File photo of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, once the poster boy of IT promotion in the country, is now seeking to leverage modern communication technology through "crowd sourcing" to provide relief to the victims of Cyclone Hudhud which struck coastal Andhra today.
The chief minister said that people can provide information on the damages caused by the cyclone by downloading an app and send pictures and videos through it. "We are trying to use technology to the maximum possible extent. We have obtained satellite images and we asked NRSA (National Remote Sensing Centre) to do mapping. The NRSA data would be synchronised with crowd sourcing in the form of people giving information on crop damages etc. If you download the App and update, we will automatically get information," he said.
Uploading photos and videos would help the rescue and relief teams in reaching the places affected by the cyclone, he said today. The photos and videos can be sent to the web link http://bhuvan-ftp.nrsc.gov.in (username:hudhud123, password:hudhud123), he said, adding that, the government would recognise the services of those who help.
The file name of the uploaded photo or video should contain the name of the area and time, Mr Naidu said.
Noting that communication systems have collapsed in the affected places like Visakhapatnam, the chief minister said telecom service providers have been asked to try and restore the services at the earliest.