Aiming to enhance public safety and provide timely alerts during emergencies, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) under the Union Government on September 15, conducted a pan-India ’emergency alert’ testing.
A sample test message titled ‘Emergency Alert: Severe’, was sent to subscribers on Vodafone Idea, Jio, Airtel, and BSNL networks. A similar alert was received earlier too.
The sample test message was sent through the “Cell Broadcasting System” by DoT under the Union Ministry of Communications.
This message was sent to test the pan-India emergency alert system being implemented by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
“This is a SAMPLE TESTING MESSAGE sent through the Cell Broadcasting System by the Department of Telecommunication, Government of India. Please ignore this message as no action is required from your end. This message has been sent to test the Pan-India Emergency Alert System being implemented by the National Disaster Management Authority. It aims to enhance public safety and provide timely alerts during emergencies,” the text message read.
The message was sent in both Hindi and English to cell phones of people across India and upon receipt, cell phones started vibrating with a sharp beep sound, alerting people.
An official from the NDMA told media that it was a “Cell Broadcasting System” message that is currently under testing and being sent by the DoT.
“This is part of a broader plan to enhance public safety by providing timely alerts during emergencies. A pan-India emergency alert system is being implemented by the NDMA, but the messages are being circulated by the DoT. The NDMA would keep spreading awareness about disaster-related emergencies through such alerts in the future after the system is established,” said the official.
(with inputs from ANI)
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