Sirens Blared On Mobiles At 3:55pm. Hack Or Heat Alert?

Nagpur: A sudden shrill alert on mobile phones accompanied by an emergency soundtrack sent ripples across Nagpur on Tuesday afternoon. As thousands of cell phones rang out simultaneously in the city, many mistook it for a cyberattack or digital fraud. "We are not in a conflict zone of Dubai, UAE or Ukraine. Have our phones been hacked," asked many citizens. The cellular phenomenon was just not restricted to Nagpur, but to several cities of Vidarbha. It later turned out to be a severe heatwave alert from the govt, but was it just that?Lawyer Ranjan Deshpande was in his Laxmi Nagar apartment when his phone emitted a strange sound around 3.55pm, jolting him out of his noon siesta. Simultaneously, nearly 60km away, geology professor Samaya Humane and her husband Sumedh, who were returning to Nagpur from Lakhandur, experienced the same shrill alert on their phones. In Bhandara, activist-cum-businessman Mahendra Nimbarte and his friends feared their bank accounts had been compromised.For nearly an hour, confusion and anxiety gripped residents across the region, with fears ranging from hacking attempts to system viruses. It was only after discussions and cross-checks on social media that people realised the alert had been issued by the govt.The department of telecommunications, in collaboration with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), is currently testing a cell broadcast system alongside SMS alerts to strengthen mobile-based disaster communication. As part of this trial, State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) issued an alarm-style warning about a severe heatwave expected over the next 24 hours in Amravati, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Nagpur, and Wardha.The alert caused smartphones to vibrate and ring continuously, displaying a message in Marathi. However, the unfamiliar format led many to believe their devices had been infected or hacked. Some even feared that clicking the "OK" button could compromise their data or bank accounts.Relief set in only after it became clear that the alert was genuine. Even so, many residents later questioned the need for such an intrusive warning system, suggesting that a standard SMS notification, like those issued during heavy rainfall or flood warnings, would have sufficed. The SDMA went overboard was the broad consensus."Red alert requires govt to act. There was a red alert in Nagpur and other districts for Tuesday and the next few days as temperature is above 45 degrees Celsius in these places for the last six days or more. The alarm method may not be desirable as the beep was long," said IMD scientist Praveen Kumar.He added that SDMA took action based on IMD data. "We have issued an impact-based forecast. Around 26 suspected heatstroke deaths have been reported, stress on water resources, power and animals is visible now," he said.District disaster management officer Ankush Gawande defended the move, saying the alert was intended to raise awareness in vulnerable areas. "This was a new approach aligned with NDMA protocols to ensure people remain vigilant," he said.The SDMA's method, however, has drawn ridicule as well as flak from citizens.Professor Humane said heatwaves are not uncommon here. "It was not a tsunami, tornado, storm, earthquake or hurricane coming over Vidarbha that you had to shake up the phone and cause widespread panic. At home, our son too panicked, saying the phone buzzed aloud," she said. She added that it was strange that it was cloudy and raining on the highway when the alarm came.The NDMA itself stated that cell broadcast technology has been introduced for in time-sensitive situations such as tsunamis, earthquakes, lightning strikes, and man-made emergencies like gas leaks or chemical hazards.Nimbarte said, "Initially I felt something was wrong with my phone. SDMA must understand that people do read SMS and WhatsApp messages, which are sufficient. I immediately checked my bank account, fearing this is a novel scam," he said.He said later it felt hilarious as it was raining in the district.Adv Deshpande said, "Both my phones were ringing non-stop. It was scary. They could have used a better way. I felt it was a virus. ‘Ok' was flashing, but I didn't click and it closed after some time. I checked with many others, who too felt the same. Such alerts are OK in border areas where a missile is about to fall. We shall face the heatwave as we have been doing," he said.