Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: India has rolled out a nationwide mobile disaster communication system, with users across the country receiving test alerts on their phones during the trial phase.Officials have said there is no reason to panic.The government is currently running nationwide trials of a mobile-based disaster alert system and the messages being sent are only test notifications, not real emergency warnings. According to an official statement, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), in coordination with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is testing a new system designed to quickly push emergency alerts to people in specific areas during disasters such as floods, earthquakes or other crises. The system uses a global standard called the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP), recommended by the International Telecommunication Union and is already active across all 36 states and Union Territories. Alongside SMS alerts, authorities have also introduced Cell Broadcast technology, which allows messages to be sent simultaneously to all mobile phones within a targeted geographic area. Officials say this enables near real-time delivery during emergencies. “As part of the pan-India rollout nationwide testing and trials are currently being conducted,” the statement said, adding that users may receive repeated messages in English, Hindi or regional languages. The government has clarified that these messages are only for testing purposes and “no action is required” from recipients. Officials have urged people not to panic if they receive such alerts, stressing that the system is still being evaluated before its formal launch.(With inputs from PTI)
