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Emergency preparedness in India: official guidance in English

India's official preparedness guidance: NDMA kit list, cyclone shelters, SACHET and Cell Broadcast alerts, iodine rules, shelter law and 112.

Updated 2026-10-20· 10 official sources· हिंदी में पढ़ें

India at a glance

updated 2026-10-20
SuppliesThe National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) asks households to keep a disaster emergency kit ready, with a 12-item list of essentials.sourcedPublic sheltersIndia has no published national network of public air-raid or fallout shelters.sourcedAlertsNDMA's SACHET Integrated Alert System, built by C-DOT on the Common Alerting Protocol, sends geo-targeted SMS alerts in all 36 States and Union Territories.sourcedIodineNDMA's 2009 nuclear emergency guidelines set iodine prophylaxis at 130 mg potassium iodide (KI) or 170 mg potassium iodate (KIO3) if exposure to radioiodine is anticipated, and ask vulnerable states to stockpile KI or KIO3.sourcedPrivate shelterNo permit or declaration regime for a voluntary private shelter was found.sourcedShelter standardsIndia publishes no general technical standard or certification for blast, fallout or air-raid shelters: under Rule 18 the requirements are set order by order.sourcedEmergency numbers112 is India's single emergency number (Emergency Response Support System) for police, fire and medical emergencies, reachable by call, SMS, e-mail, panic button and the 112 India app.sourced
Crisis bookletThere is no single national household preparedness booklet mailed to residents.sourced
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Short answer. India's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) asks households to keep a disaster emergency kit ready, with a 12-item list but no quantities or national duration 1. Public shelters are multipurpose cyclone shelters in coastal districts 3. Alerts come by SACHET geo-targeted SMS and, since 2 May 2026, a nationwide Cell Broadcast System 4. 112 is the single emergency number 9.

Information checked against official Indian sources on 20 October 2026. Disaster management is led by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA); civil defence sits with the Ministry of Home Affairs (Directorate General Fire Services, Civil Defence & Home Guards); in an emergency, district authorities under the District Magistrate or Collector direct evacuations and local response 378.

What is India's official preparedness guidance?

There is no single national household preparedness booklet mailed to residents. NDMA publishes hazard-by-hazard Do's and Don'ts, online and on the SACHET portal in English, Hindi and 12 regional languages, including a sheet on nuclear and radiological emergencies 125. NDMA also published a two-part civil defence handbook in April 2012, Prepared Communities, Secured Country 103. A new "Guidelines and Handbook on Disaster Management" was released on 2 May 2026; we have not reviewed its content 4.

What does each India page cover?

Page In short
Emergency supplies Keep a disaster emergency kit ready; no national quantities or duration; cyclone evacuation essentials "to last a few days" 12
Kit checklist The official NDMA list, line by line, to tick off 12
Public shelters Multipurpose cyclone shelters in coastal districts; no public air-raid or fallout shelter network published 3
Alerts SACHET SMS, Cell Broadcast since 2 May 2026, siren signals described in a Goa district SOP 456
Iodine NDMA's 2009 guidelines give 130 mg KI or 170 mg KIO3, with tablets from district authorities; this page is still being verified and pharmacy sale is not confirmed 7
Build a shelter No permit regime found for voluntary private shelters; the government may order an owner to build one under Rule 18 8
Shelter standards No general air-raid or fallout standard; national criteria exist for cyclone shelters only 38
Emergency contacts 112 and the NDMA Control Room in New Delhi 59

Where should I start?

Three steps cover most of what the Indian authorities ask of households:

  1. Kit. Put together the NDMA disaster emergency kit and keep it ready 1. Start with the kit checklist.
  2. Alerts. Make sure your phone can receive SACHET SMS and Cell Broadcast alerts, and keep a battery radio for official announcements 14. See alerts.
  3. Local orders. In a cyclone or other evacuation, follow the instructions of your district administration, which directs people to shelters 23. See public shelters.

Then put it in writing with a family emergency plan.

What is still being confirmed?

Two points are not presented as settled on these pages. First, the iodine guidance as a whole is still being verified against NDMA's 2009 guidelines, and whether potassium iodide or potassium iodate tablets can be bought in pharmacies, with or without prescription, is not confirmed: no official source was found 7. Second, which ordinary building rules apply to a voluntary private shelter 8. The iodine and shelter pages say so where relevant.

Frequently asked questions

Who is in charge of disaster preparedness in India?

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) sets national guidance. Civil defence is under the Ministry of Home Affairs' Directorate General Fire Services, Civil Defence & Home Guards, and district authorities lead the local response 378.

How many days of supplies does India recommend?

NDMA gives no national duration or quantities. Its cyclone advice is to pack essentials "to last a few days" when evacuation is instructed 2.

What is the emergency number in India?

112, the Emergency Response Support System number for police, fire and medical emergencies 9.

Does India have nuclear fallout shelters for the public?

No public air-raid or fallout shelter network is published. The public shelters described in official sources are multipurpose cyclone shelters in coastal districts 3.

Sources

  1. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Government of India — Earthquakes: Do's & Dont's — https://ndma.gov.in/Natural-Hazards/Earthquakes/Dos-Donts (accessed 2026-10-20; checked on archived copy https://web.archive.org/web/20250430010840/http://www.ndma.gov.in/Natural-Hazards/Earthquakes/Dos-Donts)
  2. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) — Cyclone: Do's & Dont's — https://ndma.gov.in/Natural-Hazards/Cyclone/Dos-Donts (accessed 2026-10-20; checked on archived copy https://web.archive.org/web/20250517144146/http://www.ndma.gov.in/Natural-Hazards/Cyclone/Dos-Donts)
  3. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) — Prepared Communities, Secured Country, Part II (April 2012), Section 13 — http://ndma.gov.in/images/guidelines/ndmacivildefencepart-2.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20; checked on archived copy https://web.archive.org/web/2020/http://ndma.gov.in/images/guidelines/ndmacivildefencepart-2.pdf)
  4. Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Communications — Cell Broadcast System (CBS) Launched (2 May 2026) — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2257499 (accessed 2026-10-20)
  5. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) / C-DOT — SACHET - National Disaster Alert Portal (Dos and Don'ts; contact) — https://sachet.ndma.gov.in/DosDont (accessed 2026-10-20)
  6. Department of Information & Publicity, Government of Goa — DM, South issues SOP for air raid alerts, blackout protocols (9 May 2025) — https://www.goa.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DM-SOUTH-ISSUES-SOP.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)
  7. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) — National Disaster Management Guidelines—Management of Nuclear and Radiological Emergencies (February 2009), section 8.11.1 — http://ndma.gov.in/images/guidelines/managementofnuclearradiologicalemergencies.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20; checked on archived copy https://web.archive.org/web/20171025221946/http://ndma.gov.in/images/guidelines/managementofnuclearradiologicalemergencies.pdf)
  8. Directorate of Civil Defence, Government of Assam — The Civil Defence Act, 1968 and The Civil Defence Rules 1968 (rule 18) — https://dgcd.assam.gov.in/sites/default/files/swf_utility_folder/departments/cdhg_webcomindia_org_oid_5/menu/document/act_%26_rule_of_cd.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)
  9. Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs — Status of implementation of Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) (4 February 2020) — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1601844 (accessed 2026-10-20)
  10. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) — Prepared Communities, Secured Country, Part I (April 2012) — http://ndma.gov.in/images/guidelines/ndmacivildefencepart-1.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20; checked on archived copy https://web.archive.org/web/2020/http://ndma.gov.in/images/guidelines/ndmacivildefencepart-1.pdf)

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Sources

  1. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Government of India · Earthquakes: Do's & Dont's checked 2026-10-20
  2. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) · Cyclone: Do's & Dont's checked 2026-10-20
  3. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) · Prepared Communities, Secured Country: Handbook for Training and Capacity Building of Civil Defence & Sister Organizations, Part II (April 2012), Section 13 (Multipurpose Cyclone Shelters, citing NDM Guidelines for Cyclone Management, 2008) checked 2026-10-20
  4. Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Communications · Cell Broadcast System (CBS) Launched by Union Minister of Communications Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia; System developed indigenously under the guidance of Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah (2 May 2026) checked 2026-10-20
  5. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) / C-DOT · SACHET - National Disaster Alert Portal (Dos and Don'ts; contact) checked 2026-10-20
  6. Department of Information & Publicity, Government of Goa · DM, South issues SOP for air raid alerts, blackout protocols (9 May 2025) checked 2026-10-20
  7. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) · National Disaster Management Guidelines—Management of Nuclear and Radiological Emergencies (February 2009), section 8.11.1 Iodine Prophylaxis checked 2026-10-20
  8. Directorate of Civil Defence, Government of Assam (copy of central Act and Rules) · The Civil Defence Act, 1968 (No. 27 of 1968) and The Civil Defence Rules 1968 (rule 18, Air raid shelters) checked 2026-10-20
  9. Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs · Status of implementation of Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) (4 February 2020) checked 2026-10-20
  10. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) · Prepared Communities, Secured Country: Handbook for Training and Capacity Building of Civil Defence & Sister Organizations, Part I (April 2012) checked 2026-10-20

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