When tremors hit Delhi and surrounding areas following the 6.4 magnitude earthquake on November 3 and the 5.6 magnitude aftershock on November 6 in Nepal, the government and private early alert systems did not reach many of the people who could feel palpable tremors.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)’s Cell Broadcast Alert System (CBAS) has been tested in recent weeks to send out mass alerts when natural disasters strike, but it did not do so. Meanwhile, Google did not send out alerts in the national capital, even though tremors were felt in both instances here.
“The Android Earthquake Early Warning system supplements the government’s efforts on earthquake alerts and aims to provide people with advance notice that can help them stay safe,” a Google spokesperson said in response to queries from The Hindu, referring to the company’s alert system for Android users in India, who account for the bulk of smartphone owners in the country.
