E-Paper
Experts look to develop model to help predict natural disasters
Predictive model will be able to control the loss of lives in disasters like the Assam floods in Assam that have hit 34,000 people, scientists say
Indian scientists are developing a prediction model to help forecast natural disasters in vulnerable regions of the country, which will have enhanced communication systems to help minimise damage and facilitate rescue operations in case of a calamity, officials said.
Taking into consideration the increased instances of natural disasters being reported from various parts of the country, India is in need of an indigenously developed prediction model that can send early warnings during natural disasters, help agencies issue alerts and during and after the disaster help establish a reliable communication system through which rescue operations can be conducted without impediment, an official of the department of science and technology said, declining to be named.
“We are witnessing climate change impacts in several states, especially in the Himalayan belt. Currently, under the ministry of earth sciences, we have early warning systems, but they do not provide predictions, which can help raise alerts if there are some advance triggers so that we can take preventive action instead of relying on remedial action,” the official said.
The system will work with high frequency sensors, monitors and communication systems to establish a functional network, which would work seamlessly to minimize any natural disaster-related damage. The department is in talks with state disaster management authorities to collect data and recommendations on the gaps in currently functional models.
The predictive model will be able to control the loss of lives in disasters like the floods in Assam that have impacted nearly 34,000 people, scientists working on the project said. The daily flood report of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority said on Wednesday that almost 34,000 people have been affected in Baksa, Barpeta, Darrang, Dibrugarh, Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur, Nalbari, Sonitpur and Udalguri districts.
In the past few months, parts of northern India have been jolted by tremors multiple times, the latest earthquake being reported on June 13. In March, an earthquake of magnitude 6.6 on the Richter scale struck the Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan, the impact of which was felt in Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan.
