The advanced android application, deployed by administration for pilgrim safety, was granted ISO 9001:2008 compliance certificate. It is the first online & offline integrated smart phone application launched for disaster rescue and evacuation in which the user can send an emergency SMS at the time of disaster to inform the administration about his/her precise location in terms of GPS coordinates.
In the wake of June 16/17, 2013 flash floods which literally devastated Rudraprayag district, Shri Kedar Rescue Demo Android Application with limited users/features was launched by the administration on October 7, 2014 to instil confidence in pilgrims coming for Kedarnath Yatra and to tackle any calamity in the region. The final advanced version has now been launched for Kedarnath Yatra-2015 by the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), Rudraprayag in collaboration with Caldera Solutions Pvt ltd.
The application can be installed by the locals, pilgrims and tourists in their smart phones free of cost from Google Play Store or Rudraprayag district official website after which they get access to various landmarks and important resources like location of helipads, evacuation routes, important public buildings, medical relief posts, Police chowkis and important contact numbers. The users can send a rescue alert SMS in case of an emergency which informs the DEOC (District Emergency Operation Centre) to cater to their needs on an immediate basis.
The alert SOS is in three categories, viz rescue, medical need and food supply, helping the users to send precise and exact information within seconds including their current location in terms of latitude and longitude. The application developed under the direction of Raghav langer, district magistrate/ chairman DDMA is based on the design principle of being "quick & exact". With use of advanced automation algorithms, it can fetch any information on single click in less than five seconds. This saves critical time in the event of rescue operations.
Congratulating the DDMA's IT team and Caldera Solutions for receiving the highest accreditation for their Android Application, DM langer said that till now more than 900 pilgrims visiting the shrine have downloaded and used the application on their mobiles. Once installed, the application remains active for 7 days on the user's mobile after which it gets automatically deactivated, he said.
The administration is now able to do live tracking of the user on the Admin Panel screen set up in DEOC, Collectorate Rudraprayag and thus can respond to the user timely.
langer said, "The cost of developing the App has just been 14.30 lakhs. Project has been funded by the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA). IT firm Caldera Solutions will maintain the App for one year as per the agreement, after which it shall be handed over to the district NIC team. The live tracking of pilgrims on the Admin Panel is being done round the clock by DDMA staff sitting in the district disaster control room," he added.
"The cutting edge success of our project lies in the fact that even in offline mode, without any internet connectivity, the user is able to send SMS to the rescue centre providing his exact GPS locational details. It has been possible because of parallel integration of client mobile phone, administrator panel, web based icloud server and telecom operator's tower," the DM said.