INCOIS–NDMA conclave in Chennai on marine multi-hazards; cell-broadcast alert trial for fishermen from 1 September
INCOIS and NDMA held a Conclave on Marine Multi-Hazards Services for the Indian Coastline in Chennai on 29 August 2025, where NDMA member Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (retd) announced a cell-broadcast alert trial from 1 September.
Summary
The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) of the Ministry of Earth Sciences and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) held a Conclave on Marine Multi-Hazards Services for the Indian Coastline in Chennai on 29 August 2025. Inaugurating it, NDMA member Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (retd) said a common alerting system through cell broadcast would be launched on a trial basis from 1 September to warn fishermen of cyclones, sounding even when phones are on silent. He cited the handling of Cyclone Biparjoy in Gujarat in 2023, when more than 32 million alert messages were sent, and urged people to use NDMA's Sachet app and INCOIS's Samudra app.
Key facts
- Date / place
- 29 Aug 2025, Chennai
- Organisers
- INCOIS (MoES) and NDMA
- Inaugurated by
- Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (retd), Member, NDMA
- New system
- Cell-broadcast common alerting, trial from 1 Sep 2025
- Example cited
- Cyclone Biparjoy (Gujarat, 2023): 32 million+ alerts
- Apps
- Sachet (NDMA), Samudra (INCOIS)
Practice MCQs 2 questions
At the INCOIS–NDMA conclave in Chennai (29 August 2025), which technology was announced for trial from 1 September to alert fishermen about cyclones?
Show answer
Correct answer: B — Cell-broadcast common alerting system
NDMA member Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (retd) said a common alerting system through cell broadcast would be trialled from 1 September; it sounds even if the phone is on silent.
Consider the following statements based on the INCOIS–NDMA conclave of 29 August 2025: 1. 'Samudra' is a weather-alert app of INCOIS and 'Sachet' is an app of NDMA. 2. More than 32 million alert messages were sent during Cyclone Biparjoy, which hit the Odisha coast in 2023. Which of the above is/are correct?
Show answer
Correct answer: A — 1 only
Statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 is wrong: Cyclone Biparjoy hit the Gujarat coast in 2023.