The Disaster Management Department, in collaboration with IIT Roorkee, has developed the Bhoodev app to provide early earthquake alerts. The app, using scientific methods, detects primary waves of an earthquake before the destructive secondary waves arrive. Through this system, people can receive warnings via the Bhoodev app and sirens 15 to 30 seconds in advance, offering them a chance to move to safety.
According to Professor Kamal from IIT Roorkee’s Earth Science Center and Disaster Risk Reduction Department, while predicting earthquakes remains impossible, minimizing damage and saving lives through timely warnings is achievable. Since 2017, the state government has entrusted the institution with this project.
The state has installed 169 sensors and 112 sirens across various locations. When an earthquake occurs, sensors detect the initial primary waves, which travel faster than the more destructive secondary waves. The system then instantly sends alerts through the internet to the Bhoodev app and sirens, ensuring rapid warnings.
The Bhoodev app, available for download on Play Store and App Store, will issue audible alerts in case of earthquakes of magnitude 5 or higher on the Richter scale. Currently, the app is functional only within Uttarakhand.
Proposal Sent to NDMA for Expansion
Under the National Earthquake Risk Reduction Plan, the state aims to expand the network to 500 sensors and 1,000 sirens. The Disaster Management Department has submitted a proposal of over ₹150 crore to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) for this expansion.
