How AI helped Nashik stay ahead of Maharashtra's worst monsoon spell

As Maharashtra battled one of the seasonrsquos most severe monsoon phases with Mumbai Pune and Raigad facing flooding landslides and major transport disruption Nashik was preparing for a different kind of emergency Nearly 24 hours before the worst weather was expected the district administration received highly localised warnings through the AIassisted Bharat Forecast System BharatFS indicating the possibility of cloudburstlike rainfall in parts of the districtArmed with that early warning the administration activated emergency protocols deployed NDRF and SDRF teams monitored vulnerable rivers and dams prepared evacuation plans issued targeted public advisories and restricted access to tourist locations waterfalls and trekking pointsIn this detailed conversation with Midday Nashik District Collector Ayush Prasad explains how artificial intelligence hyperlocal forecasting and advance planning helped the district stay ahead of the crisis while simultaneously dealing with an unusual swarm of earthquake tremorsQWhile Mumbai Pune and Raigad were already battling a severe weather crisis Nashik also received extremely heavy rainfall What made this situation differentAnswer The key difference was that we received a highly localised advance warning almost 24 hours before the most intense rainfall was expected This was not a generic districtlevel alert The forecast indicated the possibility of cloudburstlike rainfall in specific parts of Nashik allowing us to begin preparations well in advance instead of reacting after the situation had escalatedQ How did the AIbased Bharat Forecast System help Nashik stay ahead of the crisisAnswer BharatFS is a nextgeneration highresolution weather forecasting platform Earlier forecasting models generally worked on grids of around 12 kilometres which made it difficult to predict highly localised extreme weather events The AIassisted system works at roughly a 6kilometre resolution enabling us to identify much smaller zones that were likely to receive exceptionally heavy rainfall This level of precision is extremely valuable for disaster managementQ 3 Did the forecast specifically mention cloudburstlike rainfallAnswer It indicated the possibility of very intense highly localised rainfall consistent with cloudburstlike conditions For an administration such an alert is significant because it suggests the potential for flash floods sudden water accumulation landslides and rapid changes in river and stream behaviourQ 4 What were the first steps taken after receiving the warningAnswer We immediately activated the district disaster management machinery NDRF SDRF and local rescue teams were placed on alert Vulnerable rivers dams and floodprone settlements were put under continuous monitoring We also prepared evacuation plans issued public advisories and restricted access to locations that were considered unsafeQ 5 You have spoken about ldquohyperlocal warningsrdquo What exactly does that mean in practiceAnswer Hyperlocal warnings mean that instead of issuing a broad alert for an entire district we communicated risks for specific localities lowlying settlements and vulnerable clusters of homes and shops Local officials police personnel and community volunteers contacted residents directly through calls messaging groups and public announcements This made the warning much more actionableQ 6 How important was that localityspecific approachAnswer It made a substantial difference People respond more seriously when they are told that their locality or their settlement is vulnerable rather than hearing a general warning for an entire district Hyperlocal communication improves both compliance and the speed of evacuationQ 7 What preventive floodcontrol measures had already been taken before the heavy rain beganAnswer We had already undertaken several preventive measuresWater levels in dams and certain storage structures had been reduced to create additional floodcontrol capacityThese preparations are often less visible than rescue operations but they are critical for reducing the overall impact of floodingQ 8 Was there concern that dam releases could worsen downstream floodingAnswer Dam operations are closely coordinated with rainfall forecasts and downstream river conditions The purpose of maintaining additional storage capacity is precisely to reduce the risk of uncontrolled flooding during extreme rainfall events Continuous monitoring allows releases to be managed in a calibrated mannerQ 9 The administration closed schools and colleges in eight talukas Why was that decision taken so quicklyAnswer The IMD had issued a Red Alert and the forecast showed a high probability of extremely heavy rainfall in Malegaon Nandgaon Baglan Kalwan Trimbakeshwar Igatpuri Peth and Surgana Student transportation road safety visibility and the possibility of sudden flooding were all considered Closing educational institutions was a precautionary measure aimed at protecting children and reducing unnecessary travelQ 12 You mentioned that vulnerable residents were shifted in advance Which groups were prioritisedAyush Prasad We prioritised pregnant women expected to deliver before 4 August elderly residents people with chronic illnesses and families living in lowlying or floodprone settlements The objective was to ensure that medical assistance and transportation would remain available even if roads were affected laterQ 13 Nashik has also been experiencing earthquake tremors How challenging is it to handle earthquakes and extreme rainfall simultaneouslyAnswer It is indeed a double challenge On one hand we have been monitoring a swarm of earthquake tremors and on the other hand we are dealing with extreme monsoon conditions Both situations require continuous surveillance coordination between departments and clear communication with the public Our teams have had to remain prepared for multiple types of emergencies at the same timeQ In practical terms how valuable was the additional 24hour lead timeAnswer It was extremely valuable Those additional hours allowed us toactivate emergency protocolsIn disaster management even a few hours can save lives A full day of preparation gives the administration a completely different operational advantageQ Did the administration use technology beyond weather forecastingAnswer Yes We relied on realtime communication systems controlroom monitoring field reporting through digital platforms and continuous coordination between departments Technology is most effective when it supports rapid decisionmaking and groundlevel execution