Google joins hands with Central Water Commission for flood forecasting initiative
The search engine giant Google has joined hands with the Central Water Commission in order to make the flood forecasting in the country more advanced and more effective. Google has already taken certain initiatives and sent several numerous public alerts to people in impacted regions of the country.
How are the alerts useful?
The alerts provided by Google are timely and updated. They also provide critical information that can help users make informed decisions regarding their safety and that of their families and friends. Any user in the affected region with an android smartphone with location services will be able to access these alerts. The users can also enter a query in the search field regarding a flood-affected area to see key information on the current situation in the region. This has been very useful in areas affected by floods such as Assam and Bihar.
What all features are there in the service?
If there is a current flooding situation in any area, the user will see a visual overview of key information, including the rise or fall in the water level the next day with a description of the recent situation along with point-to-point guidance.
There is also a colour-coded map available on Google showing the flooded areas and once clicked, this map opens a larger, more detailed view in Google Maps where users can zoom in to get a better understanding of the water levels in the specific regions.
Central Water Commission (CWC)
This is the premier technical organization in the country in the field of water resources and is presently functioning as an attached office of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Government of India. It is entrusted with the responsibilities of initiating, coordinating and furthering consultation of the state governments concerned.
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Month: Current Affairs - August, 2020