The alert text that echoed on many phones across the country was a “test message” sent by the Government of India to test its instant disaster alert service.
Several mobile phones made a strange sound at around 11.40am today. There was nothing wrong with your phone, and it wasn’t an emergency alert message either.
The alert text sent to almost all mobile phones across the country was a ‘test message’ sent by the Government of India to test the instant disaster alert service. However, the noise raised concern and left people confused about what really happened.
The message was titled “Very Severe Alert” and was followed by the text: “India, launches cell transmission using indigenous technology, to provide instant disaster alert service to its citizens. Citizens Alert, Nation Safe. No action is required by the public on receipt of this message. This is a test message. – Government of India.”
“Scary as hell”
But by the time people read the letter, it had sparked a degree of panic and paranoia. Social media was also abuzz with reactions after the alarm sounded on mobile phones, which frightened people, albeit for a short time.
Many political leaders also took to social media and expressed how “concerned” they were upon receiving the alert message.
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Among the political leaders who reacted on social media over the alert text was Shiv Sena’s Priyanka Chaturvedi.
“This alarm was very scary and caused panic. A little message about being prepared to expect these system tests on our phones would have been helpful. And not once, but twice,” she wrote on X.
Delhi Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Saurabh Bharadwaj also approached X and said he was “deeply disturbed”.
“While I was scrolling through Twitter, this message popped up on my phone with an emergency alert,” he wrote on X.
Explains the center
Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia said that the National Disaster Management Agency today launched the cellular broadcast solution in collaboration with the Ministry of Telecom. The system will ensure the safety of India’s 140-crore population during any disaster, Scindia said, adding that the system will use every tower from 2G to 5G.
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“This self-reliance solution can reach every village, town and district, including the Himalayas, coastal regions and northeastern highlands. This solution does not require telephone databases or data systems and is operator independent, allowing all telecom service providers to connect. This system adheres to international standards based on the ITU’s CAP protocol,” he added.
A day before the alerts were tested, the Department of Communications urged people not to panic when this happens. “This is part of the testing of the emergency alert system, so that accurate information can be received on time during disasters,” the tweet on Friday said.
The system is based on the Common Alert Protocol (CAP) as recommended by the United Nations International Telecommunication Union. It is currently operational in all 36 states and union territories in India and provides disaster and emergency alerts via SMS to mobile phone users within targeted geographical areas, PTI reported.
Cell Broadcast (CB) technology was introduced alongside SMS, allowing alerts to be sent to all mobile devices within a specific geographic area simultaneously, ensuring near real-time delivery.
