NTC to send alerts to disaster prone areas

Nepal Telecom (NTC) state owned and largest telecom service provider of the country has signed an agreement with Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DoHM)  to provide early warnings of disasters via SMS throughout its mobile network. According to the agreement signed, NTC customers residing in Mahakali, Western Rapti, Kankai, Babai, Karnali, Narayani, Bagmati and Koshi rivers and the Himalayan region of the country will receive early warnings about disasters. And Nepal Telecom is going to provide the service without any extra cost to mobile phone consumers living the location.

NTC also set to provide the details of its phone subscribers living those areas to DoHM, which can help to search and rescue at the time of disasters. The Department will be sending early warnings as a bulk SMS and mobile phone users will get those SMS via 1155 code. Buddhi Prasad Acharya, Managing Director of Nepal Telecom and Rishi Sharma signed the agreement amid a function yesterday.

Landslides and floods have wreaked a havoc across the country and this agreement will  help to minimize the loss of lives. And the privately owned telecommunication service provider, Ncell has already signed a Memorandum of Understanding same as NTC with the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology on Friday.