The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) on Thursday said it will implement the Cell Broadcast System (CBS), a public warning mechanism launched by the central government, across the northeastern state in the coming days.
Developed by C-DOT under the Department of Telecommunications in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Ministry of Home Affairs, the system enables authorities to send instant, geo-targeted emergency alerts directly to all mobile phones in a specific area.
The CBS has been made available for implementation across India, including Assam, and a nationwide test was conducted in May.
The system has already proven effective during real disasters in several states.
"However, in the states including Assam wherein, Model Code of Conduct was in force, the test was excluded. Hence now, the Government of Assam is planning to implement the activity across the state as instructed by the Government of India," ASDMA said in a statement.
The CBS involves dissemination of critical and time-sensitive messages for impending disasters to all mobile devices within a designated geographical area, irrespective of whether the recipients are residents or visitors.
"During the implementation of the said CBS, the citizens may receive emergency alerts on their mobile devices pertaining to disasters. The CBS alerts are highly sensitive, which trigger a loud audio alarm/notification on mobile handsets for approximately 30 seconds whenever received," the ASDMA said.
These alerts are official messages issued only by authorised government agencies during genuine emergencies such as extreme weather conditions like storms, heavy rain, lightning, cyclones, floods, flash floods or other disasters like gas leaks, it said.
The alert would appear as a pop-up message on a person's mobile phone accompanied by a distinctive loud tone and vibration.
On supported handsets, the message would also be read aloud.
"The CBS system is far more reliable than traditional SMS alerts. It works even during network congestion, reaches all mobile users in the targeted area, including roaming users. It supports messages in multiple languages and is functional across 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G networks," the ASDMA said.
Citizens are also requested to share the information with family members, especially the elderly and those living in remote areas, it added.