30-min blackout drill at Ferozepur cantonment

The electricity supply to the entire cantonment area was suspended and the vehicular movement halted for 30 minutes beginning 9 pm as the Ferozepur Cantonment Board conducted a mock drill on Sunday that lasted for thirty minutes, officials said. This comes amid rising India-Pakistan tension in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.

Earlier in the day, deputy commissioner-cum-district magistrate Deepshikha Sharma asked residents in the vicinity not to panic, clarifying that the temporary blackout was part of a routine safety preparedness exercise by the security forces.

The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) disconnected the power supply for 30 minutes. Hooters went off, continuing throughout the drill while police parties remained alert on roads.

Residents within the 10-km radius were asked by Vikas Johns, chief executive officer of the cantonment board, to keep their private power generators and inverters switched off to ensure the effectiveness of the exercise. The drill is a safety and emergency preparedness measure, the board stated, adding that people should cooperate.

The power was restored at 9.30 pm. The area under the Ferozepur Cantonment Board includes a population of around 60,000 in addition to army personnel stationed in the area and their families.

The area saw such an exercise in December 2001 and January 2002 following the Parliament attack on December 13, 2001, said Santokh Singh, a resident of the area.