On May 8, 2021, Jishnu Barua, Chief Secretary, Assam launched a real-time Digital – Flood Reporting and Information Management System (FRIMS). With this launch, Assam became the 1st state in India to adopt an online flood reporting system.
- FRIMS was developed jointly by Assam State Disaster Management Agency(ASDMA) and United Nations Children’s Fund(UNICEF).
- Objective: To capture critical impact indicators during floods as the state is facing a deluge (severe flood) every year.
Features of FRIMS:
i.It will replace the state’s existing manual flood control mechanism with the web cum mobile application-based technology-driven system, which will report online about floods daily from May 15, 2021. (Assam has a mandatory system of daily flood reporting between May 15 to October 15, 2021)
ii.This real-time flood reporting will address the data need for addressing the immediate needs of vulnerable groups (like children and women) in addition based on this the govt will also provide financial assistance for restoration.
iii.This system will provide information feeding at the source, immediate alert-based verification at defined levels and automatic compilation. (ASDMA already conducted the required training for its field functionaries of Disaster & Disruptions Management System (DDMAs)).
UNICEF’s Initiative:
i.UNICEF India Chief, Emergency and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Tom White complemented the Government of Assam for such an initiative
ii.UNICEF and other United Nation(UN) agencies support the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to initiate work towards a national disaster management information system at the national level for measuring the impact of disaster risk reduction interventions, particularly the anticipated DRR Road Map.
- DRR Road Map: In March 2020, the 1st DRR Roadmap in Assam was initiated by ASDMA along with UNICEF to prepare a road map for reducing the loss of properties and lives during disasters in the state.
Recent Related News:
The UT of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has partnered with the United Kingdom Space Agency’s (UKSA) programme for a joint project on ‘Impact Based Flood Forecasting using Earth Observation (EO) based Information’ for getting India’s 1st Impact-based Flood Forecasting.
About United Nations Children’s Fund(UNICEF):
Executive Director – Henrietta Holsman Fore
Headquarter – New York, USA
About Assam State Disaster Management Authority(ASDMA):
Establishment – 2010(Fully operational)
Headquarters – Guwahati, Assam
Chief Executive Officer – Gyanendra Dev Tripathi
