India to roll out mobile disaster alerts on May 2
Starting May 2, your phone could help keep you safer in emergencies.
India is rolling out a new mobile-based disaster alert system that sends near real-time warnings straight to your device.
This project is a team-up between the Department of Telecommunications and the National Disaster Management Authority, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah set to launch it, in the presence of Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.
SACHET powers multilingual geo targeted alerts
The alerts are powered by SACHET, a homegrown platform that has already sent out billions of messages in more than 19 Indian languages across India.
The system uses both SMS and cell broadcast technology, so even if networks are jammed during an emergency, everyone in an affected area can still get geo-targeted alerts, whether it's about natural disasters or chemical incidents.
Expect some test messages (especially if you're in Delhi-NCR or other state capitals) as they make sure everything works smoothly.