With the arrival of monsoon the government is strengthening its capacity of early warning system against water-induced disasters throughout the country. 

According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DoHM), 70 Automatic Water Level Sensors (AWLS) will be installed in different rivers and 88 Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) will be set up in different parts of the country within this fiscal year.

“With these new installations, our capacity of predictions will improve. We will be capable and highly accurate with our predictions and our coverage area will also expand,” said Rishi Ram Sharma, director general at the DoHM. 

There are already 30 AWLS and nearly 100 AWS throughout the country. 

AWLS measures the water flow in rivers and predicts threats of floods for nearby communities. Radars installed in river measures water level flowing in the river and sends pulses every second. Travelling time between sending and receiving of pulses decides the water level.   

“Early information will enable flood-prone communities and authorities to be prepared in advance,” Sharma said, noting that early warning systems have helped several communities in the past.

Besides issuing warnings about floods, Sharma said, the AWLS will also record comprehensive data about patterns and behaviours of rivers. “Early warning systems not only warn local communities, but also provide detail information about rivers like when it is flooded and what is the maximum water level over a long period. This information will aid the department in designing plans to reduce disaster risk,” said Sharma. 

The DoHM has already installed water level measurement systems in major rivers of the country like Kankai, Bagmati, Narayani, Eastern Rapti, Western Rapti, Babai, Karnali and Seti.  

Similarly, two early warning systems have been set up to observe the glacial lakes, Tso Rolpa in Dolakha and Imja in Solukhumbu.