An Urban Flood Information System (UFIS) to minimise the effects of floods in the twin cities is being developed by researchers of the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, it was announced here on Thursday.
Setting up UFIS involves collection of flood-relevant data, employing modelling techniques to simulate and forecast rainfall amounts, flood depths and its extent, and development of products as per the needs of policymakers and stakeholders, said an official press release.
“We aim to create a transformative solution that will benefit not only Hyderabad but also serve as a model for other flood-prone cities in the country in collaboration with the government agencies,” said IITH director B.S. Murthy.
A SnapFlood TM has been envisioned to provide a platform for the citizens to provide flood-relevant information data, which may become an integral part of the UFIS data in the future. Efforts are also directed to social media platforms such as Twitter to yield flood information.
Research scholars from Dr Satish’s group worked on rainfall-runoff analysis modelling and forecasting tools (RAFT) in multiple dimensions to address the aspect of urban floods in the city. Mohammed Azharuddin has focused on climatological aspects of rainfall and understanding of weather patterns that bring rain.
Another researcher Ponukumati Padmini examined alternate rainfall products for their utility in flood-relevant applications. Other works in the pipeline, including weather, hydrology and hydraulic modelling at an urban scale and real-time flood information dissemination through social media platforms.
Lead researcher and associate professor, department of civil engineering and climate change, Satish Kumar Regonda, said urban flooding puts the city at a standstill and causes much damage, including loss of life. This highlights the need to develop systems such as UFIS to make cities flood resilient, said the release.
