Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia are set to introduce a nationwide mobile-based disaster communication system on Saturday. The initiative aims to enhance the speed and effectiveness of emergency alerts reaching citizens. Developed by the Department of Telecommunications in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority, the system will facilitate the rapid dissemination of critical information during emergencies.
The Integrated Alert System, named SACHET, lies at the heart of this project and has been activated across all 36 States and Union Territories. Powered by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), the platform utilizes SMS alerts to provide geo-targeted warnings to mobile users, adhering to the Common Alerting Protocol recommended by the International Telecommunication Union.
Having already been widely utilized by disaster management authorities nationwide, the system has dispatched over 134 billion SMS alerts in more than 19 Indian languages. These alerts cover various natural disasters, extreme weather conditions, and cyclonic events. This extensive usage underscores the increasing significance of technology-driven early warning systems in safeguarding lives and mitigating the impact of disasters.
In a bid to enhance the speed and coverage of alerts during critical events such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and floods, the government has introduced Cell Broadcast (CB) technology alongside the existing SMS-based system. Unlike conventional messaging, CB technology enables the simultaneous transmission of alerts to all mobile devices within a specified geographic area, ensuring prompt delivery even in network congestion scenarios.
Officials have highlighted that the integration of SMS and Cell Broadcast systems will notably enhance India’s emergency response communication infrastructure, making it more resilient, real-time, and accessible during disasters. As part of the rollout, a nationwide testing exercise will be conducted, with mobile users in capital cities like Delhi-NCR receiving test messages in English, Hindi, and regional languages. The Ministry has clarified that these are solely test alerts, requiring no action from the public, and has urged citizens not to panic upon receiving such messages.
