The Amrita Centre for Wireless Networks and Applications of the Amrita University has won the second prize of the NABARD Award for Rural Innovations 2012 under the academic and research innovations category.
P. Chidambaram, Union Minister of Finance, presented the award to Maneesha Sudheer, director, Amrita Centre for Wireless Networks and Applications, at a function held in New Delhi.
A statement issued in this regard said that the award was given for the research project, Real-time Landslide Monitoring System via Wireless Sensor Network, at Munnar, by scientists led by Dr. Sudheer who had designed, developed and deployed it.
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This innovative three- level warning system uses wireless sensor network technology to issue real-time landslide warnings prior to an impending landslide thereby facilitating evacuation and better disaster management.
This first-ever comprehensive landslide detection system using wireless sensor network technology is replicable.
The Union government has also selected it as a model project and has asked the Amrita Centre to deploy it in several landslide-prone areas in the Himalayas and the North-East regions to save human lives.
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The NABARD award for Rural Innovations had more than 1,400 entries in five categories — Public Sector/Government, Private Sector, Academic/Research Institution, NGO/Trust, Individual — in six broad segments including Energy, Financial Services, Training and Skills Up-gradation, Agriculture and Technology.
The final awardees were selected from the 30 shortlisted in five categories by a jury headed by Jairam Ramesh, Union Minister of Rural Development.