[by Cerius Shah] Disaster SMS alert software have been in the news since the 2004 Tsunami. Previous efforts included doling out translated English messages in 14 Indian and 45 foreign languages relay it to any mobile phone in the world. This 2006 version developed by Geneva Software Technologies could do alerts in 30 seconds and convert text to voice calls even to wireline services in-case of non-receipt of SMS.

The updated version, according to this Hindu article, supports 11 regional languages (probably due to the absence of the client compared to the one mentioned above). The 2008 Rs 30-35 crore version has been developed by the Department of Science and Technology, the Natural Disaster Management Authority and BSNL. There is more info here (pdf), brownie points and a byline for someone who can summarize it in the comments.