Government Announces SMS-Based Cyclone Warning System

Union Minister Harsh Vardhan on Thursday announced an SMS-based warning system which will provide alerts on cyclones, tsunami and other weather-related natural calamities.

Inaugurating the system on the occasion of Good Governance Day, Harsh Vardhan said information on warnings will be disseminated to officials involved in administration, district magistrates/collectors besides fishermen, farmers and general public.

"The information should be provided from the national to village level," the Minister for Earth Sciences said, adding that, principals of schools should also be provided this information as they can disseminate it to a large number of children.

Vardhan said that this exercise is a part of Prime Minister's Digital India Programme and one of the components of the programme is to create an SMS-based weather information and disaster alert system.

"The whole process would take almost a year to get operationalised since we need to collect data and put it together. We would be closely working with the Ministry of Home Affairs and agencies like National Information Centre and NDMA to put all the data together," he said.

IMD is also taking assistance from Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY), Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, for the project.

"This service will not only give information about the natural calamities, but will also suggest ways on what actions need to be taken, both by the government authorities and people," Shailesh Nayak, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences said.

A provision is being made for issue of SMS alerts to the general public, who would be required to register on Indian Meteorological Department website www.rsmcnewdelhi@imd.gov.in for this purpose.

On the occasion of 'Good Governance Day', which marks the birthday of former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, the Minister said, "It pains me to see Atal ji in this condition. We hope to see him in good health like he before. He was a Prime Minister, who not only governed the country, but also ruled hearts of millions," Vardhan said, adding that, he will be visiting Vajpayee at his residence on Thursday.