India-Pak face off: States, UTs on high alert, schools go online, air sirens installed across Delhi

New Delhi: The states and Union Territories have been put on high alert as the tensions between India and Pakistan escalated on Thursday night. 

Several states including Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Delhi cancelled leaves of government officials in major departments related to civil amenities as part of the precautionary measures. The Chandigarh Administration has issued directions that the employees of all the Departments/Boards/Corporations must maintain their respective headquarter or station within Chandigarh and should not leave it, till further orders.

Haryana government has directed all the employees of state government, boards, corporations and universities not to leave their headquarter/station until further orders.

The Maharashtra government has decided to cancel the leaves of top officials in health, disaster management and many other departments in the wake of the current situation, the Chief Minister's Office said on Friday.The government will take strict action against those spreading fake news and helping the enemy, it said.

Cinema halls, shopping malls to remain shut in Punjab’s Mohali
The district administration in Punjab's Mohali on Friday ordered the closure of cinema halls and shopping malls from sunset to sunrise till further orders, officials said. 

As complete blackout is enforced in the district during night hours, the authorities also imposed a ban on the use of inverter, generator and any other power backup being used for outdoor lights, bill board, street lights etc. in Mohali till further orders. The officials said that the public were also requested not to leave their houses unless urgent in the evening hours.This order shall remain in force with effect from May 9 till further orders.

Schools to remain shut in several states
In Delhi and Kashmir, several schools have switched to online mode as a precautionary measure. Colleges, Universities and Schools have been remaining shut in Punjab and Kashmir for two days as tensions escalated in the border. Meanwhile, several private schools in West Bengal declared summer vacations from Friday after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged the educational institutions to advance the holidays by a week.

All schools in six border districts of Punjab -- Ferozepur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran -- have been shut until further orders.

In Rajsathan, government and private schools have been closed in Sri Ganganagar, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Barmer districts as a precautionary measure, officials said on Thursday.

Air raid sirens installed in Delhi
Delhi PWD minister Parvesh Verma on Friday said air raid sirens will be installed at multiple high-rise buildings across the national capital amid a military conflict between India and Pakistan.

The civil defence directorate carried out testing of an air raid siren installed atop the multistorey PWD building in ITO on Friday afternoon.

"From Friday night, 40 to 50 sirens will be installed atop multistorey and high-rise buildings. They will be used in case of an emergency situation. There will be one command centre for controlling them and they will be rung for five minutes. We will be able to use them in situations of a blackout. These sirens will be under the control of NDMA. We will cover entire Delhi," he said.