Amaravati: Real Time Governance Society (RTGS) of the Andhra Pradesh government, in collaboration with the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority and IIT Gandhinagar, has developed an advanced forecasting platform to provide 48-hour rainfall outlook and six-hour flash flood warnings, beginning with Vijayawada
The City Flood Alert has been developed to predict urban flooding before it occurs, enabling authorities to take preventive action well before disaster strikes. The government has called this a significant step towards building climate-resilient cities,
The RTGS AWARE Division, working jointly with the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) and in collaboration with experts from IIT Gandhinagar, has developed the platform.
Integrating artificial intelligence, satellite-based terrain mapping, predictive analytics and hydrological modelling, the system delivers highly accurate flood forecasts and real-time early warnings for urban areas, according to an official release on Sunday.
The initiative, launched under the vision of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, reflects the state’s commitment to leveraging technology for proactive disaster management and strengthening urban resilience, it said.
Vijayawada, one of Andhra Pradesh’s fastest-growing cities, has long battled recurring floods, particularly from the Budameru stream, which frequently inundates low-lying areas during heavy rainfall. To address this challenge, RTGS has developed a comprehensive City Flood Alert platform capable of identifying vulnerable locations, forecasting flood risks and automatically alerting field officials before flooding occurs.
The system provides rainfall forecasts up to 48 hours in advance, flash flood predictions up to six hours before occurrence, ward-level flood hotspot identification, automated early warning alerts to government officials and real-time decision support for emergency response.
At the heart of the platform is a high-resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) created using satellite imagery. RTGS has digitally mapped Vijayawada ward by ward, identifying terrain elevations, drainage networks and flood-prone zones.
The predictive flood model has been built using nearly three decades of historical Budameru flood data, enabling the system to simulate flood behaviour under different rainfall scenarios and forecast potential inundation with remarkable precision. Beyond forecasting flooded locations, the platform also pinpoints drainage channels where silt accumulation could trigger waterlogging and backflow, allowing preventive maintenance before heavy rain.
Once a potential flood threat is detected, the City Flood Alert platform automatically generates alerts and shares actionable intelligence with the APSDMA. Leveraging this real-time information, APSDMA will strategically utilise the data to issue timely warnings and advisories well in advance to Municipal Commissioners, District Collectors, ward-level municipal officials and other field agencies, enabling them to initiate preventive measures before flooding occurs.
The warnings facilitate clearing of drainage channels before heavy rainfall, preventing waterlogging, timely deployment of emergency response teams, and evacuation of residents from vulnerable locations wherever required. The technology-driven workflow transforms disaster management from a reactive exercise into a predictive and preventive governance model.
The platform will first be operational in Vijayawada and then will be expanded across all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in Andhra Pradesh. Each city and town will undergo digital terrain mapping and flood-risk assessment, creating a statewide network of intelligent urban flood monitoring systems capable of providing location-specific forecasts and timely alerts.
(IANS)
