Prototype siren to be tested in parts of Mumbai on October 8 and 9; BMC says no cause for alarm

A prototype siren device will be tested in Mumbai on October 8 and 9. During the test, the siren will be heard in some parts of the city. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has made it clear that people should not be alarmed by the sound.

Mumbai is the country's financial capital, and large numbers of residents and tourists move through it every day. A sudden siren could therefore cause fear or confusion. With this in mind, the administration has informed the public before the test.

Prototype siren devices have been installed on the old Secretariat building and its annexe in the Fort area. A siren has also been installed on the Civil Defence College building near Cross Maidan. The test on October 8 and 9 will be held at these locations.

The prototype siren device has been developed by a team from the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT). The work was done under the guidance of the Director General (Civil Defence), New Delhi.

According to the administration, the siren test is fully pre-planned. No real emergency has arisen in the city and there is no threat of any kind. People therefore need not be frightened on hearing the siren.

The administration has also appealed to people not to believe any unofficial information or rumour spreading on social media or through other channels. People have also been asked to cooperate with the administration in the test.

For Mumbaikars, the message is simple: if the sound of a siren is heard on October 8 or 9, it should not be taken as an emergency. It is only a pre-planned test of a prototype siren device, nothing more.