🔴 By | Arvind Jadhav
Mumbai : The sound of emergency sirens will once again echo through parts of South Mumbai today and tomorrow. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is conducting a planned test of prototype emergency siren systems on October 8 and 9, but the civic body has made it clear that there is no emergency or security threat.
The sirens will be tested at the Old Secretariat in Fort and the Civil Defence College building near Cross Maidan. The exercise is aimed at checking whether the new warning system can effectively alert people during an actual emergency.
🟡 When sirens once meant war
For older Mumbaikars, the sound of an air-raid siren is not unfamiliar. Mumbai’s civil defence siren network dates back to the security concerns that followed the 1962 India-China war. Hundreds of sirens were subsequently installed across the city as part of the Air Raid Precaution system.
The sirens were designed to provide an early warning to citizens in case of an air attack. During the 1965 and 1971 wars with Pakistan, such warnings were an important part of Mumbai’s civil defence preparedness. Blackouts, shelters and emergency drills were once part of the city’s wartime routine.
🟡 From a familiar city sound to silent rooftops
Over the decades, the traditional siren network gradually became outdated. A 2020 report noted that Mumbai had 306 sirens installed under the older system, but many had become non-functional because of ageing technology and maintenance problems.
The need to modernise emergency warnings became even more evident as Mumbai faced new forms of risk — including major floods, fires, industrial accidents, natural disasters and other emergencies where people may need to receive warnings within seconds.
🟡 Why today’s test matters
Modern emergency communication cannot depend on a single method. Mobile alerts, public announcements and sirens can work together to reach people who may not have received or noticed a phone notification.
India has also moved towards newer emergency communication technology. In May 2026, the government launched a nationwide Cell Broadcast System, developed by C-DOT with other disaster-management agencies, allowing targeted emergency alerts to be sent rapidly to mobile phones.
The new prototype sirens being tested in Mumbai are therefore part of a broader effort to strengthen the city’s emergency warning infrastructure. The equipment has been developed by C-DOT under the guidance of the Directorate General of Civil Defence, New Delhi.
🟡 A siren today does not mean danger
The BMC has appealed to citizens not to panic if they hear the sirens on October 8 and 9. People have also been advised not to believe or circulate unauthorised information or rumours.
For Mumbai, the test has a significance beyond the sound itself: a warning system is useful only when it works when people actually need it. Today’s exercise is intended to check that readiness before a real emergency occurs.
