On Saturday evening, The Kutch district administration announced that the blackout scheduled between 7pm and 6am has been cancelled.
However, a couple of hours later, MoS home Harsh Sanghavi posted on X: “Several drones have been spotted in the Kutch district. A complete blackout will be implemented now. Please stay safe. Don’t panic.”
Banaskantha district collector too posted, “Blackouts will be imposed in all villages of Suigam and Vav talukas of Banaskantha as a security measure. Citizens have been urged to not spread rumours.”
Earlier in the day, following the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan on Saturday, the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel held a special prayer ceremony at the Nadeshwari Mata Temple in Nadabet, located in Suigam. This temple, situated near the international border, is unique as it is the only temple in Gujarat managed directly by the BSF.
The special prayer was attended by BSF personnel and nearby villagers as a symbol of hope and peace on the border.
Head constable S K Sharma, who also serves as the temple priest, said the temple’s lights were turned off for the first time since their installation after the 1971 Indo-Pak war as tension escalated. It is believed that the temple was built here by the then commandant after the Indo-Pak war of 1971 after the deity guided back to the base camp a detachment of Indian troops that had entered the Pakistan border and lost its way.
Residents of Kutch district which had been in the firing line of air intrusions by Pakistan for the past few days, also breathed easier on Saturday afternoon following news of the ceasefire. Bhuj city and other towns of Kutch district however remained under a tight vigil throughout the day, with police personnel patrolling streets and asking people to remain indoors as drones had been intercepted at Bhuj, Naliya, Adipur, Nakhatrana and Nagor towns of the district on Saturday.
Ajay Chhablani, an entrepreneur from Gandhidham city in Kutch, said that his family had been living in fear for the past few days. “The situation worsened after a drone was intercepted at Adipur today, just about 4km from my house. For the past three days, we have been closing our establishment at 4pm.”
For now, residents of Gujarat’s border district are hoping for calm, yet bracing for the next alert.