Sharing of information and that too on a real time basis is vital to avoid devastation caused by natural disasters like floods. For this purpose, the Central Water Commission has devised a mobile application called FloodWatch.
Launched by Chairman of CWC, Kushvinder Vohra, the objective of this in-house developed user-friendly app is to disseminate information through mobile phones relating to the flood situation. It will also provide forecasts up to seven days on a real-time basis to people.
The app has readable and audio broadcast and all the information is available in two languages, namely, Hindi and English.
Sh Kushvinder Vohra, Chairman, CWC & Ex-officio Secretary to Govt. of India in the presence of media and flood disaster monitoring officials launched ‘FloodWatch’, a Mobile App for Flood Forecasting. pic.twitter.com/H7NYGvoGE4
— Central Water Commission (@CWCOfficial_GoI) August 18, 2023
A key feature of the app is real-time flood monitoring whereby users can check up-to-date flood situation throughout the country for which it utilizes near real-time river flow data from various sources. It also provides flood forecasts at the nearest location where users can check the flood advisory at the station nearest to them on the home page itself.
Other key features include forecast using an interactive map where users can check the CWC Flood Forecast for up to 24 hours and Flood Advisory up to seven days. This can be done by either directly selecting the station from the map or by searching the name of the station in the search box. When the station name is selected, the location will be zoomed in on the map.
FloodWatch will also provide flood forecasts for up to 24 hours and flood advisory for up to seven days which will be State-wise/Basin-wise. This can be accessed by selecting specific stations, State wise or basin wise from the dropdown menu.
For providing all these details and in-depth information, FloodWatch utilizes advanced technologies such as satellite data analysis, mathematical modelling, and real-time monitoring to deliver accurate and timely flood forecasts. Thus, essential information about floods in the country is available and easily accessible through a user-friendly interface thereby enabling people to stay informed and minimising risk.
Talking about the app, Vohra observed: “We are delighted to introduce “FloodWatch,” a mobile app that provides real-time flood situations in the country and flood forecasts to the public. The user-friendly app is available for download on Android devices, providing widespread accessibility to users globally. The app can be downloaded free of charge from the Google Play Store. The app will also be available on Apple iOS soon.”
