Ferozepur Cantonment Board on Sunday announced that all electricity will be cut at the cantonment area in Punjab's Ferozepur on May 4 between 9PM to 9:30PM for blackout exercise in the wake of escalating tensions between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack.
The Indian Express reported that the exercise is ordered by the president of the Cantonment Board and Station Commander. Its agenda is to gauge the efficiency and preparedness of blackout protocols as India and Pakistan gear up for a probable military action.
The drill involves an entire power shutdown in the Cantonment region. Instructions were relayed to the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) to cut electricity supply during the half an hour.
NDTV reported that the Ferozepur Cantonment chief executive officer asked the deputy commissioner and the station headquarters for "support and cooperation".
"You are requested to ensure adequate security arrangements during this period, given the total blackout," NDTV quoted a Cantonment Board officer in a letter.
The people living in the area are advised against using generators or any other power backup system during the exercise.
How have the residents reacted?
The residents living near the border have had to bear the psychological impact of the practise, while local politicians and authorities have been battling with misinformation and rumors in the volatile area against an imminent conflict, The Indian Express mentioned.
Residents engaged in rationing essentials near the cantonment region. Amritpal Singh, a resident of Guru Harsahai in Ferozepur district, said to The Indian Express , “People have started hoarding supplies, fearing something bigger may be coming. The timing and secrecy of the drill have left many unsettled.”
“Last time, blackout rehearsals had happened in December 2001 and January 2002 after the December 13, 2001, Parliament attack. Rehearsals used to happen on a regular basis when Punjab was having assembly polls in February 2002,” The Indian Express quoted Heera Sodhi, former Punjab information commissioner who lives in Guru-harsahai.
Baljinder Singh, former sarpanch of Hussaniwala, said, the drills happened in 2002 as well, “sirens used to be sounded before blackouts… so it will be after more than decades now that such a rehearsal will be happening again… we are with the Army… though anxiety is there.”
