Short answer. India publishes no national network of public air-raid or fallout shelters. The public shelters described in official sources are multipurpose cyclone shelters in coastal districts, used as schools or community buildings outside cyclone season 1. No national count or online locator was found; during evacuations, district authorities direct people to them 1.
Does India have public air-raid or fallout shelters?
No public air-raid or fallout shelter network is published by the Indian authorities in the sources we checked 1. There is no official map or search tool for one.
The legal tool that exists runs the other way: under Rule 18 of the Civil Defence Rules, 1968, the central or state government may order the owner of a premises to build an air-raid shelter there, to the layout and materials it specifies 2. That is an order made case by case, not a public network. See build a shelter in India.
What are cyclone shelters?
Cyclone shelters are buildings in coastal districts designed to protect people, and sometimes cattle, during cyclones. NDMA's civil defence handbook describes their dual use 1:
"The cyclone shelter is primarily designed to shelter people and sometimes even cattle, during cyclones. However, it will be utilized as a multipurpose community facility all through the year"
Outside cyclone season they serve as schools or community buildings 1. The national design criteria, such as a location about 1.5 km from the coast and a floor at least 0.5 m above the maximum surge level, are set out on our shelter standards page 1.
How many cyclone shelters are there?
No national figure is published in the sources we consulted 1. The handbook mentions 23 cyclone shelters in coastal Odisha at the time of an earlier cyclone, without giving the year 1. That figure is historical and local; it does not describe current capacity.
How do I find a shelter near me?
No public online shelter locator was found 1. The route is the district administration: in a cyclone or other evacuation, follow the orders of your district authorities and the District Emergency Operations Centre, which direct people to shelters 1.
Practical steps that do not depend on a map:
- Make sure your phone can receive official alerts. See alerts in India.
- Know who your district authority is and how its orders reach you.
- Keep your kit ready to take with you if you are told to evacuate.
For deciding between staying and leaving in general terms, see shelter or evacuate. For cyclone-specific steps, see hurricane and cyclone preparedness.
Frequently asked questions
Are there nuclear fallout shelters for the public in India?
No public fallout shelter network is published 1. The shelters described in official sources are multipurpose cyclone shelters 1.
Who decides when cyclone shelters open?
District authorities direct people to shelters during evacuations, through the District Emergency Operations Centre 1.
Can I find cyclone shelters on an official map?
No public online shelter locator was found in the sources we checked 1.
Can the government require a building to have a shelter?
Yes. Under Rule 18 of the Civil Defence Rules, 1968, the central or state government may order an owner to build an air-raid shelter on their premises 2.
Sources
- National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) — Prepared Communities, Secured Country, Part II (April 2012), Section 13 (Multipurpose Cyclone Shelters, citing NDM Guidelines for Cyclone Management, 2008) — http://ndma.gov.in/images/guidelines/ndmacivildefencepart-2.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20; checked on archived copy https://web.archive.org/web/2020/http://ndma.gov.in/images/guidelines/ndmacivildefencepart-2.pdf)
- Directorate of Civil Defence, Government of Assam (copy of central Act and Rules) — The Civil Defence Act, 1968 (No. 27 of 1968) and The Civil Defence Rules 1968 (rule 18, Air raid shelters) — https://dgcd.assam.gov.in/sites/default/files/swf_utility_folder/departments/cdhg_webcomindia_org_oid_5/menu/document/act_%26_rule_of_cd.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)
Turn this into action
Your plan for India, worked out for your household.
- Water, food and equipment counted for each person and pet
- The nuclear plants and zones around your home
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Sources
- National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) · Prepared Communities, Secured Country: Handbook for Training and Capacity Building of Civil Defence & Sister Organizations, Part II (April 2012), Section 13 (Multipurpose Cyclone Shelters, citing NDM Guidelines for Cyclone Management, 2008) checked 2026-10-20
- Directorate of Civil Defence, Government of Assam (copy of central Act and Rules) · The Civil Defence Act, 1968 (No. 27 of 1968) and The Civil Defence Rules 1968 (rule 18, Air raid shelters) checked 2026-10-20