Of the 272 civil defence sirens installed across Mumbai, just 39 are in working condition, say officials at the Maharashtra Home Guard and Civil Defence. This emerged as the city is preparing for a massive civil defence drill in the wake of heightened national security alert after the recent Pahalgam terror attack.
On Tuesday, officials checked all the sirens in Mumbai and verified that only 39 were operational. These sirens will be tested today in all 24 BMC wards in a drill to assess readiness for a possible war-like situation. The drill will include about 10,000 volunteers and trained staff who will inform citizens about emergency responses and evacuation procedures.
The siren system, installed between 1965 and 1993, included 421 units across Maharashtra 272 in Mumbai and others in Thane, Pune, Nashik, Uran, and Tarapur. Today, only 15 sirens remain functional outside Mumbai. Despite the dwindling numbers, officials aim to maximise awareness through today’s exercises.
Each siren produces a loud noise with three lights showing alert levels, yellow (warning), red (danger), and green (all clear). Citizens will be instructed on how to act during each stage, such as taking cover and helping rescue teams. Volunteers will also assist in moving homeless people to temporary shelters.
Maharashtra’s Director of Civil Defence, Prabhat Kumar, stressed the value of public coordination during emergencies. The Public Works Department (PWD) is responsible for maintaining the sirens.
The exercise does not stop with Mumbai, but similar drills will be conducted across all 244 Civil Defence districts in India. The aim is to check operational preparedness, coordination, and public response at the grassroots level, involving Home Guards, NCC, NSS, NYKS, and students.
These exercises are a reminder to revive India’s civil defence infrastructure in the face of changing security threats.
