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New Delhi: If in the last few days you have suddenly heard a loud siren on your mobile phone and an emergency message has appeared on the screen, then you are not alone. Lakhs of people across the country had received such alerts. These warning messages were being sent through a special technology, the purpose of which is to provide immediate information to the people at the time of disaster. However, now the Central Government has decided to temporarily stop this service till further orders. There is a special reason behind this, which has attracted the attention of government agencies.

What is Cell Broadcast Alert System?

These warning messages that appear on mobile phones are sent through the cell broadcast alert system. This is a modern technology, which has been developed to alert people in time during natural disasters and emergency situations. The biggest feature of this system is that it can send messages simultaneously to all the mobile phones present in an area. This does not require a personal mobile number. Everyone within range of the tower where the phone is located can receive the alert.

Why was this service stopped?

According to media reports, after successful testing of this technology across the country, preparations were underway to use it regularly. But recently an alert issued at midnight reached Prime Minister Modi’s phone, after which this decision was taken. It is being told that an alert issued late night by the disaster management units of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh even reached the Prime Minister’s number. After this incident, the concerned agencies decided to review the entire system. After this, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued an order to suspend the service till further instructions.

How does this technology work?

Cell broadcast technology is completely different from normal SMS service. While ordinary messages are sent to one number, this system can deliver messages to thousands or millions of devices simultaneously through mobile towers. This technology is especially used in situations when an area is at risk of flood, earthquake, cyclone, tsunami or other serious disaster. In such a situation, it is very important to warn people within a few seconds.

Why is this system better than normal SMS?

SMS was earlier used to give disaster warnings, but sending large numbers of messages increases the pressure on the network. This may cause delay in message delivery. Cell broadcast technology avoids this problem to a great extent. It broadcasts the message directly to the network area, allowing alerts to reach people almost instantly. This is the reason why it is considered more effective for disaster management.

Why does the alert sound even in silent mode?

A special feature of this system is that it can exceed even the normal settings of the phone. This is the reason that despite many people’s phones being in silent mode, a loud siren-like sound was heard. The purpose of this feature is to ensure that in an emergency situation no one can ignore the warning message. This may give people a chance to go to a safe place in time or take necessary steps.