NEW DELHI, July 1: In a significant step toward enhancing disaster preparedness, the Government of India has begun testing a new mobile alert system that will enable the delivery of real-time emergency warnings to citizens across the country. The initiative, spearheaded by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), aims to improve public safety during natural and man-made disasters.
Known as the Cell Broadcast system, the new technology is designed to send instantaneous alerts to all mobile phones in a specific geographic area affected by emergencies such as earthquakes, tsunamis, lightning strikes, gas leaks, or chemical hazards. Unlike traditional SMS alerts, which are sent individually to users, Cell Broadcast messages can reach all devices in the target zone simultaneously, ensuring faster and more reliable dissemination of crucial information.
The system is currently undergoing nationwide testing, which is expected to continue for two to four weeks. During this period, mobile users may receive test messages on their devices, which will be clearly marked as part of the trial and will not require any action from the recipients.
Developed by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) under the DoT, the Cell Broadcast system will eventually complement the existing SMS-based warning platform ‘SACHET’, which is already operational in all 36 states and Union Territories.
Officials said that once fully implemented, the new system will support alerts in multiple Indian languages, ensuring that critical information is accessible to people across diverse linguistic and regional backgrounds.
