At least 7 to 8 Heavy Rainfall Events per

Year, leading to urban floods

Flat terrain, poor natural drainage, cyclonic

storms and tidal blockage of channels

causes flooding and waterlogging

Increasing impermeable area, limited

capacity of storm water drainage

infrastructure leads to increased flood

risks

Present System

Over 348 vulnerable spots identified along the

roads

Contract labourers deployed at site to report

through SMS to the central control room

Delays in processing and action

Heavy rainfall events cripple the city through

traffic jams and inundation of settlements

Timely information necessary to mitigate flood

impacts on traffic and livelihoods

Traffic

Congestion

Inundation of low

lying areas Economic loss

& impacts on

livelihoods

Affects functioning of the city

Impacts

Kolkata – Urban Floods

About 400 real-time flood and pump status sensors

are proposed to installed to monitor flooding across

identified vulnerable areas and status of drainage

systems across the city.

The data will be communicated to the KMC control

room. The real time status of inundation will be

displayed in the Flood Monitoring Dashboard. The

Dashboard can be viewed on computers and mobile

phones. It will aid in informed decision making and

effective response.

Flood Forecasting and Warning

System-

Flood Monitoring Dashboard

Central repository of rain and flood information

Real-time monitoring of inundation of roads,

shops and settlements

Real-time information on canal and river water

levels

Anywhere access to Real-time maps over internet

through computers and mobile phones

Prospective users can register onto the control

room system to get location-specific warnings

Specific warnings to individuals/shop owners/

drivers based on location/Sensor node

SMS alerts to the shop/industry/house owners

Real time Inputs

1. Canal /River water Level Sensors to measure

water level

2. Inundation Sensors at vulnerable Traffic

Junctions, Schools, Hospitals, Govt. Offices, to

provide Information on the depth of

Inundation

3. Pumping Station Sensors at Sewerage and

Drainage Pumping Station, to provide

information on pumping Station Operation

4. Automatic Rain Gauges at Key locations

across the city to monitor rainfall

Outputs

1. Flood Monitoring Dashboard

2. Radio TV broadcasts of early warning

3. Location specific Mobile phone alerts

4. Maps showing closed/inundated roads

Flood Monitoring Dashboard

Let us work together to make

Kolkata flood resilient!

How You Can Contribute:

You can install cost-effective sensors to report

flooding:

Small shops/vendors – can monitor flood

near your establishments and reduce flood

vulnerability of your assets.

Community organisations can monitor

floods in your locality and alert people staying in low

lying areas.

Academic institutions can use sensor data

to conduct research and provide inputs to the

municipality to develop flood informed urban

planning and management measures.

All stakeholders can provide support in

installing and managing the sensor nodes in their

premises.

Ownership of the early warning system by

people and community organisations can ensure

regular data collection and sustainability of system.

Partnerships between different groups and

organisations can make the city ready for facing

extreme events with reduced damage and loss.

How This Will Help You:

Map based real-time information of inundation

available to subscribers during the monsoon season

Urban managers can manage traffic and storm

water drainage

Urban planners can develop flood informed

urban plans.

People can modify their travel to avoid getting

stuck in flood induced traffic jams

Communities can plan response based on early

warning and real-time inundation status.

Municipality

Manage flood events better informed by real-

time situation

Divert traffic from flooded areas

Timely evacuation from high risk areas

Get information on impending inundation before

actual flooding through SMS/Radio/TV

They can move important valuables and

documents before flooding

Postpone less priority travel and reduce chances

of getting stuck in flooded areas.

They can decide on risk transfer through

insurance

People/private sector

Win - Win

Funded with the support from Urban

Climate Change Resilience Fund of

Asian Development Bank.