The Indian Army announced on Friday morning that it had “effectively repulsed” numerous attacks from Pakistan that used “drones and other munitions” along the country’s western border late into the previous night. The attacks came after India struck nine sites in Pakistan, in what it described as a “focused, measured and non-escalatory” response to the killings by terrorists of 26 civilians in Pahalgam on April 22.
While the Indian military repelled the Pakistani attacks, the administrations of several cities and towns across north and western India undertook measures through the night to warn their populations of possible strikes and protect them, including sounding air raid sirens and blacking out electricity.
Among these places were Jammu and Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir, Amritsar and Pathankot in Punjab, Jaisalmer and Bikaner in Rajasthan, and Bhuj in Gujarat.
In Chandigarh, precautionary measures continued into the morning of May 9. Just after 9 am, sirens blared across the city to warn the public of the risk of an attack. The Chandigarh administration’s official handle posted on X, “An air warning has been received from the Air force station of possible attack. Sirens are being soundead. All are advised to remain indoors and away from balconies.”
The Delhi administration also undertook preparatory measures for a possible attack. At around 3 pm on May 9, the directorate of civil defence tested air raid sirens installed at the headquarters of the Public Works Department in the ITO area for around 15 minutes. A notification posted earlier in the day advised the public to “stay calm and not panic” during the exercise.
In the lead-up to the escalation of tensions, the Indian government sought to spread awareness among the public on how to respond in the event of an attack. Most prominently, on May 7, it held drills held across states, involving police, civilians, students, disaster management teams and municipal officials.
Steps to take during an alert
“This is an unprecedented situation,” said Harpreet Singh Sudan, director of the department of sports and youth services of the Punjab government.
Sudan noted that the primary precautionary measures any member of the public should take are to remain inside their homes when an air raid siren is sounded, and to observe blackouts when directed to do so by the administration.
“After more discussions today, we will issue further public advisories,” he said.
Sudheer Choudhary, the superintendent of police of Jaisalmer district, told Scroll that the administration is in constant communication with the public and “will give more advisories very soon”.
According to government advisories, when an air raid siren is sounded, you should ideally rush to a safe shelter or bunker. In India, however, community bunkers are only found in border regions such as Jammu, Rajasthan and Punjab. In other parts of the country, in the event of an attack, you should rush indoors, close all doors and windows and hide under sturdy furniture for safety. Remain indoors unless evacuated.
If you cannot reach a shelter or building when a siren is sounded, lie flat on the ground and cover your head with your arms. Follow any instructions issued by police and civil defence volunteers.
Electricity blackouts are intended to prevent drones or aircraft from identifying populated areas or strategic locations by observing clusters of lights.
During a blackout, ideally all lights in your home should be switched off . If absolutely necessary, you can use a dim light or candle, but if doing so, ensure that windows are blacked out with heavy curtains or black cloth. Avoid using any bright lights, such as a mobile phone’s flashlight, near windows.
These guidelines were also reiterated by the National Disaster Management Authority, which on May 7 published a video on a “blackout action plan”. The organisation explained that in the event that an air raid siren was sounded, members of the public should remain indoors, turn off all lights, fans and appliances, close all windows and draw all curtains.
“This is not panic. This is preparedness,” the voiceover noted.
Beware of misinformation
The escalation of conflict has also spawned reams of false information on social media as well as news channels, in some cases intended to mislead. The Press Information Bureau observed, “A barrage of coordinated disinformation has been carried out by certain social media handles in general and mainstream media in particular in Pakistan with the sole objective to instill fear among the Indian masses.”
Spreading false information can cause panic among the public and endanger their safety. It is crucial to ensure that only verified information is shared, not just on social media and other public platforms, but also in private conversations, such as on Whatsapp and other messaging groups.
On X, the following accounts put out official confirmation of military, navy and airforce activity: @DefenceMinIndia, @adgpi , @indiannavy, @IAF_MCC, @SpokespersonMoD, @PMOIndia and @MEAIndia. These handles provide limited updates, but are credible sources of information on the conflict.
Sudan, too, emphasised that the public should only rely on information issued by official social media handles like that of the Press Information Bureau. “The rest is a thought out disinformation campaign to create panic amongst the population,” he said.
You can also join channels on Whatsapp by tapping on the Updates tab, and then typing the name of channels in the search bar: for India, the channels disseminating official information are the ADGPI, Indian Army, PIB Fact Check and NDMAIndia.
Restrictions and changes to air travel
So far, India has closed at least 24 airports along the western border. These include airports at Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Leh, Chandigarh, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Kishangarh, Bhuj, Rajkot, Ludhiana, Bhuntar, Patiala, Shimla, Kangra-Gaggal, Bathinda, Jaisalmer, Halwara, Pathankot, Mundra, Jamnagar, Porbandar and Kandla.
Several airlines have announced that flights to and from these airports will remain suspended until May 10. The government may extend these suspensions if tensions at the border continue beyond this date.
While so far flights in southern and central India are running on schedule, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security has announced that security measures have been increased at airports across the country. The bureau has instructed airlines to close check-in processes 75 minutes before a flight’s departure, rather than 45 minutes before, as they do normally.
Accordingly, airlines have asked passengers travelling across India to reach airports at least three hours before their scheduled departure time.
Some airlines asked customers to take these changes into account while planning their travel.
Indigo Airlines said, “In these extraordinary times, heightened security measures are taken up across all airports. We request you to allow some extra time for your journey to accommodate security checks and formalities.”
Akasa Air stated, “As per regulatory guidelines, all passengers will be required to undergo secondary security checks prior to boarding.”
Some airlines have offered customers flexibility in their plans in light of current events. Air India posted on X on May 7 that “Customers holding valid tickets for travel during this period will be offered a one-time waiver on rescheduling charges or a full refund for cancellations.” Indigo has also extended passengers a similar offer. The airline posted on X, “Bookings made on or before 8th May 2025 are eligible for change/cancellation fee waiver for travel until 22nd May 2025.”
