IIT-H researchers to develop data-driven tech to alert Hyderabad on floods

Hyderabad: Hyderabad city witnesses flooding whenever there is a bout of moderate or severe rainfall. More than an inconvenience, waterlogging or flooding has become a severe problem leading to several mishaps and even deaths in recent years.

To address this longstanding challenge of urban flooding in Hyderabad, a team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT-H), led by Dr Satish Kumar Regonda, is developing an Urban Flood Information System (UFIS) to minimise the effects of floods in the city.

Goal of UFIS

The UFIS’s goal is to provide reliable and accurate rain and flood forecasts and then deliver flood-relevant information in advance at different locations within the city. This proactive approach aims to empower stakeholders to make informed decisions and enhance the city’s resilience to floods.

By harnessing modelling techniques, including work in data-scarce environments and collaborating with government agencies, IIT-H envisions a future where urban flooding becomes a more manageable challenge.

For setting up UFIS, the focus is now on the collection of flood-relevant data, understanding of the collected data, employing modelling techniques to simulate as well as forecast rainfall amounts, flood depths and their extent, and development of products as per the needs of policymakers and stakeholders. The researchers proposed an end-to-end flood information system integrating meteorology, hydrology and stakeholder-relevant aspects.

Data collection platforms

The absence of key input data such as rainfall at finer intervals and those about flood flow measurements hinder flood modelling efforts. Therefore, one of the preliminary tasks for setting a reliable UFIS is to have a medium through which flood-related data can be collected. The researchers have introduced data collection platforms with an emphasis on citizen involvement via SnapFloodTM and Twitter (SnapFlood).

SnapFloodTM was envisioned to provide a platform for the citizens to provide flood-relevant information data, which may become an integral part of the UFIS data in the future. Efforts are also directed towards social media platforms such as Twitter to yield flood information. Varsha Mitra, a mascot illustrating the data collection aspect, to promote SnapFloodTM has also been released.

Works in the pipeline

Research scholars from Dr Satish’s research group, Rainfall-runoff Analysis Modelling and Forecasting Tools (RAFT), have worked in multiple dimensions to address the aspect of urban floods in Hyderabad. Mohammed Azharuddin focused on climatological aspects of rainfall and understanding weather patterns that bring rain to Hyderabad. Ponukumati Padmini examined alternative rainfall products for their utility in flood-relevant applications for the city.

Many works are in the pipeline, including weather, hydrology and hydraulic modelling at an urban scale, as well as real-time flood information dissemination through social media platforms. The research efforts are intended to improve the city’s resilience to floods and ensure the safety and well-being of its residents.

Stakeholder collaboration

The UFIS project is a multifaceted effort that aims at the collection of flood-relevant data, understanding of the collected data, employing of modelling techniques to simulate as well as forecast rainfall amounts, flood depths and their extent, and development of products as per the needs of policymakers and stakeholders.

In this regard, RAFT emphasises the involvement of citizens in data collection and collaborations with various academic institutes, organisations and agencies as they are critical to building a robust system to provide reliable and accurate rain and flood-related information.

‘Solution will benefit flood-prone cities’

Complementing the team efforts, Prof BS Murty, director of IIT-H, said, “The UFIS project is a testament to our commitment to address real-world challenges through cutting-edge research. By bringing together experts from various domains and collaborating with government agencies, we aim to create a transformative solution that will benefit not only Hyderabad but also serve as a model for other flood-prone cities in the country.”

Elaborating on the aim of the study, Dr Satish Kumar, lead researcher and associate professor of the Department of civil engineering and climate change, IIT-H, said, “Rain that brings floods puts the city at a standstill, causing damages of different types, including human losses. This highlights the need to develop systems such as UFIS, which makes cities flood resilient via integrating meteorological, hydrological and stakeholders’ relevant aspects and develops products, which may enhance flood awareness.”