The recent launch of an integrated flood warning system, known as IFLOWS-Mumbai, has made headlines in India. This innovative system positions Mumbai as the country’s second city, following Chennai, to employ such advanced technology for flood prevention and control.
Who Developed IFLOWS-Mumbai?
The brains behind the creation of IFLOWS-Mumbai are the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) and the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM). This joint effort resulted in a system that is meticulously designed to mitigate the devastating impacts of floods in the bustling city.
How does IFLOWS-Mumbai Work?
IFLOWS-Mumbai consists of seven main modules: data assimilation, flood, inundation, vulnerability, risk, dissemination and decision support system. These components work in sync to provide the most accurate and timely warnings possible.
The system combines weather forecasts from the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) along with the field data from rain gauge network stations. It’s a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based decision support tool, which collates all relevant data such as land topography, infrastructure, population data, information about lakes, creeks, and details on river bathymetry for rivers like Mithi, Dahisar, Oshiwara, Poisar and Ulhas.
A significant feature of this system lies in its ability to predict flooding areas in advance by tracking the city’s urban drainage. This lets the respective authorities issue early alerts and take appropriate action in a timely manner.
Benefits of IFLOWS-Mumbai
The introduction of IFLOWS-Mumbai will surely enhance the city’s resilience against severe weather incidences, including heavy rainfall, and cyclones. This tool significantly aids in providing early flood warnings, which can help to prevent or at least minimize, the catastrophic consequences of such events.
Moreover, it has been stated that Bengaluru and Kolkata could also be equipped with a similar system by 2021. These advancements in technological applications highlight India’s commitment to reducing the effects of climate change and natural disasters.
The Urgency for A System Like IFLOWS-Mumbai
Mumbai’s history reveals several unfortunate instances of flooding during episodes of extreme rainfall. Most notably in July 2005 and again in 2017, the city faced devastating floods.
Added to this, changes in monsoon patterns due to climate change and rising temperatures have led to an increase in extreme rainfall events across India. According to the Global Report on Internal Displacement 2020, nearly five million people were displaced in India in 2019 alone due to disasters linked with the Southwest Monsoon and Cyclones.
Furthermore, according to the ‘State of India’s Environment 2020 in Figures’ report, India had the highest number of internal displacements globally in 2019 caused by disasters and extreme weather conditions. This underlines the urgent need for advanced systems like IFLOWS-Mumbai to better manage and mitigate the impact of these harmful environmental occurrences.
