C-DOT developing tech to tap all media for broadcasting disaster alerts

PTI, Sep 20, 2021, 12:35 PM IST

State-run C-DOT is developing technology to intercept all media like television, mobile phones, railway announcements etc for broadcasting disaster alerts in local languages, a senior official said.

The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) is developing the system for National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and expects it to be ready in 18 months, CDOT chairman and executive director Rajkumar Upadhyay told PTI. ”We are developing a pan-India integrated alert system which can send out alerts across all mediums at one go in an emergency situation. It will be deployed by NDMA. Once the system is deployed, the department concerned will have to just mark the area on the map by pen and the alert will go across all mediums in that area in the local language,” Upadhyay said. The state-run organisation is indigenously developing the technology for the Integrated Alert System based on International Telecommunication Union (ITU) recommended Common Alerting Protocol (CAP).

In parallel CDOT has developed a system, called as Covid Savdhan, using the same ITU CAP technology for disseminating Covid-related information in targeted areas, in containment zones or even in wider areas for an effective flow of Covid-related information. The system has been utilised by 26 states and union territories for Covid, flood and cyclone-related information. This system was also used widely for Amphan, Nisarga, Nivar, Burevi and recently for Yaas and Tauktae cyclones, Upadhyay said. ”Besides sending SMS alerts, the new system under development will send out messages on FM radio, television, railway announcement, Indian satellites, mobile apps or any media falling under the affected area. It will stop FM radio content, TV channel content, railway announcements to broadcast the emergency message,” he said.

The pan-India implementation of CAP integrated alert system project will bring all major alert generating agencies of India, including Indian Meteorological Department, Central Water Commission, Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment, state and UT level Disaster management authorities on a centralized platform. Upadhyay said the CAP Integrated Alert System is part of Prime Minister’s ten-point agenda towards fulfilling the country’s goals to achieve a substantial reduction of disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods and health in line with the UN’s Sendai framework guidelines for disaster risk reduction.