Bhubaneswar: Moving a step ahead in dissemination of critical information about natural disasters, the Emergency Alert System (EAS) was successfully tested in the State today.
The Department of Telecommunication (DoT) of government of India in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has sent the emergency alert messages through Cell Broadcasting System to the telecom subscribers in the State on test basis.
“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 the Test 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,” read the message sent by the DoT.
The messages were sent in both English and Odia languages. The message directly appeared on the screen whether the mobile phone was ON or switched off.
The cell broadcast technology was developed by C-DOT that will alert people at the time of natural disaster. NDMA and State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) will send the message to the people with the help of DoT and telecom operators, he said, adding, the message can be sent to a particular region or the entire state at one go and the subscribers will receive the message on switch-off mode also.
The Cell Broadcast Alert System represents a cutting-edge technology to disseminate critical and time-sensitive disaster management messages to all mobile devices within specified geographical areas, regardless of whether the recipients are residents or visitors.
This ensures that crucial emergency information reaches as many individuals as possible promptly. Government agencies and emergency services to keep the public informed about potential threats and to provide vital updates during critical situations.
Common applications of cell broadcast include delivering emergency alerts such as severe weather warnings (e.g., Tsunamis, flash floods, earthquakes, lightning), public safety messages, evacuation notices, and other critical information.