From Bhupen Goswami
GUWAHATI : Jishnu Barua, Chief Secretary, Assam today launched a real time Digital Flood Reporting and Information Management System (FRIMS). Launching the online System in a brief event held in his official conference hall, Barua said that managing floods that come in multiple waves is a very critical administrative function as it involves multiple departments and stakeholders. He highlighted that though the administration is very conversant in dealing with flood, relief and recovery efforts heavily depend on continuous situational awareness and data availability. Assam has a mandatory system of daily flood reporting between May 15 to October 15.
The current practice of flood reporting passes through a time intensive manual verification and quality control system. The FRIMS jointly developed by ASDMA & UNICEF will replace the present manual system with the web cum mobile application-based technology driven system which will help in efficient delivery of relief, ex-gratia, rehabilitation grants to the flood affected people besides tracking of damages to agricultural crops, loss of livestock, infrastructure damages etc. and providing financial assistance for restoration. Tom White, Chief Emergencies & DRR, UNICEF, India addressing the event congratulated Government of Assam for being the first state to adopt a robust digital reporting system that will capture critical impact indicators during floods.
At the national level as well, UNICEF along with other UN agencies is supporting NDMA and have initiated work towards a national disaster management information system. Such a system will go a long way in measuring the impact of disaster risk reduction interventions, particularly the anticipated DRR Road Map once it is finalized and implemented in Assam. Participating in the event Dr. Madhulika Jonathan, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF, Guwahati stated that institution of this system is vital and it will increase efficiency in reporting, accelerate response and decision-making, and address the data needs to enable monitoring and addressing of immediate needs of vulnerable groups, like children and women. Speaking on the occasion Avinash Joshi, Principal Secretary to the Government of Assam, Revenue & Disaster Management Department stated that the complete digital system of information flow will enable information feeding at the source, immediate alert-based verification at defined levels and automatic compilation.
He further stated that the stakeholders including the media and those responding on the ground will have better access for faster decision making and planning. He also urged the DDMA teams to imbibe the new system of reporting fully so that no data gaps are created. Gyanendra Dev Tripathi, Chief Executive Officer of ASDMA informed that ASDMA has already conducted required training for its field functionaries of DDMAs, Officers of ASDMA and the system will be operational from 15th May 2021 for online flood reporting on daily basis. The event was also attended by Niraj Verma, Principal Secretary, Home & Political Department, Y.K . Gautam, Director of Fire & Emergency Services, Assam, Archana Verma, Principal Secretary, AR & T Department and Chairman, Board of Revenue, M.S. Manivannan, Commissioner & Secretary, Revenue & Disaster Management Department, Rajesh Kemprai, Commissioner & Special Secretary, PWD Roads Department, Anupam Choudhury, Director of Information and Public Relations, H P S Kandari, Commandant, 1st Battalion, NDRF, Guwahati. Further, the Deputy Commissioners, Revenue Circle Officers, District Project Officers, Field Officers and Information Assistants of DDMAs also participated virtually in the launching event from the districts.
