Late last year, India, specifically the southern part of the country, was devastated by flash floods that paralyzed the livelihood and living conditions of people in those territories. It did not make that much noise in international news, but the effect on the whole country was no less devastating. One of the key things that could have lessened the damage was preparation and early warnings. That is why from now on Google Public Alerts in India will now include flood alerts and information.
The data will be gathered from the Central Water Commission, which includes river level information for over 170 areas around the country. These are place where the CWC has active observation stations and the information that you will get from various Google sources should include details about the hazard, the expected timeline of the flooding and the eventual receding of floods, a map of the area, and even tips on what to do to prepared for the flooding as well as how to keep safe.
The alerts will be available not just when you search for it on the web (using Google search of course), but also through Google Now cards, Google Maps, and on the Public Alerts homepage that Google constantly updates depending on where you are. You will be able to access all these alerts and information both on your computer and on your mobile device.
Google has been working on improvements to their Google Crisis Response in order to make relevant and crucial information available to the public, especially during times of natural disasters and crisis. In this particular case, they are working with government agencies to ensure that people will be more prepared in case of another situation like the flooding from last year, as well as cyclone preparedness in cooperation with the India Meteorological Department.
SOURCE: Google India
