With the city struggling yet again with water-logging and flooding, the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) has launched an innovative online platform designed to provide hyperlocal rainfall forecast and flood monitoring in Mumbai. This cutting-edge system, developed by a team of students, faculty, and staff from IIT-B’s Interdisciplinary Programme in Climate Studies promises to revolutionise the way the city copes with monsoon-related flooding.
Available on a web portal and mobile app, the system uses data from over 60 automatic weather and rainfall stations across the city and its surrounding areas, along with information from the Indian Meteorological Department’s (IMD) observatories in Colaba, Santacruz, and Marine Lines. By integrating these sources, the system provides hourly rainfall predictions for the next 24 hours and daily forecasts for the following three days. This initiative has been made possible through funding support from HDFC ERGO through the HE-IITB Innovation Centre.
Its crowdsourcing-approach enables citizens to report flooding in their areas by submitting water level information via the web portal or mobile app, which is then made available to the public in real-time. The app also provides real-time water level measurements from sensors at critical locations such as the Mithi River and Vakola Nullah, giving citizens a better understanding of the flood situation.
Subimal Ghosh, convener of IIT-B’s Climate Studies Programme, said, “This app is made for Mumbaikars by Mumbaikars; it empowers them to take an active role in flood management. The data we collect will be instrumental in helping government bodies prepare a comprehensive flood management plan for the next year.”
Ghosh said they have already developed a model at IIT-B, and are now making it accessible to the public through this app and website, mumbaiflood.in. “We’ve provided four options for users to select the water level, and once they submit their data, it will be instantly available to the public,” he said.
FEATURES
Available on web portal and mobile app
Uses data from over 60 automatic weather and rainfall stations
Uses information from IMD observatories in Colaba, Santacruz, and Marine Lines
Hourly rainfall predictions for the next 24 hours
Daily forecasts for the following three days
Citizens can report flooding on portal and app
Info made available to the public in real-time
App also provides real-time levels of Mithi river and Vakola Nullah
