Re-uniting separated families in Disasters
On December 26th 2004, when Tsunami struck Tamil Nadu, our immediate reaction was to go to Cuddalore and assess how we can help. My daughter, reported that the biggest problem seems to be that people in several relief camps desperately searching for their near and dear ones, hoping they would still be alive and living in one camp or another. The magnitude of this search can be gauged by the fact that there were more than 90 camps each holding around 1000 people and spread over 50 to 100 kms radius. The trauma and hope on their faces were so compelling that we thought , surely , there must be a better way. My daughters, my wife and I came back and organized a team of Anna University staff and other well wishers. Our company had developed a software called 'Milan' for the Kumbh Mela to unite members of a group or family who got separated in the big crowd. We also mobilized cell phones and laptops from corporates to set-up ' mobile wireless devices' that could connect to our web-site to process information reported by victims whose relatives are missing so as to unite two people search for each other.
Armed with cameras, laptop and using mobile phones as internet connectivity devices ( this was a tough technology in 2004), our team members interviewed people whose relatives, ( husbands, wives, children, parents, or anyone) were missing. We got their names, ages, location last seen, dress they were wearing and so on and uploaded this information along with their photographs to the web site. ( This can be done very easily today with a mobile app on a smart phone). The true intelligence was available on the 'Milan' server. Firstly of course, all victims who were reporting anybody missing were shown photographs and names of everyone about whom data had been uploaded earlier., by retrieving selective records and displaying them on the laptop for the perusal of the victim. Secondly, the server tried to match the names of people who were reporting and those reported as missing. Thirdly, the server used official data that gave a list of names of people hosted in different camps to trace missing persons and provide their whereabouts. The satisfaction of seeing the joy on the faces of separated members of families when they were united, was unforgettable and out of this world.
But the biggest role that this system played was also most painful and traumatic. At one point the stench of the dead bodies that had been washed ashore was unbearable. There was a plan for mass burial but the bodies had been unidentified and unclaimed and we were aghast at the possibility of some close relative turning up just after the burial. That is when we got the idea to take close-up photograph of each dead body and upload it to our web-site along with particulars of any other known information. Soon, when engaging with victims who were missing their relatives, as a part of our process after other possibilities were exhausted, the photograph of the dead bodies were displayed one by one. We could thus help many distraught persons who could identify their dear ones through these photographs. On all such occasions the atmosphere was very poignant as the persons anxiety caused due to searching had ended and there was a sense of closure but on the other hand there was a feeling of despondency that one's near one is no more and there is no hope left anymore.
Based on our experience then and the state of technology now, our design for a new version is based on smart phone technologies with mobile apps that can easily upload photographs and other data about being reported by the missing person. The mobile phone can also access missing persons data from the server for anyone searching for a missing person. A support team carrying smart phones can provide this service to the affected persons. Also, location data, health data, specific issue data, logistics data, demographic data, etc. can also be uploaded or downloaded. The server maintains this data, processes data, and provides higher level abstractions. Using facial recognition technologies it also matches photos of faces of people reporting being separated.
Typically most disaster management teams prioritize their activities to rescue stranded people and/or rush medical care to the injured, provide food and shelter and sanitation, and arrange transportation to those who need to get back to their homes. They organize camps where people are housed and maintain order and keep unscrupulous elements out. While all this is commendable personal anxiety and trauma due to fear and lack of information about their near and dear ones, their property and other queries that they may have are not addressed. Authorities in general are faceless and work as an organization and at a macro level. All affected people need personal attention, most importantly information. Information about them needs to be be collected and information relevant to them has to be provided to them.
One of the important aspects that need to be taken care at any site of a big natural disaster is to immediately collect and provide information of and to the people affected. The information that can be collected about and from every disaster affected person can be very valuable to disaster management team and similarly the the affected people can depend on accurate information disseminated and available through smart phones , information like the nearest relief camp, transportation available, all the nearby locations affected/not affected, arrangements for shelters, food, clothing, toilets, etc.
There have been several natural and man made disasters that have taken place after the 2004 Tsunami. But in every disaster the victims and their well being and availability of information to them seems to be the last priority. Disaster news and discussions are centered around number of persons affected, shortage of food, relief material, etc. but the most critical but free resource of information is neither collected nor disseminated to the victims with any pressing priority.
Our Tsunami efforts got good press coverage within 15 days of our efforts but all our efforts to collaborate with the Government agencies, including Police and the Disaster management Agencies did not find any results. The links are:
http://hindu.com/2005/01/13/stories/2005011314620500.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fj20jBef8s8 ( NDTV 24*7 news clip ).
Even as late as the Muzzafarnagar riots made us sad when we visited some camps where there were women and children who have been separated but we could provide no help. The following image included below has been downloaded from the web.