Schools Shut, Leaves of Security Personnel Cancelled, Border States on High Alert Amid Escalating India-Pakistan Tensions

Many state governments have declared school closures, border district blackouts, and the termination of police and administrative officials' leave in response to the growing tensions between India and Pakistan. India attacked Pakistani terror infrastructure and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the 26-person Pahalgam massacre on April 22. Strict restrictions are imposed on Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Gujarat, West Bengal, and Bihar. Punjab's borders with Pakistan are 532 km, Rajasthan 1,070 km, and Gujarat 506 km. Bangladesh and West Bengal are separated by a 2,217-kilometer border.

Punjab:

According to officials on Thursday, the state government of Punjab has closed schools in six border districts and cancelled the leave of all police officers. Based on a directive from the DGP's office, "leaves should be granted only in special circumstances with the approval of the competent authority," Until further notice, all schools in Punjab's six border districts—Ferozepur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Amritsar, Gurdaspur, and Tarn Taran—have been closed. Pakistan and Punjab are parted by a 532-kilometer border. As a result, during every armed conflict, the Punjabi government's participation becomes vital. Punjab Minister Aman Arora declared on Wednesday that all areas close to the border were under a state of high alert.

According to officials, an eight-hour blackout started in Gurdaspur at 9 p.m. on Thursday.

Haryana:

State police officers' and health department employees' leaves have been cancelled in adjacent Haryana until further notice. All officials would need to stay at their existing posting locations and not leave the district headquarters, according to a notification written to the civil surgeons in each district of Haryana.

Delhi:

Because of the growing tensions, the Delhi government has cancelled the leave of all its employees until further notice. In the current circumstances and readiness for any emergency, no leave would be provided to any Delhi government officer till further directives are delivered, according to a late-evening directive from the government's Services Department. According to officials, every district magistrate in the nation's capital is meeting with their subordinates to discuss health and disaster management readiness in the event of an emergency.

Himachal Pradesh:

Security has been strengthened in districts that border Punjab, including as Hamirpur, Una, and Bilaspur, in Himachal Pradesh. According to an official, police have stepped up security checks at well-known temples including Baba Balak Nath, Maa Chintpurni, and Maa Naina Devi, which are situated in the districts of Hamirpur, Una, and Bilaspur.

Rajasthan:

The government of Rajasthan has also closed schools in five districts that border the country and revoked the leave of administrative and police officers stationed close to the international border. A blackout has been imposed in the western Rajasthani border districts after a high alert was issued. Due to the presence of vital infrastructure in Barmer and Jaisalmer, a blackout is being implemented from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. as a precaution against potential air strikes. There will be a blackout in Jodhpur from 12.30 am until 4 am. In Bikaner and Sri Ganganagar, it is illegal to fly drones and blow crackers. As a precaution, officials said Thursday that both public and private schools had been shuttered in the districts of Sri Ganganagar, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, and Barmer.

The closure of all Jodhpur colleges was also mandated. Additionally, as a precaution, flying operations have been halted till May 10 at the airports in Bikaner, Kishangarh in Ajmer, and Jodhpur. There have been directives to strengthen security measures around the state.

Gujarat:

Authorities have cancelled police officers' leaves "due to unforeseen situation" and asked them to report back to work right away as security has been increased around the Gujarat coast. Gujarat is bordered by Pakistan on both land and sea. Police along the coast have been placed on "alert" mode following India's anti-terror attacks in Pakistan, according to Ashok Kumar Yadav, Inspector General of Rajkot Range. According to Yadav, Jamnagar, Morbi, and Devbhumi Dwarka are the only three of the five districts that are part of the Rajkot Range to have coastlines. In addition, he said that police officers have been going to "boat landing points" and coastal communities, asking residents and sarpanchs to report any suspicious behaviour to the authorities.

West Bengal:

Additionally, the West Bengal government has cancelled all state government employees' leaves of absence till further notice. The "current situation" was mentioned as the rationale for the decision in a May 7 notification from the state finance department that was reported in the media on Thursday. All state government employees are subject to the directive, and even those who were previously granted leave must now report back to work. According to the announcement, the exemption would only apply to employees who are on medical leave.

Bihar:

Police, administrative, and disaster management department officials' leaves were cancelled in Bihar. At a high-level conference held Thursday to evaluate the security situation in the state's border areas, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced the decision.