MHA Issues Advisory to Media: Avoid Casual Use of Civil Defence Air Raid Sirens
New Delhi, 10th May 2025: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued an advisory to all media organizations, urging them to refrain from the casual use of Civil Defence air raid sirens in news broadcasts, entertainment content, or dramatizations.
The advisory, released on Saturday, invokes Section 3(1)(w)(i) of the Civil Defence Act, 1968, which prohibits the use of air raid sirens outside of official civil defence purposes unless clearly intended for public awareness or community education.
Signed by Umesh Sharma, Additional Director General (Civil Defence – Communication), the advisory highlights concerns that indiscriminate use of siren sounds may desensitize the public. “If air raid sirens are heard regularly in non-emergency contexts, the public may no longer associate them with actual danger,” it warns, cautioning that such misuse could lead to confusion and delay in emergency response during real crises.
The MHA stressed that air raid sirens are a vital part of India’s emergency communication infrastructure, especially in the context of wartime alerts, natural disasters, and large-scale civil emergencies. Misuse by media outlets could undermine national preparedness and weaken public trust in alert systems.
The advisory, addressed to Raj Kumar, Additional Director General (Media and Communication), calls on media houses to act responsibly and ensure that siren sounds are used only for awareness campaigns aligned with the national Civil Defence framework.
