In the absence of an effective river/dam water management system, a huge volume of rainwater received during monsoon goes waste and flows to the sea. Floods followed by severe drought are not new to the country.
A Thrissur-based research student in disaster management has come up with an idea of l sensors to find out the volume and velocity of water flowing to dams and river during rain. It can accurately calculate the amount of water to be discharged from dams in case of an emergency.
“Whenever the catchment areas of dams receive good rain, dams get filled and authorities are forced to open shutters. There is no accurate scientific system to estimate the time taken for the dam to fill and how much water should be released. As a result, precious water, which can be used for electricity production and irrigation/drinking water distribution is wasted. The situation is common across the country,” notes Shibu George, an employee at the District Emergency Operation Centre.
