As part of a planned civil defence preparedness drill, authorities will be sounding air raid sirens and activating other emergency systems across parts of the city this Wednesday. While officials emphasise that the exercise is routine, meant purely to test emergency response mechanisms, the wailing air raid sirens are expected to strike a deeper chord with many older residents.

For those who lived through the tense days of the 1971 Indo-Pak war, the sound isn’t just a drill, it’s a haunting reminder and flooding unsettling memories of a time when sirens meant real danger, covered doors and windows, blackouts, hurried evacuations, nights spent in underground shelters and families huddled together in fear.