Editor’s note,
Ahmedabad, DeshGujarat

Vernacular newspapers on Monday morning from across Gujarat are full of news headlines pointing out huge damage to agriculture produce lying in open at various marketing yards due to unseasonal rains that lashed Gujarat on Sunday.

As usual, regional TV channels visited the akas of marketing yards, and they want government to pay for the loss.

Now here are some systemic suggestions.

This time, unseasonal rain was well-predicted, well in advance.

Two days before the spell of shower, Ahmedabad office of Indian Meteorological Department(IMD) had called media and announced that there will be unseasonal rain in Gujarat on 1st and 2nd March. This time, IMD was so sure about arrival of rain that there was not this word ‘possibility’ in its statement. IMD had categorically and clearly predicted the shower.

Now if there’s such clear prediction, and even after that if marketing yards keep agriculture produce in open, then whom to blame?

Here’s a suggestion. Whenever IMD is very sure about some prediction, it should have a system to directly trigger SMS to akas of marketing yards and Sarpanchs of gram panchayats across the state.

To make this possible, first there should be a data of mobile numbers of target class available. It should be updated regularly and merged with a system that is directly operated by IMD regional office. There should be certain guidelines on when to shoot SMS.

Just relying on journalists to convey the message is not enough. Newspapers relay prediction next morning while regional TV channels may or may not understand seriousness and provide timely and sufficient coverage. Not everyone is going to open IMD website regularly to come to know about updates. Shooting bulk SMS to target audience through mobile phone is easier. If you choose to shoot SMS only for three-four times a year, say for cyclone, unseasonal rain and flood alert, it’s not intrusive or can’t be termed as disturbing communication.

New-era communication has to be adopted by government for good of all.

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