Millions of people across India recently received loud “Extremely Severe” alerts on their phones, but it was not an actual emergency.
The alert was part of a nationwide test of the Cell Broadcast System, a new government-backed technology designed to send real-time disaster warnings directly to mobile devices.
Unlike SMS, this system sends alerts simultaneously to all phones in a specific area, even overriding silent mode, ensuring faster and wider reach during emergencies.
It is being developed by the Department of Telecommunications in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to improve response during events like earthquakes, tsunamis, or gas leaks.
The current alerts are only test messages, and users are not required to take any action. Authorities are evaluating the system’s speed, reliability, and nationwide coverage before full rollout.
Once fully operational, this system will play a critical role in enhancing India’s disaster preparedness by delivering instant, location-based emergency warnings to citizens.
