The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) on Thursday announced that Assam will implement the Cell Broadcast System (CBS), a central government-backed emergency warning platform, across the state in the coming days to deliver real-time, geo-targeted disaster alerts directly to mobile phones.
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 (MHA), the system enables authorities to send instant warnings to all mobile users within a defined geographical area.
The initiative, which has already been rolled out for implementation across India, is designed to ensure rapid dissemination of critical alerts during emergencies. A nationwide test of the system was conducted in May; however, Assam was not included at the time due to the Model Code of Conduct then in force.
“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.
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Explaining the mechanism, ASDMA said CBS pushes time-sensitive alerts related to impending disasters to all mobile devices within a targeted area, regardless of whether users are residents or visitors. The alerts are designed to override silent mode with a loud tone and vibration lasting around 30 seconds.
“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 statement said.
The authority added that alerts would be issued only by authorised government agencies during genuine emergencies such as cyclones, heavy rainfall, lightning, floods, flash floods, gas leaks and other disasters. Messages will appear as pop-ups and may also be read aloud on supported devices.
“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,” ASDMA said.
Citizens have been urged to familiarise themselves with the system and share information with family members, particularly the elderly and those in remote areas, to ensure timely response during emergencies.
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