PITB Introduces Flood Monitoring System via m-Governance

Every year Pakistan has to face one of the most disastrous catastrophes in the world which is flood. These floods caused hundreds of death, injuries and destruction of thousands of houses every year. This is not only due to lack of facility or human resource, but due to the complicated geography of the country. One of the most crucial issues that the government has to face is to remain up-to-date with the progress on flood relief development and work.

Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) has developed a real time flood monitoring dashboard through the use of information technology to sort out this issue.

A source of PITB said that:

[pull_quote_center]“This system helps keep a track of the latest flood development while keeping in loop all the concerned departments. Additionally, it further assists in managing the disaster in the shortest possible time span,”[/pull_quote_center]

PITB Introduces Flood Monitoring System via m-Governance which helps the Government to remain up-to-date regarding the floods

During the flood season the dashboard by PITB is updated with a disaster bulletin on hourly basis by PITB and concerned departments. The bulletin will help to reveal the most recent flood stories by giving details about the flood affected areas, the injuries and the death toll. Flood Monitoring System has proved to be of great benefit to the government and flood relief organizations especially. It also highlights the development at the water works (be it the normal water flow or on an alert) along with situation of the roads. The Flood Map in the system reveals the overall flood hit areas.

In Punjab Information Technology Board’s journal printed in September 2014 WHO stated,

[pull_quote_center]“The flash floods in Pakistan have caused 346 deaths and 620 people have been injured. More than 55 200 houses have been damaged or destroyed; total 3 million people are estimated to be affected. Stagnant water in the affected areas may cause severe health issues along with dengue and water borne diseases. 74 health facilities are affected, but 326 mobile medial teams and 327 medical camps are operational. The worst affected areas are Punjab, Gilgit Baltistan, Kashmir and Jammu.”[/pull_quote_center]

Every year this happens when flood hit Pakistan. Heavy rain results in high levels of floods in Rivers Indus, Chenab and Jhelum that affect surrounding districts drastically. These Floods then move towards the southern region of the province and cause water borne diseases in villages and town leading to health and medical issues that further causes issues for the government and flood relief organizations to handle.

Through Flood Monitoring System the government will be able to take real time relief and migration measures. This will minimize the possible chaos in such disastrous circumstances.