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11 May 2021.
Introduction:
UNICEF and The Assam State Disaster Management Agency have jointly developed an Online Flood Reporting System.Now Assam becomes the first state to adopt digital reporting system to find out impact indicators during floods.
Highlights of the System
- The new system will report flood levels in Assam on a daily basis. Earlier, the flood managing system in the state involved multiple stake holders.
- It was time consuming and required manual verification.
- The new system is completely digital.
- The new system is driven by web-cum-mobile application technology.
- It will facilitate tracking of damages to crops, loss of livestock and will also help to provide financial assistance during restoration.
- It will enable information feeding at the source.
- Also, the system will provide immediate alert-based verification at defined levels.
Assam floods
- Floods are very common in Assam. This is mainly because of Brahmaputra. The river is unstable and braided in its entire course in Assam. The main reason for this is steep slopes and high sedimentation.
- The reasons behind Assam flooding are both man-made and natural. Unregulated release of water from the dams in the region also cause flooding.
- The shape of Guwahati is like a bowl that makes the region susceptible to water logging.
- In Assam, it is mandatory to report about daily flood levels between May 15 and October 15 every year.
How are floods controlled in Assam?
The state builds embankments to control the floods. However, these embankments are breached by the floods every year.