New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday instructed the Chief Secretaries and administrators of all states and Union Territories to invoke the emergency powers provided to them under Civil Defence Rules amid rising tensions with Pakistan.

According to the communique, states and Union Territories can invoke Section 11 of the Civil Defence Rules, 1968, granting Emergency Procurement Powers to their respective Directors of Civil Defence to ensure the swift and effective implementation of precautionary measures.

This order aligns with the government's efforts to efficiently implement necessary precautionary measures.

Several districts across India, particularly near its Western parts, are on high alert after Pakistan attempted a retaliatory assault post India's Operation Sindoor, launching drones and missiles at multiple Indian military installations across Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. Key locations targeted included Srinagar, Pathankot, Amritsar, Chandigarh, and Bhuj.