On alert, Haryana’s Panchkula district to observe blackout tonight

Chairing a meeting with officials at the district secretariat, Gupta mentioned that following a sudden blackout alert, a district-wide blackout was observed on Thursday night. She noted that another alert could be issued on Friday as well. As a precautionary measure, she urged all residents to voluntarily observe a blackout on Friday evening and remain indoors. All lights inside homes should be turned off, Gupta said, adding that people should avoid going out unless there was an urgent need.

It was also decided to keep solar street lights turned off until the situation normalised. Sensitive areas in the district have been identified, and teams from the health and fire departments are on alert, officials said.

Shops and market lights to be turned off

Panchkula Deputy Commissioner Monika Gupta also appealed to market associations to switch off display board lights and ensure no external or internal lights remain on in commercial establishments on Friday night.

Shopkeepers have been requested to observe a voluntary blackout and close markets by 7 pm Friday. CCTV cameras, if present, should be turned off to enhance the effectiveness of the blackout, Gupta said, adding that lights in common parking areas should also be turned off.

Gupta also directed that no lights should remain on at night in government headquarters and offices. Relevant department heads must ensure compliance, she said.

To ensure the timely dissemination of any alerts, monitoring teams have been formed for different areas. These teams will use sirens and loudspeakers to notify people in the event of a sudden alert, Gupta said.