AP's social media safety net - Fusion - WeRIndia

The government of Andhra Pradesh claims to be the first state in India to harness space technology for defeating disaster. With the help of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), it is using technology to scan and collate information on cyclonic destruction.

NSRC has helped the AP government to launch an Android app for a crowdsourcing project. Hence, the general public can upload photos directly from its smartphones. More than 3,000 downloads of the app have been recorded so far, according to NSRC.

People have been asked to upload pictures and videos that show damaged tree cover, roads, fields and floods. After integrating the images with the NRSA data, the government will be able to check damages and get men and material to travel up to the point and enhance its rescue and relief activities.

People with smartphones can download the mobile app and upload the pictures. So anyone with cameras and normal phones can shoot pictures and videos with the exact time and location and forward it.

Mr Naidu directed NRSC to use GIS, GPS and remote sensing technologies to spot the damaged area and put it up on a satellite through geo-tagging. It will enable the government to collect the data regarding the damages on the map. The government has employed four satellites to monitor cyclones: They include RI Sat1, RISat2, Radar Sat and Resource Sat2.

The officials will also be able to use Facebook, Twitter and Google to communicate with affected persons. The Andhra Pradesh government has created a Facebook page called AP disaster management. It also created #HudhudAP so that it can touch people’s lives and collect information from them on Twitter and Facebook.

It is also using Whatsapp extensively to track disastrous spots and defuse tension.