Jamshedpur’s Air Raid Siren Project: ₹10L Fund Surrendered Unspent  

 Jamshedpur: A vital plan to install emergency air raid and disaster alert sirens at 12 strategic locations across the city has completely collapsed due to administrative negligence and red tape. Despite the state government allocating a dedicated fund of ₹10 Lakh to East Singhbhum district last year, the local administration failed to utilize the money within the stipulated timeframe, forcing them to surrender the entire amount back to the government treasury.

The plan was originally drafted to establish an emergency warning system to alert citizens during air strikes or natural disasters. However, bureaucratic delays, technical complications, and standard laxity among officials meant that by the end of the financial year on March 29, 2026, not a single rupee had been spent.

Deputy Commissioner Seeks Fresh Funds

Following a detailed investigation report submitted by the Dhalbhum Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) highlighting the gravity of the matter, East Singhbhum Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rajiv Ranjan took swift cognizance, invoking Section 50 of the Disaster Management Act 2005, the DC has officially written a letter to the Secretary of the Home, Jail, and Disaster Management Department, requesting a fresh allocation of ₹10 Lakh to restart the stalled project on a priority basis.

Key Highlights of the Failure

• Sirens Purchased but Left Idle: The Civil Defence department had already purchased 12 sirens using funds from their equipment head. However, the system could not be integrated into the central control room, rendering the purchase useless for now.
• Tender Complications: Officials revealed that an initial tender was floated, and three agencies applied. However, during verification, only one agency was found to have a valid character certificate. Due to a “single tender” situation, technical rules prevented the project from moving forward, leading to a massive delay and eventual budget lapse.

Proposed Locations for the Sirens

The 12 high-altitude locations and water towers identified for the siren installation included:

• Telco (Near Bhubaneswari Temple)
• TRF Water Tower
• Baridih Water Tower
• MGM Building (Mango)
• Sidhgora Water Tower
• DM Library Building (Sakchi)
• Central Water Tower (Northern Town, Bistupur)
• Jugsalai Water Tower
• Kagalnagar Water Tower (Sonari)
• Kadma Water Tower
• Bistupur Circuit House Area Building
• Electricity Office Building (Karandih) / Water Tower near Mango Thana

What the Officials Say

“We have requested fresh funds of ₹10 Lakh from the state government. The Disaster Management Department has been written to, and the installation of the sirens will be executed on a high priority basis as soon as the funds are received.”

— Anurag Tiwari, Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC), Disaster Management

“Before testing the sirens in the city, administrative formalities had to be completed by JNAC. Due to certain technical reasons, the test could not be conducted in time.”

— Krishna Kumar, Deputy Municipal Commissioner, JNAC