Roorkee (Uttarakhand): Indian Institute of Technology – Roorkee (IIT, Roorkee) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Science and Technology Centre for Disaster Reduction (NCDR), Taiwan, to develop tech solution for disasters like earthquake and floods.
Scientists and faculty members of NCDR along with their director Hongey Chen visited the institute for signing of the MoU. As per the agreement, both the institutes would develop scientific and academic cooperation and scientific research to promote relations and mutual understanding between NCDR and the Centre of Excellence in Disaster Mitigation and Management (CoEDMM) of IIT, Roorkee.
Major objective of the MoU is mutually developing technology solutions to natural hazards, including earthquakes, landslides, floods, debris flow, and compound disasters. The researchers from IIT Roorkee and NCDR aim to co-establish an early warning sensor network equipped with P-Alert sensors at selected locations in Uttarakhand.
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Director, IIT Roorkee, KK Pant said, “Disaster risk reduction (DRR) is an integral part of social and economic development, and this would be a lasting cooperation of IIT Roorkee with the NCDR, Taiwan, in development of sustainable mitigation of natural hazards for the future. We recognize building resilient infrastructure and reaffirm the interrelationship between disaster risk reduction and sustainable development.
Director, NCDR, Taiwan, Hongey emphasized, “It is important to work in tandem with the South Asia Alliance of Disaster Research Institutes (SAADRI), and we are thankful to IIT Roorkee in promoting disaster risk management and capacity-building programs by introducing advanced science and technology.”
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The MoU signing ceremony is followed by a technical workshop on earthquake early warning systems (EEWS). In India, the nation’s first EEWS, namely Uttarakhand Earthquake Early Warning System (UEEWS), is established at the IIT Roorkee. At present, the alert system is active only within Uttarakhand, India. The EEWS should be extended to other regions within and outside India. This being the motivation of SAADRI and CoEDMM IIT, Roorkee, KK Pant congratulated the organizers and wished the event a grand success.
