Bengal residents to get SMS alert on natural calamities

The state disaster management department has mentioned about the project in a recent circular. In a bid to make this facility available, the Centre will work jointly with a firm in Japan.

 

The Centre will invest around 75 per cent of the total project cost and the state government will bear the remaining amount. 

With the implementation of the project, people from any part of the state can get messages in their cell phones. The SMSs will contain detailed information whether there is a possibility of any natural calamity.

It may be mentioned that people residing in the coastal parts of the state had a bitter experience of getting affected by Aila and there were many south Bengal districts where damage was caused due to heavy flood. 

The alert through SMSs a few days or hours ahead of a calamity strike an area will help the residents to take elderly people and children to a safe place.

 

It will also be helpful to people in saving cattle and life stocks. Just one needs to enroll themselves to get the alert. The project will be implemented in phases. Sources said that initially the system will be introduced in areas where people were affected by natural calamity earlier. 

The system of sending alert on natural calamity will also be helpful to fishermen those go to deep sea to catch fish. 

The step will be helpful for tourists. Usually tourists visiting hilly regions always want to remain updated about the weather condition of the particular area. The tourists too can take necessary steps to avoid getting stuck to a place if they get information about any natural calamity through SMSs in their mobile phones. 

It may be mentioned that during Aila, people had come to know that such storm is going to strike when it was telecasted in television or aired in radio.

 

But the message was not conveyed to those who were out in sea or far from home. It resulted to a huge loss of lives.