NEW DELHI: India has stepped up efforts to strengthen its disaster preparedness system, with the government rolling out nationwide testing of a mobile-based emergency alert mechanism that has already reached users across the country. Officials have clarified that there is no reason for concern, as the alerts currently being received on mobile phones are part of a trial phase and not actual emergency warnings. The system, being tested by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in coordination with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), is designed to deliver real-time alerts to people in disaster-prone or affected areas. “Test messages in English, Hindi, and regional languages may be received on mobile phones; recipients are requested not to take any action during the testing phase,” govt said in a statement. According to the official release, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Government of India, is actively enhancing mobile-based disaster communication systems across the country to ensure timely dissemination of critical information to its citizens. NDMA has successfully operationalized the Integrated Alert System (SACHET), developed by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), the premier R&D centre of the Department of Telecommunications. 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. Officials said the system has already played a major role in public safety communication, enabling the dissemination of over 134 billion SMS alerts so far in more than 19 Indian languages during natural disasters, weather warnings, and cyclonic events. To further improve response time in critical situations such as earthquakes, tsunamis, lightning strikes, gas leaks or chemical hazards, authorities have introduced Cell Broadcast (CB) technology alongside SMS alerts. This system allows alerts to be transmitted simultaneously to all mobile devices within a defined geographic area, ensuring near real-time delivery. C-DOT has been entrusted with the indigenous development and implementation of this Cell Broadcast-based public emergency alert system. As part of the pan-India rollout and the launch of the Cell Broadcast (CB) facility, nationwide testing and trials are currently being conducted to assess the system’s performance and reliability prior to its formal inauguration and dedication to the nation. During this period, members of the public may receive test messages in English, Hindi and regional languages on their mobile devices. These “test messages” will only be received on mobile devices with Cell Broadcast test channels enabled (Users can enable or disable alerts through the following menu path on their mobile devices: Settings → Safety and emergency → Wireless emergency alerts → Test alerts). Recipients may receive multiple messages as part of the testing process to ensure proper functioning across the entire mobile network infrastructure.“This is a TEST Cell Broadcast message sent by the National Disaster Management Authority in coordination with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India, as part of testing the Cell Broadcast solution for disseminating alerts. During the testing of the Cell Broadcast solution, you may receive this message multiple times on your mobile handset. Please ignore these message(s); no action is required at your end.“ Authorities emphasised that these messages are part of a planned nationwide testing exercise and do not require any action by the recipients.
