Hudhud: Andhra Pradesh government launches portal to collate data on cyclone damages

HYDERABAD: Aiming to leverage the power of technology, the Andhra Pradesh government has launched a web portal to collate and analyse data on the damages caused by the devastating cyclone 'hudhud' in coastal Andhra.

The portal www.hudhud.ap.gov.in will facilitate collation and analysis of damages and it will be used by all government departments, government officials said here today.

The portal connects to the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) website on #HudhudAP, they said.

"People can send pictures for the web portal through Whatsapp to these numbers: 7893699024, 8978208690, 8978213563, 9618536805," an official release said.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, known for his tech-savvy ways, had appealed to the common citizens to send any photos on the damages caused by the cyclone on AP government's pages on different social networking sites so that they can be matched with the data provided by NRSC.

In addition to on-ground officials working round-the-clock, the Andhra Pradesh government has also mobilised volunteers through social media networks to help and donate to the cyclone victims, the officials said.

A volunteer network was created by publicising about it on Andhra Pradesh Government's handles on social networking sites.

AP Disaster Management's page on the sites is receiving good response, requests and also grievances. This has helped the government galvanise support from on-ground volunteers and those in Hyderabad and other areas who are willing to help the victims, the officials said.

A team monitoring social media, under the office of advisor (communications) to government of AP, has been noting down grievances and sending them to on-ground officials.

The social media team of AP government has contacted the Visakhapatnam district Collector for delivering the relief material.

The Andhra Pradesh government has also contacted students of different colleges and universities to mobilise this network.

Free relief material includes dry food like biscuits, bread, buns, medicines, towels, batteries, candles, bedsheets, sanitary napkins, chlorine tablets among others for victims taking shelter in the relief camps.