Government sends emergency alert to mobile phone users, but you shouldn't panic

A warning message suddenly popped up on the screen of Airtel users titled “Emergency alert: Severe.” The cacophonous beeping may have startled and annoyed you, but there is nothing to worry about. That is because it was sort of a mock drill. The government on Thursday sent an emergency alert to nearly every mobile phone user in the country, causing major confusion among users, some of whom said they were alarmed by the message. But there is nothing to worry about.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) conducted a test of its emergency alert system by sending a sample message, which initiated a loud beep and a flash with the words ’emergency alert: severe’. While the alert sent some minutes ago came from Airtel, Reliance Jio and BSNL previously sent alerts on the government’s orders.

“This is a SAMPLE TESTING MESSAGE sent through the Cell Broadcasting System by the Department of Telecommunication, Government of India. Please ignore this message as no action is required from your end. This message has been sent to the test Pan-India Emergency Alert System being implemented by the National Disaster Management Authority. It aims to enhance public safety and provide timely alerts during emergencies,” reads a flash message received by multiple smartphone users. The same message was also sent in Hindi a few minutes later. See the screenshots below:

Why you should not panic seeing the emergency alert

According to Cell Broadcasting System by the Department of Telecommunications, such tests will be conducted on a regular basis in various regions to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of mobile operators’ and cell broadcast systems’ emergency warning broadcast capabilities. The government is working with the National Disaster Management Authority to improve preparedness for disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and flash floods. Last month, the government tested the same alert with several users in the country, so you can expect these alerts to pop up on your mobile phone screen more often.

The emergency flash message was sent around 1:35 pm on all Android phones through the Cell Broadcasting System by the Department of Telecommunication (C-DOT). After receiving the alert on their smartphones, a number of users took to X (previously Twitter) to check if they were not alone.

“Got an Emergency Severe Alert on my Mobile from Government with a Loud Beep! Interesting! Now came Twice First in English and then in Hindi,” a user wrote. “I got it too. Now I got another that says. Emergency alert: Severe. Police Warning in this area until 12.14 AM CDT Execute Action 200404. Anyone know what this means?” another user said.

— Written with inputs from IANS