New Delhi: The Directorate General of Fire Service, Civil Defence & Home Guards, under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, has issued an advisory to all media channels requesting them to refrain from using civil defence air raid siren sounds in their programs other than for educating the community during awareness drives. This is because the routine use of sirens may likely to reduce the sensitivity of civilians towards the air raid sirens and civilians may misunderstood it as routine matter, used by the media channels, during the actual air raids.

In a communication addressed to Shri Raj Kumar, ADG Media and Communication, Ministry of Home Affairs, dated May 10, 2025, the Directorate General cited the powers conferred under Section 3 (1) (w) (i) of the Civil Defence Act, 1968, as the basis for this request.

The advisory highlights concerns that the routine use of these siren sounds in media broadcasts could diminish their significance and potentially cause confusion or undue alarm among civilians during actual emergencies. It emphasizes that such sounds, when used out of context, may lead to misinterpretation and reduce the sensitivity of the public towards genuine air raid warnings.

The Directorate General further stated that it is looking forward to the kind cooperation of all media channels in augmenting the Civil Defence preparedness in terms of the Civil Defence Act, 1968. DeshGujarat