Following ceasefire, border areas in Raj return to normalcy

Jaisalmer/Jodhpur/Jaipur: Life began returning to normal across Rajasthan's border districts on Sunday, though some restrictions remained in place due to drone activity from across the border the previous night in violation of the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan. Markets in Jaisalmer, Barmer, Sriganganagar, Bikaner, Jodhpur and Phalodi reopened and resumed regular operations after four days of tension that began Thursday. However, precautionary nighttime blackouts continue in these districts—except Jodhpur and Phalodi—due to reported ceasefire violations Saturday night.

The Jaisalmer district administration, led by Collector Pratap Singh, authorised the resumption of daily activities Sunday morning, with markets returning to their usual bustle. However, a precautionary blackout was reinstated from 7:30pm to 6 am. Similar measures were implemented in Barmer, with blackout hours from 8pm to 6am.

Sriganganagar and Bikaner have also seen a return to normalcy Sunday, though nightly blackouts from 7pm to 5am will continue until at least May 12, when both nations are scheduled to meet and review the situation.

In Barmer, Collector Tina Dabi said that while heavy drone activity was observed Saturday night, no damage occurred in the district. Preventive measures included the deployment of district administration, police and civil defence teams. Phalodi and Jodhpur, which experienced four consecutive days of blackouts, showed signs of recovery with residents returning to their daily routines, albeit with some initial hesitation.

"The past four days were filled with uncertainties, but Sunday remained normal with no alerts or blackout orders," confirmed Phalodi collector Harji Lal Atal.

In Jodhpur, citizens awoke to a sense of disbelief after experiencing a blackout the previous day.

With no further escalations reported, residents began their day, although the city remained quieter than usual, with less traffic and markets not fully operational Sunday. District authorities have issued specific safety guidelines. "We urge citizens to maintain a 100-meter distance from any suspicious objects and avoid photographing or videotaping them," said Jaisalmer SP Sudhir Chaudhary.