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India Gazette
30-06-2025
- India Gazette
NDMA, DoT collaborate to broadcast disaster alerts across country
New Delhi [India], July 1 (ANI): The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Government of India, has been actively enhancing mobile-enabled disaster communication systems across the country to provide timely information to citizens. NDMA has successfully operationalised the Integrated Alert System (SACHET), developed by the Centre of Development of Telematics (C-DOT), which is based on the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) recommended by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). This system is already operational in all 36 States and Union Territories (UTs) of India and sends various disaster or emergency-related alerts through SMS to the mobiles of citizens affected in a particular geo-targeted area. This system has been extensively used by disaster management authorities to issue over 6,899 crore SMS alerts in more than 19 Indian languages during various natural disasters, weather warnings, and cyclonic events, according to an official statement from the Ministry of Communications. To further strengthen alert dissemination in time-critical disaster situations such as tsunamis, earthquakes, lightning strikes, and man-made emergencies like gas leaks or chemical hazards, Cell Broadcast (CB) technology is being implemented in addition to SMS. In the Cell Broadcast System, the alerts are sent to mobile phones in the affected area in a broadcast mode, and hence the dissemination of alerts happens in near real time. The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), the premier R&D centre of the Department of Telecom, has been entrusted with the indigenous development and implementation of the Cell Broadcast-based public emergency alerting system, the statement added. According to the Ministry, as part of the Pan-India rollout, testing of the CB system is being conducted to ascertain the efficacy and proper functioning of the system before it is rolled out. This testing will last for 2-4 weeks, covering the entire country. During this period, test messages in English and Hindi may be received by the public on their mobile handsets. These 'test messages' will be received only by mobile handsets that have CB test channels enabled. During the testing phase, these messages may also be received multiple times, through the test channel, to test the proper functioning of the system in the entire network of mobile towers (Base Station Trans receivers-BTS). These test messages are part of a planned nationwide testing exercise and require no action from recipients. The content of the test message will be as follows: This is a TEST Cell Broadcast message sent by the National Disaster Management Authority in coordination with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India, as part of testing the Cell Broadcast solution for disseminating alerts. During the testing of the Cell Broadcast solution, you may receive this message multiple times on your mobile handset. Please ignore these messages; no action is required on your end. Once successfully tested and operationalized, the CB system will be used to disseminate alerts in multiple Indian languages across all mobile handsets, regardless of test channel settings, ensuring a wide and inclusive public reach during actual emergencies. DoT requests the co-operation of the public during this important testing phase and reiterates that all test messages during this period are purely for system validation purposes and no action is required from the recipient side. (ANI)
India Today
06-05-2025
- India Today
Nationwide alert system SACHET portal: What citizens need to know
In an effort to improve disaster management and public safety, India has launched the SACHET Portal, a state-of-the-art system that provides real-time alerts during natural and man-made disasters. Developed by the Indian government, the portal was first launched in 2023 before being revised comprehensively in 2024. Developed on the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) platform, the SACHET alert portal is a national platform utilised for the dispatch of warning messages to the public in various regions of the country. Spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Sachet Portal dispatches crucial alerts in the form of SMS, mobile alerts, and browser notifications, to facilitate early and widespread dissemination of crucial information. The portal delivers alerts in multiple languages and simultaneously pushes them to all media platforms, including social and digital, ensuring wide and immediate public reach. The alert system is managed by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and is coordinated with major agencies such as the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Central Water Commission (CWC), INCOIS, Forest Survey of India (FSI), and Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment (DGRE). These agencies collectively provide real-time information that is then pushed as alerts through geo-intelligence. SACHET PORTAL: HOW ALERTS GET DELIVERED SMS Notifications: Sent under the title "XX-NDMAEW", the alerts are sent according to users' locations and are published in different Indian languages. Mobile App Notifications: The Sachet phone application enables on-the-go push notifications for those who subscribe from various locations. Browser Notifications: Push notifications are offered to desktop and laptop users via browser notifications, adding a second layer of timely delivery. India CAP RSS Feed: The alert will be published on the RSS feed as well, and agencies (News agencies etc.) subscribed for the RSS feed will get alerts and they can further disseminate/broadcast the warning to the public. The SACHET portal can be activated during a wide range of emergency situations, covering both natural disasters and man-made crises. WHERE AND WHEN CAN THE SACHET ALERT PORTAL BE USED? Earthquakes: Rapid alerts on seismic activity. Cyclones and storms: Warnings for coastal and inland regions. Tsunamis: Early warnings issued by ocean monitoring agencies. Forest fires: Notifications for at-risk forest zones. Industrial accidents: Alerts for chemical leaks, explosions, or fires in industrial zones. Terror attacks or major security threats: Immediate public alerts to ensure safety. Pandemics or health emergencies: Information on disease outbreaks, lockdowns, or containment zones. Riot situations: Public warnings in case of civil unrest or law and order disruption. National emergencies: Communication during nationwide crises or government-declared emergencies. It reduces confusion and delay, making it possible for citizens to prepare or respond quickly. In times of need, this technology-based portal could be instrumental in saving lives and property across India. The Sachet Portal is designed to offer equal communication on every platform in the event of natural or man-made disasters. This is especially helpful for individuals with family members across different regions of the country or for those who travel regularly. With the integration of digital technology, multilingual assistance, and inter-department coordination, the Sachet portal has emerged as a primary disaster management tool in India.
