May 28, 2002	Tuesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 15,1423

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JODHPUR, (India), May 27: Indian towns near the Pakistan border in Rajasthan state have been testing air-raid sirens and creating power blackouts to “test war preparedness”, officials said.

A senior state administrative official said on Monday it was Rajasthan’s responsibility to make sure civilians know “the basic drill” in the event of a war between India and Pakistan.

“We blasted air-raid sirens to test war preparedness. People living close to the border have been taught how to blacken their windows in case Pakistani jets target them,” said the official, who did not want to be named.

“We also tested the reaction time of the emergency fire, health and power services in the border towns of Jodhpur, Bikaner, Barmer, Ganganagar and Jaisalmer,” he added.

Manohar Kant, the divisional commissioner of Jodhpur, said the army had requisitioned trucks and other vehicles from civilians to move supplies to soldiers on Rajasthan’s 1,050-kilometre western border with Pakistan.

Army sources added that they were digging “deep bunkers” for civilians and the families of army personnel along the western border. “Some of the bunkers have water and electricity,” the army sources said, without disclosing the location of the bunkers.

—AFP