Rajkot: Hours ahead of the ceasefire announcement, an anxious constable sat outside the police superintendent’s office here. Her leaves had been cancelled as tensions continued to escalate between India and Pakistan. She had to take an exam and hoped the SP would make an exception.
But she knew she might not get permission. Gujarat, which shares a 512-km land and maritime boundary with Pakistan, had cancelled the leaves of government employees in view of the situation.
For the state’s border areas such as Kutch and Bhuj, Rajkot is the nearest big city that provides essential services in times of crisis. During the 2001 Bhuj earthquake, for example, the city opened its doors to the injured and provided them with free medical services. The city administration as well as people arranged free food, clothes and medicines for the affected.
“Being a big and centrally located town in the Saurashtra region, we mobilised our teams and helped the other districts during disasters in the past like earthquakes,” Rajkot Collector Prabhav Joshi told ThePrint.
The city administration and police has once again geared up for any eventualities, conducting their drills responsibly without creating panic among residents.
“We are conducting meetings with different departments. We have also involved a few NGOs whom we have asked to be ready with plans to prepare meals in case any problems arise. We are also trying to involve ex-military persons. Former staffers are willing to contribute in difficult times,” he said.
The district police are checking hotels and guesthouses in the city for any suspicious person or activity. “We have started mobile patrol as well. There are checkpoints at different entries and exits of the city,” Superintendent of Police (Rural) Himker Singh told ThePrint.
Hospitals have prepared for high footfall in case of emergencies and the Indian Medical Association is bolstering supplies at different facilities.
Joshi also urged people to guard against sharing fake news. “There are a lot of videos circulating on social media of old blasts and attacks. We are keeping an eye on such videos and reporting them. We are preventing the spread of misinformation,” he said.
Back at the SP office where Hema waited to plead her case with her seniors, she said she had her exams to write and she was planning to go to her home at a village in the district.
“I needed the leaves to write my graduation exams. But they are saying it’s an emergency situation and they need everybody at work. Our workload has increased,” she told ThePrint.
Maybe now, she will get leave after all.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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