India, May 10 -- West Bengal government repairs WWII-era sirens to ensure defence preparedness amid heightened security concerns

KOLKATA: Following a directive from the Union Government to assess defence preparedness, the West Bengal Government is scrambling to repair sirens installed in various locations across the state. These sirens, originally set up to alert citizens to any danger, were first installed in Kolkata during World War II. Many long-time residents remember that these sirens would regularly sound even after 1971, when Kolkata, then Calcutta, played a pivotal role in the military operations that led to the dismemberment of Pakistan and the birth of Bangladesh. Operation Sindoor, launched by the Indian armed forces against t...