Haryana Activates Emergency Protocols Amid Rising India-Pakistan Tensions
Chandigarh, May 10 — With military tensions between India and Pakistan escalating, the Haryana government has taken swift action to bolster its civil defence and emergency preparedness mechanisms.At a high-level meeting chaired by Haryana Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi on Saturday, all state departments were directed to devise advance and contingency plans to enable swift action in the event of a crisis. To streamline coordination during emergencies, a dedicated 'War Emergency Branch' is being set up at the State Secretariat under the supervision of the Deputy Secretary (Secretariat Establishment).
“Departments must keep themselves in readiness to enforce necessary measures at short notice,” said Rastogi during the inaugural meeting of the State Civil Advisory and Implementation Committee, which he heads.
Civil Defence, Misinformation Control a Priority
The meeting focused on ensuring robust civil defence systems to safeguard lives, infrastructure, and essential services during potential hostile situations or natural disasters. Departments have been instructed to immediately recall officials currently on leave to ensure full staffing during this critical period.Sumita Misra, Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department and Vice Chairperson of the Committee, highlighted the surge in fake news and misinformation across social media platforms, calling for strict monitoring and enforcement.
“Such content must be aggressively monitored, and all accounts spreading misinformation should be tracked and shut down,” she emphasized, directing departments to take immediate and sustained action.
Real-Time Stock Monitoring and Duty Officer Appointments
Officials reassured that essential commodity supplies remain stable, with stockists directed to upload inventory data in real-time on both central and state government portals.To further improve emergency responsiveness, Misra instructed each department to nominate a Duty Officer, at least at the level of Deputy Secretary, who will handle departmental coordination and all communications from state and union governments. Departments were asked to submit contact details of their nominated officers to the Chief Secretary's office by Saturday evening.
High-Level Participation from Key Departments
The meeting saw participation from top officials across critical departments, including:- Health and Family Welfare
- Irrigation and Water Resources
- Energy
- Public Works (Buildings & Roads)
- Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs
- Higher and School Education
- Industries
- Development and Panchayats
- Public Health Engineering
- Urban Local Bodies
- Information, Public Relations, and Languages
As tensions along the western border continue to mount, Haryana's proactive civil defence approach reflects a broader strategy to ensure readiness, resilience, and rapid response.
