Now, get cyclone alerts through Electronic Wrist Band

Now, get cyclone alerts through Electronic Wrist Band
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Highlights

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will develop an Electronic Wrist Band (EWB) that would give a cyclone warning to the people in the cyclone-affected areas. 

Hyderabad: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will develop an Electronic Wrist Band (EWB) that would give a cyclone warning to the people in the cyclone-affected areas.

  • An Electronic Wrist Band will start receiving beep sounds providing early warning alert so that women and children can move to safer places
  • It will give the location of these people to the officials concerned for rescue operations

According to sources, one village in Srikakulam district and another in Nellore district have been identified for a pilot project. State Disaster Management Department (SDMD) officials pointed out that the whole concept of developing the EWB has been first proposed as part of Gender Equity Initiative (GEI) of the TRAI.

The sources said the Cyclone and Disaster Management Mitigation Data (CDMMD) accumulated over decades indicate that women and children are the worst affected during the natural disasters. Following this, the TRAI under GEI has come up with the idea of developing EWB.

It has been noticed that during disasters, women, old people and children do not move out of houses. Similarly, women or girls who go out on work would not be in a position to get timely alerts. Even if they are within the mobile networks, they cannot read the messages sent via mobile networks as majority of women mostly belong to fishermen families and are illiterates, the officials said.

Taking into consideration the multiple bottlenecks involved in reaching these women and children residing in the cyclone-prone areas, the EWB has been proposed by the TRAI. For this, it has already roped in the States that have coastlines to implement the project. As a part of this, women and children would be provided with EWB.

Once the impending cyclone is confirmed, the EWB will start receiving beep sounds providing early warning alert so that women and children can move to safer places. The EWB would then give the location of these people to the officials concerned for rescue operations.

If the pilot project proves to be successful, it would be extended to all the disaster-prone areas along the coastline. Srikakulam and Nellore have been selected for the implementation of the pilot project, the officials added.

By VRC Phaniharan

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