dares to repeat its misadventures, our forces are fully prepared to give a crushing reply once again,' he added. The injured officers, four of them, have returned to their duties and expressed high morale to serve at their posts. Sub-Inspector of BSF Vyas Dev, whose one leg suffered a major battle injury during Operation Sindoor, said he has suffered a major disability but has not lost his spirit. 'Even today, we stand ready to return to the border and give a befitting reply to Pakistan,' he said. Dev, who lost two colleagues during a bomb shell attack on his post, said this is the courage that defines the country's security forces. 'We are proud of it. We are ready to give a befitting reply. 'I am ready to give a befitting reply to Pakistan if it dares to mess with us. It was an opportunity for me to take part in Operation Sindoor,' he said. Similarly, another jawan, Constable Bhupendra Vajpayee of BSF from Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh, has joined duty again after recovering from his battle injury. 'On May 9, during Operation Sindoor, Pakistan fired heavily on our BOP. We responded with full force. 'Despite injuries from a drone attack, I am back and ready for duty. This time, we will not only stop them but also hoist the Tricolour on their soil,' he said. PTI AB KSS KSS This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
