Coming soon: App which will send flood alerts during rain
Updated: Jun 8, 2018, 06:24 IST
BENGALURU: Stuck in office while it’s pouring outside and want to know if the roads to your home are flooded or not? Or if your residential area is facing a waterlogging threat? Soon, you can find out on your smartphone. Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) and IISc scientists are developing an app to equip users with crucial information, particularly during monsoon.
KSNDMC director GM Srinivasa Reddy said he has scheduled a meeting with senior BBMP officials to discuss the app’s features. “We have telemetric rain gauges installed in different parts of the city which assess rainfall and send automated alerts to our server about the quantity and possibility of flooding in the particular area. At present, such alerts are being sent to district administration officials and other registered members as text messages. Once the app is launched, the information will be on citizens’ fingertips,” he added.
Reddy said one feature of the app will allow the user to check whether the road he/she plans to take is inundated. “Residents in a particular locality can also get alerts on whether the area faces the risk of flooding. We are installing sensors to keep tabs on the water levels of stormwater drains during the rainy season. Once they cross the danger mark, alerts on flood threat will be sent to app users. Even the sensors in rain gauges will assess the flood risk for a specific area depending on the quantity of rainfall received and send alerts,” he elaborated.
A senior official with KSNDMC said the Centre has entrusted them with the task of developing the app and other mechanism to strengthen rain preparedness. “Depending on its success rate, the project will be replicated in 10 major cities across the country with suitable modifications,” he added.
Timely alerts will go a long way in saving lives. Last year, around 16 people were killed due to tree falls, overflowing drains or wall collapse incidents during heavy rain in September and October.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/coming-soon-app-which-will-send-flood-alerts-during-rain/articleshow/64499485.cms
Updated: Jun 8, 2018, 06:24 IST
BENGALURU: Stuck in office while it’s pouring outside and want to know if the roads to your home are flooded or not? Or if your residential area is facing a waterlogging threat? Soon, you can find out on your smartphone. Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) and IISc scientists are developing an app to equip users with crucial information, particularly during monsoon.
KSNDMC director GM Srinivasa Reddy said he has scheduled a meeting with senior BBMP officials to discuss the app’s features. “We have telemetric rain gauges installed in different parts of the city which assess rainfall and send automated alerts to our server about the quantity and possibility of flooding in the particular area. At present, such alerts are being sent to district administration officials and other registered members as text messages. Once the app is launched, the information will be on citizens’ fingertips,” he added.
Reddy said one feature of the app will allow the user to check whether the road he/she plans to take is inundated. “Residents in a particular locality can also get alerts on whether the area faces the risk of flooding. We are installing sensors to keep tabs on the water levels of stormwater drains during the rainy season. Once they cross the danger mark, alerts on flood threat will be sent to app users. Even the sensors in rain gauges will assess the flood risk for a specific area depending on the quantity of rainfall received and send alerts,” he elaborated.
A senior official with KSNDMC said the Centre has entrusted them with the task of developing the app and other mechanism to strengthen rain preparedness. “Depending on its success rate, the project will be replicated in 10 major cities across the country with suitable modifications,” he added.
Timely alerts will go a long way in saving lives. Last year, around 16 people were killed due to tree falls, overflowing drains or wall collapse incidents during heavy rain in September and October.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/coming-soon-app-which-will-send-flood-alerts-during-rain/articleshow/64499485.cms
