Indian Army guns were deployed at Golden Temple during Op Sindoor, Head Granthi cooperated: Lt Gen Sumer Ivan D'Cunha
In an exclusive interview with ANI, Lieutenant General Sumer Ivan D'Cunha said, "It was very nice that the Head Granthi of the Golden Temple allowed us to deploy our guns."
"It is possibly for the first time in many years that they switched off the Golden Temple lights so that we could see the drone coming," Lieutenant General Sumer Ivan D'Cunha, the Director General of Army Air Defence, noted.
He said the unprecedented cooperation from the Golden Temple authorities came after they were briefed on the gravity of the threat, following which Indian Army guns were deployed.
The Director General said, "The Golden Temple hierarchy realised there was possibly a threat when it was explained to them. They allowed us to deploy guns to secure and protect the monument of international fame which is visited by hundreds and thousands of people every day."
"Hence, these guns were deployed, and the golden temple lights were switched off so that we could clearly visualise the drones as they were coming in. That gave us a greater clarity in the sky because as and when you saw the light, you knew what to engage," the Director General explained.
Earlier on Monday, Major General Kartik C Seshadri told news agency ANI that Pakistan engaged in an air assault with aerial weapons, including drones and long-range missiles, targeting the Golden Temple.
Major General Kartik C Seshadri, GOC (General Officer Commanding) 15 Infantry Division, said that armed forces anticipated that Pakistan would target Indian military installations, civilian targets, including religious places.
'Of these, the Golden Temple appeared to be the most prominent," he said. '...alert army air defence gunners thwarted Pakistan Army's nefarious designs and shot down all drones and missiles targeted at the Golden Temple," he added.
Pakistan military had resorted to firing and shelling cities along borders with India after India launched precision attacks on at least nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir Operation Sindoor on May 7.
Operation Sindoor was launched in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack.
Pakistan retaliated by using drones to target Indian cities. India then conducted retaliatory strikes in Pakistan, destroying nearly 20 per cent of Pakistan's air force infrastructure.
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Hindustan Times
16 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
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India.com
16 minutes ago
- India.com
PM Modi Inaugurates Two Major Highway Projects In Delhi Worth Rs 11,000 Crore
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Time of India
18 minutes ago
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"Earlier, families came to us to buy DC fans and LED bulbs for their solar setups," said Virendra Singh , who owns a shop in Pilakhana. "Now some of them come asking for kerosene lamps again." The problem isn't the technology but the lack of education and support. Like Jain said that solar panels do not need complicated maintenance. "But users must know not to rub too hard, not to use saltwater, and to avoid leaning on them. Even small cracks or residue can ruin them," Jain said. When PTI reached out to the shops selling solar panels, the shopkeepers said that they themselves are not sure how to ensure effective maintenance and just tell the people to wipe it properly with wet and dry cloth. "Like we do dusting at home," said a shopkeeper in Bulandshahr. Air pollution is further making the situation worse. "In Delhi and surrounding regions, performance falls by at least 15' 20% during peak pollution. And this isn't just about fog'¦it's the dust, the particulates, everything in the air that blocks sunlight," said Jain. Researchers at IIT Delhi's Centre for Atmospheric Sciences (2001- 2018) found that particulate pollution reduces direct sunlight radiation (called atmospheric attenuation) and causes soiling (i.e. particle deposition). As a result, solar panel efficiency in India declines by approximately 12 per cent for fixed panels and up to 41 per cent for dual-axis tracking systems. In the eastern and northern power grids, reductions in received sunlight range from 12- 16 per cent. For families relying on solar for basic needs -- charging a phone, running a light or fan -- such a drop makes a system nearly unusable. Indrajit Singh, Managing Director of the Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA), acknowledged the issue. 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