KATHMANDU, July 10: Collaborating with the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology(DHM), Nepal Telecom has unveiled a plan to disseminate early warning message through free SMS service system among targeted people.
According to Pratibha Vaidya, spokesperson of Nepal Telecom, this plan aims at reducing the loss of lives and properties caused by flood and landslides in different parts of the country by informing people living or staying in the affected areas in advance.
The security alert message will be sent via cell phone to the people of natural disaster-prone areas.
DHM sending early SMS alerts to mitigate risks of floods
“The early warning information will only be received by the local people of the places where a natural disaster might occur. It will not be received by those who are traveling or staying in those places”, Vaidya said.
According to Binod Parajuli, the hydrologist at the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, those people living in areas more vulnerable to natural disasters will receive a warning message eight to nine hours before they occur.
However, those people residing in areas less prone to natural disasters will get a warning text two hours before the possible calamity, Parajuli added.
Hydrologist Parajuli also informed that the early warning message will be sent from both NTC and Ncell mobile service.
Nepal Telecom provides DHM with the details of the people living in those disaster-prone areas.
The department sends an early warning message to those people through 1155 access code. NTC sends early warning message through the BULK SMS system.
