SRINAGAR, Jan 22: Officials in Indian-held Kashmir are warning residents to be prepared for a possible nuclear war by building bomb-proof basements and collecting two weeks’ worth of food and water.

Local officials said the advisory was of routine nature, though it was the first time it had been published in a newspaper. They said it did not signal new concerns about a nuclear attack in the region.

A series of deadly skirmishes along the ceasefire line in recent weeks has heightened tensions between Pakistan and India, and the timing of the advisory surprised many residents in occupied Srinagar.

“This is fuelling an atmosphere of fear. Educating people is fine but not in this brazen way,” said resident Fayaz Ahmed.

The notice, published on Monday by the Kashmir police in the Greater Kashmir newspaper, advised people to build toilet-equipped basements large enough to house their entire families for two weeks. If there was no basement, residents should construct bunkers in their front yards, the notice advised.

The shelters should be stocked with candles, battery-operated lights and radios, it said, adding that stocks of non-perishable food and water should be regularly replaced to ensure their freshness.

The notice said that during a nuclear attack, motorists should dive out of their cars toward the blast to save themselves from being crushed by their soon-to-be tumbling vehicles. “Expect some initial disorientation as the blast wave may blow down and carry away many prominent and familiar features,” it advised.

It also warned residents to keep people contaminated by fallout out of their shelters.

Yoginder Kaul, inspector-general at the civil defence and state disaster response force, said the advisory was part of a normal campaign to educate the public, and the information had been available on a government website for some time. “We routinely train and educate people regarding different natural and man-made disasters and that’s our duty.

“This advertisement too was part of such a campaign. Please, let’s not read into this beyond that. Let it be clear that this is purely in the nature of educating people and not connected with anything else,” he said.—AP