India and Japan launched DISANET to monitor Natural Disasters

India and Japan on 18 July2010 launched a five year project to develop a Network for Natural Disaster Mitigation and Recovery or DISANET at Hyderabad. The objective of the DISANET is to monitor natural disasters and to evolve an emergency communication system with the help from Information technology tools. The cost of DISANET project is Rs.20 Crore.

DISANET project financed by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) involves the IITs of Hyderabad, Madras and Kanpur, India Metrological Department and National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI). JST would share their expertise with its Indian counterparts in areas of earth quake monitoring, weather hazards and emergency communications.

Major Features of DISANET Project

• Under DISANET project Automatic Weather stations would be set up to monitor rainfall, humidity, temperature, wind and atmospheric pressure.
• The DISANET will also set up a sound network for pre-disaster monitoring and utilizing communication and database systems to provide post disaster relief.
• The project will also analyze earthquakes in Himalayan belt.