Government & Industry Come Together to Unveil White Paper on Benefits of IoT in Disaster Management
White Paper Reveals Prediction and Early Warning Systems with Help of IoT Can Effectively Mitigate Disasters on Real-Time Basis
New Delhi, 7th July 2016–The Digital India Action Group (DIAG), a think tank established for ideating and monitoring policy initiatives to support the Indian Government’s mission of Digital India, set up by Manufacturers’ Association of Information Technology (MAIT) announced the unveiling of a white paper on “IoT for Effective Disaster Management”. The white paper aims to create awareness and appreciation about the potential use and application of IoT for different aspects of disaster management.
Launching the white paper, Shri Kiren Rijiju, Hon’ble Minister of State for Home Affairs, Govt. of India said, “Information technology has played a key role in changing the face of our country and noteworthy initiatives like Digital India are encouraging us to push the boundaries of innovation. I am happy that industry bodies such as MAIT have taken the lead in helping the government devise proactive policies and plans, and suggest ways to most effectively deploy Information and Communication Technologies to mitigate the effects of disasters.”
The white paper recommends a ‘Seven-Point Action Plan’ to shift from a ‘relief and recovery’ model to ‘risk and vulnerability assessment’ and address key issues and challenges related to management of natural and man-made disasters in India. In this hyper-connected era, Internet of Things (IoT) plays an important role by interconnecting intelligent devices for the purpose of sharing information. It also provides early warnings through sensor based technologies, thereby creating innovative and effective systems for disaster management.
The white paper also highlights the importance of real-time information management for effective preparation, planning, response and mitigation of disasters. It places emphasis on the IoT as a technology domain, which can pave the way for a radical and pioneering approach to minimize losses caused due to disasters. Leading technology giant SAP India collaborated with MAIT along with other players from the DIAG in order to create the white paper.
According to Ms. Debjani Ghosh, President, MAIT, “There is a realization that as a country we need to build a culture of disaster preparedness at all levels. The white paper sheds light on the need to build capacity at the central, state and district levels, empower and train volunteers while ensuring focus on vulnerable groups. It also reveals that learning from past disasters and knowledge sharing is an important goal that can be fulfilled by effective deployment of ICT solutions.”
Mr. Deb Deep Sengupta, President and Managing Director, SAP Indian Subcontinent said, “The opportunities for application of technologies in disaster management are significant. One such revolution is IoT, which will help to not only respond but also predict and help react on a real-time basis. These predictions and correlations will be transformational. We are happy to have contributed to this initiative which is the first step towards managing future calamities and making lives better.”
The white paper was unveiled by Hon’ble Minister of State for Home Affairs, Govt. of India, Shri Kiren Rijiju; Ms. Debjani Ghosh, President, MAIT and Mr. Deb Deep Sengupta, President & MD, SAP Indian Subcontinent. Also present on the occasion were senior Government of India officers Dr. V K Saraswat, Member, NITI Aayog; Mr. R K Jain, Member Secretary, NDMA and leadership team members from Accenture.
Highlights of the White Paper
The National Disaster Management Act was passed in December 2005 and envisaged the following organisational set-up, headed by the Prime Minister of India:
- NDMA – Headed by the Prime Minister
- SDMAs – Headed by the respective Chief Ministers
- DDMAs – Headed by DM/DC, co-chaired by Chairperson, Zila Parishad
- Nodal Ministry – Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India
- National Emergency Response Centre (NEOC) – Based in MHA, functions 24 x 7
- National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) – Specialised force, works under the control of NDMA
- National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) – Designs, develops and implements training programmes, undertakes research, HRD, assistance in national policy formulation, develop educational material promote awareness
- Civil Defence and Home Guards – Help in community preparedness and public awareness.
Internet of Things (IoT) in Disaster Management
Figure 1. IoT in Disaster Management
Source: DAIG’s White Paper on “IoT for Effective Disaster Management”, 2016
About MAIT
MAIT was set up in 1982 for purposes of scientific, educational and IT Industry promotion, Representing Hardware, Training, R&D & Hardware Design and other associated service segments of the Indian IT Industry, MAIT’s charter is to develop a globally competitive Indian IT Industry, promote the usage of IT in India, strengthen the role of IT in national economic development, promote business through international alliances, promote quality consciousness in the IT Industry and transform the Indian IT Industry into a World Scale Industry leading to a World Class Usage and thus a World Size Market. MAIT is recognized by both Govt. and Industry for its role in the growth & development of the IT Hardware industry in India and has emerged as a strong & effective mouthpiece of the industry in the government corridors.
For more details, please visit www.mait.com.
About SAP
As market leader in enterprise application software, SAP (NYSE: SAP) helps companies of all sizes and industries run better. From back office to boardroom, warehouse to storefront, desktop to mobile device – SAP empowers people and organizations to work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively to stay ahead of the competition. SAP applications and services enable approximately 310,000 business and public sector customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and grow sustainably. For more information, visit www.sap.com