Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh implements emergency measures; citizens urged to stay alert, avoid rumours
Harshabab Sidhu
Chandigarh, May 9, 2025 –Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav and Senior Superintendent of Police Kanwardeep Kaur addressed a press conference today to brief the media on the prevailing situation in the city and the preparations in place in light of current security concerns.
The Deputy Commissioner said that over the past two days, residents of Chandigarh have shown commendable cooperation. He informed that two types of sirens are being used as alerts:
A five-minute siren signals an air raid alert, upon which residents are advised to return to their homes immediately. Once the alert period ends, a green signal is sounded, indicating that normal activities may resume.
Yadav emphasized that during nighttime alerts, residents must switch off all lights and cover their windows to avoid external illumination. Additionally, generators and inverters should be turned off, and the use of mobile phones in open areas must be avoided.
For daytime alerts, citizens are instructed to stay indoors and refrain from using balconies. Vehicles should be parked in covered spaces for safety.
The DC cautioned people against spreading rumours and advised them to rely only on official social media handles of the Chandigarh administration for accurate updates.
Teams have also been deployed to disable solar-powered lights without switches, and night vision cameras are to be turned off during blackouts. Road blinkers have already been disabled. To ensure full coverage of siren sounds across the city, the administration has procured additional sirens and will amplify the existing ones.
In case the situation demands, evacuation plans are in place for specific areas. The DC assured that all necessary arrangements have been made for such contingencies. For this, the DC informed that some PGs, home stays and underpasses have been identified.
Markets remain open, and residents have been urged not to indulge in panic buying. Schools and coaching centres for school students will remain closed till Monday, with further decisions expected on Sunday.
As a precautionary measure, all market areas will be closed from 7 PM today, except for emergency services like chemist shops.