Guwahati, June 8 (IANS) The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) will implement the Cell Broadcast System (CBS) across the state to strengthen disaster preparedness and ensure the timely dissemination of emergency alerts to citizens and officials, officials said on Monday.

According to an official statement, the CBS, an indigenous public warning system launched by the Government of India on May 2 this year, has become fully operational in Assam through ASDMA. The system was developed by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) under the Department of Telecommunications in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Officials said the technology enables authorities to send instant, geo-targeted emergency alerts to all mobile phones within a specific area, ensuring rapid dissemination of critical information during disasters and emergencies.

The system was made available for implementation nationwide, including in Assam, following a nationwide test conducted on May 2. However, states where the Model Code of Conduct was in force, including Assam, were excluded from the exercise.

With the election process now over, the state government is set to roll out the system as per the directives of the Government of India.

ASDMA officials said citizens may receive emergency alerts on their mobile devices during the implementation phase. These alerts, designed to warn people about impending disasters, are highly sensitive and trigger a loud alarm and notification sound for around 30 seconds on mobile handsets.

The alerts will be issued only by authorised government agencies during genuine emergencies such as severe storms, heavy rainfall, lightning, cyclones, floods, flash floods, gas leaks, and other disaster situations. Notifications will appear as pop-up messages with a distinctive tone and vibration, and supported devices will also read the message aloud.

Officials urged the public not to panic upon receiving such alerts and requested that citizens remain calm, as the messages are part of an official disaster warning mechanism aimed at saving lives and minimising risks.

They added that the CBS is more reliable than conventional SMS-based alerts as it remains effective even during network congestion.

The system can reach all users in a targeted area, including roaming subscribers, and supports multiple languages across 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G networks.

–IANS

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