Heavy Rain Red Alert Issued for Pune District; Mobile Alert System Activated for Citizens

Pune, 19th August 2025: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Pune district, warning of intense rainfall in the next three hours. Along with Pune, heavy showers accompanied by strong winds reaching 40–50 kmph, with gusts up to 60 kmph, are expected in Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, and the Ghat regions of Pune. The Pune District Collector’s Office has urged citizens to stay cautious and avoid unnecessary travel.

Residents across the city also reported receiving SMS alerts on their mobile phones regarding the weather situation.

Meanwhile, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) under the Ministry of Communications, in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), has been strengthening mobile-based disaster communication systems across India.

The Integrated Alert System (SACHET), developed by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), is already functional in all 36 states and Union Territories. Based on the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) recommended by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the system enables geo-targeted messages to reach citizens’ mobile phones during natural disasters or emergencies. So far, authorities have issued over 6,899 crore SMS alerts in 19 Indian languages during weather warnings, cyclones, and other crises.

To improve real-time communication during emergencies like earthquakes, tsunamis, lightning, chemical leaks, or industrial accidents, the government is also introducing Cell Broadcast (CB) technology. Unlike SMS, cell broadcast messages are transmitted instantly to all mobile phones in an affected area, ensuring faster alert dissemination.

As part of its nationwide rollout, C-DOT has begun testing the CB system. Citizens may receive test messages in English and Hindi during this phase. These messages are sent only to devices with CB test channels enabled and may appear multiple times to ensure network reliability. Officials have clarified that these alerts are part of a planned trial exercise and no action is required from mobile users.

Authorities have urged the public to remain calm, follow official advisories, and cooperate with the disaster management teams during this period of heavy rainfall and ongoing system testing.