Caution: The Air Raid Siren is Sounding!

Suddenly, the shrill scream of an air raid siren pierces the air, and an eerie silence spreads all around. Along with other sensitive areas across the country, this has become a common scene in Mumbai these days. During the ongoing ‘mock defense drills,’ the air raid sirens are triggered at the slightest indication of an aerial threat to alert the city’s residents. People in India became familiar with these sirens during World War II, the 1962 war with China, and the 1965 and 1971 wars with Pakistan. During the Kargil conflict, the battlefield was confined, so the need for sirens didn’t arise. However, following the Pahalgam attacks and India’s subsequent ‘Operation Sindoor’ that created war-like circumstances, those old days have returned.

When Are Air Raid Sirens Sounded?

The responsibility for the country’s air security lies with the Indian Air Force. In a war situation, as soon as an enemy aircraft is detected, the entire air defense system, from radar to siren, is activated. Every civilian and military aircraft is assigned an Air Defense Clearance (ADC) number and a Flight Information Clearance (FIC) number. The ADC is issued by the Indian Air Force, and the FIC by civil agencies. With the flight plan fed into every aircraft, air traffic controllers and nearby air defense units or nodes can continuously track its route. Pilots are required to keep their IFF (Identify Friend or Foe) code active at all times. If a radar-detected aircraft does not meet this criterion, it is considered a potential threat. The Air Force’s multilayered air defense system—equipped with long-range, medium-range, short-range, very short-range missiles, shoulder-fired guns, and close weapon systems—assesses the aircraft’s direction. The nearest air defense node immediately alerts the civil authority, which is then responsible for sounding the sirens in the designated areas, warning civilians to take shelter.

For Mumbaikars, sirens are nothing new. This alert system has long been used during natural disasters and accidents. Elderly residents of industrial areas still recall the rise and fall of sirens used in the mills to indicate work shifts, lunch breaks, and accidents. These sirens went silent with the decline of the mills. Until the 1990s, sirens were also used to observe a moment of silence on Martyrs’ Day (January 30) at 11 a.m. in honor of Mahatma Gandhi—a tradition that mysteriously ended. During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, sirens were used again at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the ‘Janata Curfew.’ Later, they were used in several states to remind people to wear masks and observe other safety precautions. In the current era, sirens have been limited to alerting the public during emergency situations. Following the Pahalgam attacks and the resultant war-like scenario, sirens have been reactivated during mock security drills ordered by the Ministry of Home Affairs. This time, the drill has been named ‘Operation Abhyas.’

Expensive Maintenance

Sirens are electromechanical devices. This warning system is installed in almost every ward of the city, including government offices, schools, colleges, and private buildings. In densely populated areas, sirens can be heard up to 1.5 kilometers away, and even further in quieter regions. These warning devices emit loud sounds and three types of lights. In wartime conditions, a yellow light signals alertness. During such times, civil defense volunteers, along with trained teams, are responsible for helping civilians reach safe locations. Mumbai doesn’t have bunkers, but it does have underground spaces that can offer protection. The homeless and beggars are sheltered in schools, colleges, or municipal offices. During such emergencies, providing food and medicine for them is the responsibility of the relevant authorities. This information is disseminated during mock security drills.

A red siren light signals that people should not go outside and must stay indoors. This is when disaster response teams—NDRF, SDRF, BMC, Mumbai Police, NCC, NSS, MSF, Home Guard, Civil Defense Wardens, RPF, GRP, Fire Brigade, NGOs, and volunteer organizations—spring into action. If anyone is injured in an air raid, they are taken to a hospital. In case of fire, fire trucks and ambulances respond promptly. BMC fully activates its disaster response system. A green light on the siren means the threat has passed, and all is safe again. If the siren sounds at night, it is prohibited to turn on lights or engage in any activity that could reveal one’s presence.

Sirens must be tested periodically for effectiveness, as mandated by official written rules. Different tones or binary sound patterns are used to signal various alert levels, and voice announcements can also be made. The siren system can be integrated and electronically controlled through radio and TV emergency alert systems, NOAA weather radio, telephone alerting systems, reverse 911, cable override, and wireless alert systems. To prevent false alarms, precautions must be built into the system. Sirens can also be connected to other networks, such as volunteer alerting/paging systems of fire departments. Apart from the Civil Defense Control Room, they are linked to a hotline to ensure they don’t shut down during power outages. The Maharashtra Directorate of Civil Protection and Home Guards oversees their control, while the Public Works Department is responsible for their maintenance.

These sirens, once a symbol of a proud legacy, have fallen silent for many years. Why? According to available data, between 1965 and 1993, 272 such sirens were installed at various locations across the metropolis. Including Navi Mumbai, Thane, Uran, Tarapur, Pune, and Nashik, the total number across Maharashtra reached 421. Today, most of them lie in disrepair, and the rest have become mere showpieces. The main reason behind this deterioration is outdated technology, which makes their upkeep very expensive. As per the latest information, only 39 of Mumbai’s sirens are currently operational. In fact, in recent years, even their functionality hasn’t been tested, raising concerns that these sirens may fade into oblivion—remembered only in the memories of Mumbaikars.

The First Head of Civil Defense

Few people know that the credit for initiating civil defense drills in India goes to E. Raghavendra Rao of Nagpur, Maharashtra. During World War II, on July 22, 1941, a debate in the British Parliament raised the question of whether there were any plans to involve India more closely in war efforts. The response was affirmative—a new department named ‘Civil Defense’ was to be created in India, and E. Raghavendra Rao, a trained barrister, was to head it. Rao passed away just a year later, but not before laying a strong foundation for civil defense in India. Born in 1889, Rao was appointed Governor of the Central Provinces, whose capital was Nagpur. In 1937, he became the Chief Minister of the Central Provinces and Berar. To this day, India’s only Civil Defense College is located in Nagpur.

By Vimal Mishra