Community-Centric, Affordable System for Comprehensive Alert and Dissemination of Early Warning (CASCADE) for Floods in Uttarakhand Himalayas​

Ms Ambika Dabral
Programme Manager, RIKA Institute Foundation

Dr Pankaj Chauhan
Scientist, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology

The evolution of early warning dissemination systems (especially in the Himalayan region) has not kept pace with the technological advancement in hazard detection, monitoring and forecasting. A majority of the ‘last mile’ dissemination systems are manual and/or reliant on power and internet connectivity, which often get compromised during floods, resulting in delayed actions. Water battery-powered Flood Early Warning Dissemination System (FEWDS) is a unique, automated and low-cost on-site solution which uses flood water to generate electricity which further powers emergency evacuation light signals and alarms. It is useful, particularly in areas where a systematic early warning system is missing.