Did your phone suddenly ring with a loud siren today? There's no need to panic. The message is from the National Disaster Management Authority (NMDA).
Many mobile users across India today, May 2, were startled as a loud "Extremely Severe" alert suddenly appeared on their screens. While the notification caused a brief moment of concern, the message quickly clarified that it was part of a planned test of the government's 'Cell Broadcast Alert' technology.
The "Cell Broadcast Alert" system enables faster, more effective dissemination of emergency alerts to citizens during disasters such as tsunamis, earthquakes, lightning strikes, or gas leaks. The system can send instant alerts to millions of mobile phones within seconds, helping people take timely action and move to safer locations during emergencies.
"Extremely severe alert! India, launches Cell Broadcast using the indigenous technology, for instant disaster alerting services for its citizens. Alert citizens, safe nation. No action is required by the public upon receipt of this message. This is a test message - Government of India," the message read.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, along with Union Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia, launched a nationwide rollout of a mobile-based disaster communication system on Saturday, May 2, aimed at enabling faster and more effective dissemination of emergency alerts to citizens.
The message was sent to mobile handsets in all capital cities of India along with Delhi and NCR as launch exercise. The following messages were sent in English, Hindi and Regional languages:
"India, launches Cell Broadcast using indigenous technology, for instant disaster alerting service for its citizens. Alert citizens, safe nation. No action is required by the public upon receipt of this message. This is a test message."
"भारतद्वारास्वदेशीतकनीककाउपयोगकरतेहुएअपनेनागरिकोंकेलिएत्वरितआपदाचेतावनीसेवाहेतुसेलब्रॉडकास्टकाशुभारंभ।सचेतनागरिक, सुरक्षितराष्ट्र।इससंदेशकीप्राप्तिपरजनतासेकिसीप्रकारकीकार्रवाईकीअपेक्षानहींकीजातीहै।यहएकपरीक्षणसंदेशहै।"
The Ministry of Communications, in statement issued on Friday, requested the citizens not to panic. "No action is required upon receiving this message," it said in the statement.
In a post from his X handle, Scindia said, "If you receive a message like this on your mobile, there is no need to panic. This is a test message from India's new mobile-based disaster communication system, developed by the C-DOT team of @DoT_India in collaboration with @ndmaindia using cell broadcast technology.
In the future, through this same system, instant alerts can be sent in the local language and according to the location in the event of a disaster or emergency. This initiative is an important step towards further strengthening citizen safety and ensuring rapid information during disasters. ."
The system, developed by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), is designed to deliver critical information during natural disasters and emergencies in real time. At the core of this initiative is the Integrated Alert System, known as SACHET.
The system is based on the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP), as recommended by the International Telecommunication Union. It is currently operational across all 36 States and Union Territories of India and delivers disaster and emergency related alerts via SMS to mobile users within geo-targeted areas.
The system has been extensively utilized by disaster management authorities, enabling the dissemination of over 134 billion SMS alerts, till date, in more than 19 Indian languages during natural disasters, weather warnings, and cyclonic events.
Developed by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), the platform uses SMS-based alerts to send geo-targeted warnings to mobile users. The Ministry of Communications has so far disseminated over 134 billion SMS alerts in more than 19 Indian languages during disasters, weather warnings, and cyclonic events.
To enhance speed and reach in time-sensitive scenarios such as earthquakes, tsunamis, lightning strikes, and industrial hazards, the government has now introduced Cell Broadcast (CB) technology alongside the existing SMS system. Unlike traditional messaging, CB technology allows alerts to be transmitted simultaneously to all mobile devices within a specific geographic area, ensuring near-instant delivery.
As part of the rollout, a nationwide testing exercise was conducted, during which mobile users in capital cities, including Delhi and the NCR, receiveed the test messages in English, Hindi, and regional languages.
The Ministry has clarified that these are only test alerts, and no action is required from the public. The Ministry has urged citizens not to panic upon receiving such messages, emphasizing that the initiative is part of efforts to strengthen India's disaster preparedness and early warning capabilities through indigenous technology.
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