PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Civil Defence Directorate has asked the administrations of 29 districts in the province to ensure that 50 electric sirens provided to them in 2020 are `in perfect order` amid the current Indo-Pak border tensions.

In a memo, titled `installation of sirens-escalation in tense situations by Indian forces along the Line of Control,` and addressed to deputy commissioners across the province, the director (civil defence) read that the importance of a warning system during any emergency, especially war, needed no emphasis. `Warning systems play an import ant role in the war during air attack by the enemy and in any disastrous situation,` it noted.

The memo added that the warning and alarm system of the civil defence could be used as an efficient tool for the dissemination of war and air raid alert, enabling the public to take security/protection measures.

It said that as the current tense security situation on the eastern border had been escalated by the Indian forces along the Line of Control, the importance of the civil defence warning system had increased manifold.

The memo pointed out that to meet such an emergency situation in the province, 50 electric sirens were purchased by the Civil Defence Directorate and issued to all deputy commissioners of KP.`It is requested to direct the civil defence officers of your respective district to provide details including complete location of sirens already installed, particulars of supervisor, status of functionality to this directorate immediately,` the letter noted.

It also asked the deputy commissioners to direct relevant civil defence officers to check and service sirens and ensure that they`re in perfect order.

Director (civil defence) Altaf Hussain told Dawn that the directorate had provided 50 sirens to district administrations across the province in 2020.

He said the directorate had asked deputy commissioners to check and ensure that these sirens are properly working as a precautionary measure against any emergency situation.

The sirens weigh 120kg with a range of 10-15km and 10-horsepowerhooter.

The memo noted the four such sirens each have been provided to the district administration of Peshawar, Abbottabad, Mardan, Kohat, Swat, Dera Ismail Khan and Bannu. In addition to Malakand, Upper and Lower Dir, Lower Chitral, Kurram, Charsadda, Nowshera, Swabi, Bajaur, Mansehra, Hangu, Mohmand, Shangla, Buner, Lakki Marwat, Khyber, North and South Waziristan, Battagram, Tank and Orakzai districts have been provided with one siren each for installation.