Andhra Pradesh's disaster management page on Facebook lauded for work in emergencies

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh government's Facebook page on disaster management has been rated as one of the best examples for managing disaster responses through the social networking site in emergency situations, the state government said on Tuesday.

The Facebook carried out a study titled 'Prepare and Respond' to analyse how individuals, communities and governments globally use the social networking site to respond to emergencies and act accordingly, according to a statement issued by the state government.

The AP Disaster Management page on Facebook was used as a platform to alert people before the cyclone, look into grievances/complaints/concerns and to inform them about relief material availability during cyclone Hudhud last year.

The page was also used to post pictures of on-ground efforts by the Chief Minister and his administration and the relief and rehabilitation works, the statement said. With the help of the AP Disaster Management page, local Facebook communities were created through which relief efforts were monitored by various volunteer groups.

The 'Tips for first responders and government agencies' section in the study report stated how the online page engaged public as part of its team and quickly connected the community to help people stay safe and informed.

The Facebook report also stated examples of Japan's Disaster Prevention page, New South Wales Rural Fire Service page and Colorado Wildfire Information page, among others. It also highlighted how the '#HudhudAP' hashtag was successfully used widely across social media by people to promote the cause and seek help from the government, it was stated.