70-year-old siren in Kottayam still functions

By Sachin Jose
KOTTAYAM: The siren here at the municipal building has been functioning ceaselessly ever since it was installed 70 years ago.

   During the Second World War, Dewan of erstwhile Travancore Sir CP Ramaswamy Aiyar ordered to install civil-defense sirens in the major towns of the princely state to warn of bombings by Japan.

    As a result, the siren was set up in 1943, the same year the first municipal chairman, AV George assumed office.

    However, municipality electrician TC Mathew said, "The siren has hardly encountered any repairs, the last being nine years ago when it started producing noises.However, it has been working well after the bearings and rotors were cleaned "

    It is a horizontal double mounting siren with a power of 5 horsepower (3728.5 W) and its rotors rotate with 2,800 revolutions per minute. Mr Mathew said that the siren costs Rs 70,800 at present market value.

  The air-raid siren was manufactured by British Company Carter Gents, which is equivalent to contemporary Kheraj HDT-800 model produced in India.

     Used as a time alarm by the municipality, the siren blares at 1am, 5am, 8am,1pm, 5pm and 8pm every day. It is also used to communicate situations like the death of national or state leaders and calamities like fire breakouts, each with three sirens

      Auto-rickshaw driver M Asokan, who hails from Thiruvanchoor said, "The siren is audible as far as my home, which is 12 km away from here."