Adding another feather to the Andhra Pradesh government's cap, the A P Disaster Management Facebook Page has been mentioned as one of the best examples for managing disaster responses through Facebook in emergency situations.
Internet giant Facebook has carried out a study titled "Prepare And Respond" to analyse how individuals, communities and governments globally use Facebook to respond to emergencies and act accordingly.
The Government of Andhra Pradesh used its A P Disaster Management Page on Facebook as a platform to alert people before the cyclone, took grievances/complaints/concerns, and informed them about relief material availability during Hudhud.
The page was also used to post pictures of the on-ground efforts of the Chief Minister and the entire administration, as also the relief and rehabilitation efforts.
Through the A P Disaster Management Page, local Facebook communities were created, through which relief efforts were monitored by various volunteer groups.
The report mentions the A P government under Section 2 (Page 13) - "Tips for first responders and government agencies". It talks about how the A P Disaster Management Facebook Page quickly connected with the community to help people stay safe and informed.
The Facebook report also mentions the Disaster Prevention Page of Japan, the New South Wales Rural Fire Service page, the Colorado Wildfire Information page and others.
It also highlights how the #HudhudAP hashtag was successfully used widely across the social media by people to promote the cause and seek help from the government. (INN)