The Ministry of Home Affairs has detailed the Cell Broadcast Alert System for Disaster Warnings, which is operated through the Integrated Alert System based on the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) implemented by National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The system integrates five Warning Generating Agencies: India Meteorological Department (IMD), Central Water Commission (CWC), Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment (DGRE), and Forest Survey of India (FSI), with the State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) of all States/UTs.
The system will be used for timely warnings to citizens for disaster events with very short lead time including Cyclone, Tsunami, Heavy Rainfall, Lightning, Flash Flood, Thunderstorms, Hailstorm, Avalanche, Cloudburst, and Industrial/man-made disasters. The warning generating agencies provide Geo-targeted warnings, and these Geo-targeted alerts are disseminated to the public across all mobile networks and handsets in the targeted area, including remote and vulnerable areas.
All warnings generated by the forecasting agencies are translated to the State language of the target population and disseminated to the recipients by the SDMAs. The system aims to reduce disaster-related casualties and improve emergency preparedness by ensuring timely receipt of warnings and dissemination of alerts. Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs Shri Nityanand Rai provided this information in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.