Mobile phones go abuzz with launch of cell broadcast alert system to warn about emergency natural disasters

PTI Updated: May 02, 2026 15:09 IST
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New Delhi, May 2 (PTI) Mobile phones across the country went abuzz after Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia launched the cell broadcast alert system on Saturday that will warn citizens about emergency and natural disasters in their area.
    The Department of Telecom had already alerted citizens about the trial run of the service on April 29 to avoid panic, with an appeal to ignore any alerts they receive.
    The test message read: "Extremely Severe Alert. India launched 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- Government of India".
     The alert system was sent across the network of all telecom operators across the country, except in poll-bound states.
    "Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya Scindia, today launched the Cell Broadcast Alert System, developed indigenously by C-DOT in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), under the guidance of Home Minister Amit Shah," an official statement said.
    Through this system, critical information related to disasters, emergencies, and public safety will be transmitted directly and instantly to citizens' mobile phones, the statement said.
    The system is based on the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) as recommended by the UN body 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.
    Cell Broadcast (CB) technology has been introduced alongside SMS, enabling alerts to be transmitted to all mobile devices within a defined geographic area simultaneously, ensuring near-real-time delivery.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)