Ncell, Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) sign MoU strengthening Early Warning Systems to cover 13 hazards

KATHMANDU: Ncell in collaboration with the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) has further strengthened the communication for the Early Warning System (EWS) by expanding the coverage in both hydrological and meteorological disasters. On Wednesday, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed to this effect.

Under this extended MoU, Ncell and DHM join hands to work together to disseminate early warning alerts to the public covering 13 disasters triggered by hydrological and meteorological hazards. This includes the alerts for Flood, Flash Flood, Rainfall, Thunderstorm, Windgust, Landslide, Avalanche, Snowfall, Heatwave, Cold Weather, Forest Fire, Air Pollution and Tornado.

Jabbor Kayumov, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD) of Ncell, and Dr.Jagadishwor Karmacharya, Director General of DHM, exchanged the MoU on Wednesday (January 10) amidst a programme organised at Ncell’s corporate office Ncell ICON located in Lainchaur, Kathmandu

Sharing his excitement, Dr.Jagadishwor Karmacharya, Director General of DHM said, “We are extremely thankful to Ncell for pioneering the Flood Early Warning System initiative in Nepal since 2016. Disseminating alerts in the event of impending disaster has proven to be a lifesaver for the survivors. This joint initiative is indeed a great example of grassroots-to-global action of putting the furthest-behind-first as envisioned in the recent UN’s ‘Early Warning for All’ initiative. This MoU is yet another milestone with the coverage of 10 additional meteorological hazards. With the support from Ncell and related stakeholders, we have been able to connect with the most vulnerable communities, and thousands of lives have been saved over the years. Despite increasing flood hazards due to climate change in recent years, the mortality rate due to flood has reduced significantly in Nepal since 2018 due to the collective efforts of all stakeholders and we wholeheartedly appreciate their efforts including Ncell.”

Jabbor Kayumov, CEO and MD of Ncell, further sharing his commitment to Nepal said, “We are proud to have this MOU in place with the DHM o further strengthen our Early Warning System extending our coverage to 13 hazards. This is a significant milestone in our commitment to enhancing the safety and well-being of the communities and people we serve. Ncell is proud to spearhead and lead the effort since 2016 that every Nepali is protected by early warning systems. This collaboration between Ncell and DHM is a great example of how public private partnerships (PPP) can join forces to create a larger positive impact on our society which underscores our shared commitment to leveraging technology for the greater good in enhancing the well-being of Nepal and Nepali people. As we move forward, we are committed to investing in initiatives that contribute to the well-being of the people of Nepal as we are here for Nepal and Nepali people.”

Early warning SMS alerts ensure that people get pre-informed about the risk and move to safe locations with their belongings, while organizations involved in disaster response and preparedness get time to act on time.

Since 2016 Ncell has been disseminating flood early warning SMS alerts to people living in flood-prone areas, contributing to saving lives and properties from monsoon floods each year. Last year alone in 2023, the company disseminated over 9 million SMS alerts, pre-informing people from flood risk areas.

As a responsible corporate citizen, Ncell remains committed to serving people and the community and is also exploring possibilities to implement EWS for other hydrometeorological disasters as well.

As DHM installs new telemetry devices and expands hydro-meteorological stations, Ncell will continue to provide similar connectivity support to those stations, so that more people could benefit from the EWS initiative.