The government has initiated preparations to implement a mobile phone broadcasting system to disseminate disaster alerts and essential information more effectively and quickly.
A meeting was held today at the Home Ministry’s Disaster and Conflict Management Division, chaired by Pradeep Kumar Koirala, Executive Chief of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, and attended by Suresh Panthi, Chief of the Disaster and Conflict Management Division, among others.
Mobile Phone Broadcasting System
The mobile phone broadcasting system is a crucial component of the integrated early warning system, according to the authority. This system utilizes the ‘Radio Access Network’ of mobile communication to send disaster alerts and messages to all citizens in risk-prone areas simultaneously.
Vinod Parajuli, a flood expert from the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, who was present at the meeting, shared that the current system of using toll-free services and SMS has several limitations, including delayed message delivery, some users not checking messages, and delivery taking hours.
‘The cell broadcast system will send alerts to all citizens in risk-prone areas at once,’ Parajuli said, ‘and the special sound on mobile phones will attract the user’s attention even if they don’t check the message. This will help alert citizens in time, especially at night.’
According to Parajuli, this system will enable the dissemination of information to hundreds of thousands of citizens at once. The plan is to use this system not only for flood warnings but also for other natural and human-made disasters.
Parajuli stated that a feasibility study for this system has been underway since last year. The initial estimate suggests that the implementation of the system may cost between Rs 40 crore and Rs 75 crore.
He added that necessary coordination and further technical discussions are being held among the concerned government agencies.
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