Mumbai — In a large-scale civil defence exercise across Mumbai today, only 39 of the city’s 272 sirens were found to be functional, raising alarms over the state’s emergency preparedness. The Maharashtra Home Guard and Civil Defence launched this operation under directives from the Ministry of Home Affairs to assess war-readiness in urban and rural pockets of the state.
The simulation, which aims to train civilians in response strategies during a war-like scenario, comes in the wake of the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26. As a precautionary response, Maharashtra has intensified civil defence drills to gauge systemic readiness across 24 wards in Mumbai, with approximately 10,000 volunteers and trained personnel participating.
“Only 39 sirens in Mumbai and 15 in the rest of the state are currently operational,” confirmed Prabhat Kumar, Director of Civil Defence, Maharashtra. “Sirens will be activated in every BMC ward as a signal to begin the public awareness drills. Volunteers will spread out to educate people on immediate protective actions and disaster mitigation techniques.”
The defunct status of the majority of sirens is concerning. Originally installed between 1965 and 1993, Maharashtra had 421 sirens—272 in Mumbai, 75 in Pune, 22 in Nashik, 19 in Thane, 15 in Uran, and 21 in Tarapur. Now, only a fraction remain active: 5 in Thane, 7 in Nashik, and 8 in Uran. Officials attribute the decline to ageing infrastructure and inadequate maintenance by the Public Works Department (PWD).
Each siren emits a high-decibel warning sound accompanied by a three-color light system. Yellow indicates an alert phase, triggering volunteers to guide civilians to safety. Red signals immediate danger, instructing residents to stay indoors and avoid any sign of habitation, especially during evening alerts. Green denotes safety and clearance.
“Citizens should relocate promptly and assist emergency response units in fire, medical, and evacuation efforts,” Kumar added. “We’re also preparing shelters for the homeless at schools, colleges, and BMC offices. Food and medicines will be distributed by local authorities.”
Underground shelters in Mumbai, while not traditional bunkers, will be utilized in emergencies. In highly populated areas, sirens can be heard up to 1.5 km away, and even farther in quieter zones. Meanwhile, the city’s fire brigades, the NDRF, SDRF, NGOs, and other volunteer organizations are mobilized to act as first responders.
The state-level drills are not limited to Mumbai. Civil defence exercises are being conducted today across India’s 244 designated Civil Defence districts. The aim is to assess coordination and operational readiness across all states and Union Territories. Participants include District Controllers, civil defence wardens, Home Guard personnel (active and reserve), NCC, NSS, NYKS members, and school and college students.
“These exercises are not just to check sirens or emergency response,” said an official. “They are meant to build a culture of preparedness among citizens.”
With only 14% of sirens functioning in Mumbai, the drive has underscored the urgent need to upgrade the system. The hope is that today’s drill will be a wake-up call, not only to the authorities responsible for maintenance but also to the citizens who must play an active role in their own safety.
As the city confronts increasing threats and vulnerabilities, these drills could mark the beginning of a long-overdue civil defence revival.
