Authorities in Punjab initiated precautionary blackouts in the districts of Amritsar and Hoshiarpur on Monday night, in light of escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. The precautionary move was accompanied by the sounding of an air-raid siren in Amritsar, alerting residents to potential threats.
A formal notice issued by Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney clarified that the blackout and siren were precautionary in nature, describing the steps as being taken "by way of abundant caution."
"You will hear a siren. We are on alert and initiating the blackout. Please switch off your lights and move away from your windows. Stay calm, we will inform when ready to restore the power supply. Don't panic at all. This is by way of abundant caution," the public advisory stated.
In Hoshiarpur, similar measures were implemented in the sub-divisions of Dasuya and Mukerian, according to reports.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Jalandhar district, Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal provided an update at around 9:15 pm, addressing the situation in the Suranassi area. “As a precautionary measure, lights have been switched off in some areas around Suranassi as there have been reports of drone sightings. We are verifying them. There is no total blackout as of now. There is nothing to worry, as confirmed by armed forces officers. They are on regular vigil as always,” he said in a public message.
Air travel was also affected by the blackout. Data from Flightradar24 revealed that an IndiGo flight en route from Delhi to Amritsar had to turn back around the time the blackout was enforced. The flight, scheduled to land at 9:45 pm, was redirected to Delhi. Confirming the diversion, the Director of Amritsar Airport said, “We have diverted the flight to Delhi as there is a blackout in Amritsar. We can call the flight back once it’s clear.”
These developments come in the backdrop of heightened military and diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan. On May 10, a red alert was issued in Amritsar after the detection of at least 15 drones over various locations, including zones in proximity to the airport. In response, civilian movement was restricted in sensitive areas to mitigate any potential threats.
The situation has intensified since the April 22 terror attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam, where 26 civilians—including 24 Indian tourists, one Nepali national, and a local pony handler—were killed following religious profiling by terrorists. A Pakistan-based proxy of the Lashkar-e-Taiba claimed responsibility for the massacre.
In retaliation, India launched Operation Sindoor, a series of targeted precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) a fortnight later, which resulted in the elimination of over 100 terrorists.
Tensions further escalated when, a day after India’s retaliatory action, Pakistani drones and missiles targeted several Indian Army bases. Although both nations later reached a mutual understanding to cease hostilities, Pakistan violated the agreement within hours by launching additional drones toward Indian border areas.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely, with increased security and surveillance in sensitive regions.
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