
Punjab: Schools to reopen in Amritsar, Tarn Taran on Wednesday
Chandigarh, Schools are set to reopen in Amritsar and Tarn Taran even though they will remain shut in Fazilka and Ferozepur districts of Punjab on Wednesday, officials said.
Schools remained shut in five border districts - Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Fazilka, Ferozepur and Pathankot on Tuesday.
The district authorities in Tarn Taran and Amritsar on Tuesday said all schools will reopen on Wednesday. "Schools will open tomorrow from 10.30 am to 2.30 pm," said the Amritsar district administration.
Meanwhile, the Amritsar district authorities urged citizens to observe a voluntary blackout on Tuesday evening.
"We will switch off the street lights at 8 pm today. Please follow a voluntary blackout by switching off all your external lights at this time- eg verandah, garden lights, lights at the gate/door, etc," said a message shared by the Amritsar deputy commissioner.
"Once indoor, please use minimal light or ensure light does not escape outside the house. However, in case there is a red alert, then please switch off these internal lights as well and stay away from windows.
"We do not want to centrally shut power. However, in case there is a red alert and we find there is no compliance, we will be forced to centrally shut power," said the Amritsar DC.
A blackout was enforced in Amritsar and Hoshiarpur's Dasuya and Mukerian areas last night as a precautionary measure, officials said.
The Amritsar district administration on Tuesday morning said people can resume their normal activities.
An Amritsar-bound IndiGo flight returned to Delhi on Monday evening after blackout measures were enforced and the airport in the Punjab district was closed.
Drone activity was observed in the Jalandhar area on Monday evening, following which electricity supply was shut in certain areas.
Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal on Monday evening said armed forces neutralised a suspected "surveillance drone" near the Mand village in Jalandhar.
Punjab shares a 553-kilometre border with Pakistan.
A semblance of normalcy was observed in the border areas of Punjab on Monday with markets teeming with people even though schools in some districts remained shut as a precautionary measure.
New Delhi and Islamabad reached an understanding on Saturday afternoon to halt military actions with immediate effect after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.

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