The Cell Broadcast Service (CBS), which was started to quickly disseminate information about disasters and emergencies in the country, has been closed for the time being. This decision has been taken after the instructions of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). This means that for some time now, special emergency alerts coming on mobile phones will not be received.

According to Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), NDMA has sent a letter to all the states asking them to stop the Cell Broadcast System till further orders. However, the reason for stopping this service has not been given yet. Officials say that this is a temporary step and it is expected that the service will resume soon.

What is Cell Broadcast Service?
Cell Broadcast Service is a special technology, with the help of which warning messages can be sent simultaneously to millions of mobile users present in an area. It is used to give immediate information to people in case of flood, earthquake, cyclone, heavy rain or any other emergency situation.

The special thing about this system is that it does not depend on normal SMS or internet. Despite high pressure on the network, it can send alerts to people. The alert appears as a pop-up on the mobile screen and also comes with a loud sound in many phones.

Was launched recently
The Government of India had launched the Cell Broadcast System across the country in May 2026. It was prepared jointly by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Ministry of Home Affairs and C-DOT.

What will be the impact on users?
After the closure of cell broadcast service, emergency alerts sent through this system will not be available at present. However, the government and local administration will continue to issue necessary information and warnings through other means.

It is not yet clear how long the service will remain closed. It will be started again only after the next announcement of NDMA. Till then people have been advised to pay attention to the official information of the Meteorological Department and government agencies.