Nagpur: In a surprising turn of events this morning, mobile users in Nagpur and other parts across India were alarmed when they received an unexpected WhatsApp alert bearing the message “Emergency Alert: Severe. This is a test alert from the Department of Telecommunication, Government of India. July 20, 2023,” media reports said
According to reports, panic and confusion gripped citizens across various parts of India, including Nagpur and other cities, following the receipt of multiple severe emergency alerts via wireless messages from the Telecom Department of India. The alerts were sent during a period of heavy rainfall in many regions, amplifying the chaos among the public.
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The sudden influx of these messages left mobile users bewildered, with many wondering about the purpose and significance of such notifications. Through research on various search engine platforms, users soon discovered that these alerts are primarily issued to inform the public about inclement weather conditions.
Many cell phone users remained confused and deleted the message too. One concerned mobile user commented, “There’s probably no reason to panic, as this could be a test to simulate emergency situations caused by severe storms and other natural disasters that might result in potential loss of life and property in a specific geographical area.”
According to another report, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India conducted drive tests at 20 locations and surrounding areas across the country. The Drive tests were conducted to assess the network quality provided by cellular mobile telephone service providers for voice and data services.
The Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) were assessed for the networks of all telecom service providers operating in the region. KPIs for voice services are Coverage; Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR); Drop Call Rate; Block Call Rate, Handover Success Rate; Rx Quality. KPIs for data services are Download and Upload Throughputs, Web Browsing Delay, Video Streaming Delay and Latency.
While the alert may have caught people off guard initially, it’s essential to understand that such tests are an integral part of disaster preparedness and response strategies implemented by the government. These mock emergency alerts serve as crucial practice exercises to ensure the effective dissemination of vital information to citizens during times of actual crisis.
By conducting such tests, the Department of Telecommunication aims to evaluate the readiness of the alert systems, network infrastructure, and public response mechanisms. It also provides an opportunity for users to familiarize themselves with the nature and format of emergency alerts, thereby enhancing overall disaster awareness and preparedness among the population.
Agencies issued the message to a few selected cell phone users to test the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP), a mechanism of various telecom providers.
“At 10:20 am this morning, an emergency alert was transmitted to smartphones nationwide. If you have also received this alert on your mobile device, there is no need for an alarm. Presently, there have been no reports of any imminent threats, and this was merely a test conducted by the Telecommunications Department of the Central Government.”
The messages, allegedly issued by the Telecom Ministry, inundated mobile phones at approximately 10:20 AM, followed by subsequent waves of alerts at 10:25 AM and 10:31 AM. The content of these messages indicated that they were emergency alert tests from the Government of India.
Despite the widespread concern and numerous queries raised by citizens, both the Telecom Ministry and district/state officials have remained tight-lipped, failing to provide any immediate response or clarification regarding the origin and purpose of these alerts.
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