How WhatsApp Is Saving The Lives Of Assam Villagers

WhatsApp has justified itself for being a tool used for spreading fake news, mass hysteria, and paranoia. Villagers who live along the Assam-Bhutan border can now receive flood alerts on WhatsApp from the Bhutanese across the border.

There are 56 big and small rivers that flow from Bhutan to India via Assam. This area has always been known to be a flood vulnerable zone. The intensity of the flood varies every year. However, most often, people who live downstream, in this case, the Indian side, due to the lack of information, find themselves amidst the raging torrent. And the consequences are horrifying.

But for about a month, a system has been set up to send early flood warning to Assam villagers from the Bhutanese side. Here’s a sample of the recent alert:

And for the Indian villagers, this kind of early warnings can be such a lifesaver. Brahma said, “Our village is on the Bhutan foothills, and every year we have a tough time when the Manas river danger is coming. We have several WhatsApp groups where these alerts are shared.”

This system is the result of the partnership between the BIFA (Bhutan-India Friendship Association) and the NERSWN (Social Work Networking)-a Kokrajhar-based Indian NGO.

In an interview, Raju Narzary, NERSWN executive director, said:

The alerts come in the form of audio-visual clipping as well, instead of just being textual. And now, the system is about to be expanded to Bodoland.