On Saturday morning, suddenly a loud beeping sound was heard on the mobile phones of many people and there was a commotion in the atmosphere for a few seconds. This sound that came suddenly without any call or message startled people and many people got scared as to what was happening. But when people looked at their phone screens, they understood that this was not a sign of any danger, but was part of an important government test.

The message that appeared on the phone began with “Extremely Serious Warning.” It was written in it that the Government of India has started a new disaster warning system through indigenous technology. It was also made clear that this is only a test and people do not need to take any action on this. The purpose of this message was to tell people that in any future emergency, alerts will be sent in this manner, so that they can be alerted in time.

Simultaneous testing conducted across the country

This was not a general message, but a test conducted simultaneously in the entire country. This alert was heard for a few seconds on millions of mobile phones. The government had already advised people to ignore such test messages, but still the sudden loud sound surprised many people.

This initiative is being jointly run by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Its main objective is to provide correct information to people immediately in case of disaster or any emergency. This system is based on an internationally recognized technology called Common Alerting Protocol (CAP). Through this it is ensured that the message reaches quickly and at the right place.

How does this alert system work?

Two types of technologies are being used in this new system – SMS and cell broadcast.
SMS Alert: In this, a message is sent to the people of a particular area.
Cell Broadcast (CB): Through this technology, alerts are sent simultaneously to all the mobile phones present in a certain area.
The special thing about cell broadcast is that the message reaches it almost instantly, which saves time in emergency situations.

Why is this initiative necessary?

In a country as large and diverse as India, there is always a risk of disasters, be it floods, earthquakes or any other emergency. In such a situation, it is very important to get timely information. Through this new system, the government wants to ensure that in times of any crisis, correct information reaches people immediately, so that they can take safe steps.

The government has made it clear that whatever alerts are coming at present are only a part of the test. There is no need to react to these. People have been appealed not to panic and cooperate. When this test is completely successful, then this system will be completely implemented across the country. After this, in case of any emergency, people will get alert in their own language, due to which more and more people will be able to become alert in time.