Delhi Tests Air Raid Sirens Amid India-Pakistan Tensions; Over 40 More to Be Installed

As border tensions rise and missile threats persist, Delhi begins civil defence drills and plans citywide deployment of sirens with 8-km range to enhance public safety.

May 9, 2025: As part of heightened civil defence measures amid rising military tensions with Pakistan, Delhi conducted an air raid siren drill at 3 pm on Friday, urging residents to stay calm and not panic. The test, carried out at the Public Works Department (PWD) headquarters at ITO, is the first step in a broader emergency preparedness plan that will soon include 40 to 50 sirens across the city.

The Directorate of Civil Defence coordinated the mock drill, which involved sounding sirens at least twice. Authorities stressed that it was only a test to assess readiness in case of further cross-border escalations.

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PWD Minister Parvesh Verma announced that the upcoming sirens, to be installed on high-rise buildings, would each cover a radius of up to 8 km and be centrally operated from a command centre. “The installations will be completed within a few days. In emergencies, the sirens will be activated for five minutes,” Verma explained.

District Magistrate (Central), G Sudhakar, also issued a public advisory requesting Delhiites not to be alarmed by the sirens.

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Background: Pakistan Escalation and Operation Sindoor

The mock drill follows a fresh wave of missile and drone attacks launched by Pakistan over the past 48 hours, targeting strategic Indian locations in Jammu, Punjab, and Rajasthan. Eight missiles were fired in Jammu and Kashmir alone, while drones were intercepted above Jaisalmer. India successfully neutralised all aerial threats, with the Indian Army stating that the attacks were “effectively repulsed” and ceasefire violations (CFVs) along the Line of Control were met with a “befitting reply.”

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Cities including Amritsar, Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panchkula witnessed blackout protocols on Thursday night as precautionary measures.

The military escalations come in the wake of Operation Sindoor, India’s precision strike campaign launched on May 7 against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Targets included the headquarters of terrorist groups Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. The strikes were India’s retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which killed 26 civilians.

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