NEW DELHI: Relying on social media and news publications for updates on natural disasters will soon become a thing of the past. The National Disaster Management Authority has come out with a proposal according to which, telecom service providers will send localised SMS alerting people about weather disturbances like storms and cyclones.
The proposal was discussed last week at a meeting attended by senior officials of NDMA, Met department and Home Ministry, sources said.
It has been decided that a public service notification will be put out once the Met department issues an alert. These notifications will be sent only to the people of the areas where weather emergencies are expected, sources said. The message will also contain an advisory on safety precautions. “If you are inside a mobile call circle where a storm or cyclone is expected, you will receive a notification,” an MHA official said.
The mobile service providers will not provide weather updates, an official clarified. It is only meant for disasters/calamities. The official said the government was trying to convince service providers to give the notifications for free.