IBM in Bihar flood, to make database

Patna: Information Technology (IT) giant IBM is helping the government in flood-hit Bihar to trace hundreds of missing people, particularly children, by using software to create a database.

"We are working with IBM to track missing people. We will start seeing the results soon," Disaster Management Department Additional Commissioner Pratyaya Amrit, said.

Last week, IBM executives met government officials and promised to prepare a database with details of people affected by the floods, number of people in relief camps, missing people, damage to life and property as well as internal resources available for relief and rehabilitation work, reports IANS.

"The database will be compiled in software specially designed by IBM to cope with information after natural disasters of vast magnitude," Pratyaya said.

The IBM software was successfully used after the 2004 tsunami in India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia as well as during last year's floods in Bangladesh.

Pratyaya said that after evacuation and relief, tracking missing people was the government's priority.

The Disaster Management Department has prepared a lost and found data sheet that was sent to all district magistrates and relief camps in flood affected districts. A missing people's cell and a toll free number to lodge complaints about the people who went missing have already been set up.

The floods have claimed at least 50 lives, according to official estimates. However, voluntary agencies fear the number could be in thousands once all bodies are recovered.