NEW DELHI: Amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, the Delhi government is ramping up preparations to handle any untoward situation, including the installation of air-raid sirens, deployment of civil defence personnel, activation of control rooms and mock drills across the capital.
Delhi Minister Parvesh Verma on Friday announced that air raid sirens will be installed atop several high-rise buildings across the city as part of emergency preparedness.
“From Friday night, 40 to 50 sirens will be installed on multistorey and high-rise buildings. They will be operated through a central command centre and used in emergency situations, including blackouts,” Verma said, adding that the sirens would be controlled by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
A senior official from the Revenue Department said that locations across Delhi have been identified for the installation of sirens, with testing already underway. “The Civil Defence Directorate tested an air-raid siren on Friday atop the multi-storey PWD building at ITO. Similar testing will continue in other areas over the coming days,” the official said.
In total, 10 sirens are being installed in each of the 11 revenue districts of Delhi. “Each siren has a different range—some cover two kilometres, others four or even up to 16 kilometres. This ensures there are no dark patches in the city,” the official said. In East Delhi, the district administration has deployed civil defence personnel at the district magistrate’s office and activated the control room. In the Central district, 50 civil defence volunteers are being trained and will be deployed across various areas.
“Mock drills and awareness campaigns are being planned to educate citizens on how to respond during air raids and emergencies,” an official said.