3rd National Dam Safety Conference

IIT Roorkee
18-19 February 2017

WARNING & NOTIFICATION

SYSTEM

PANKAJ AGRAWAL
Director
Stalworth Systems Pvt Ltd, Gurgaon
E: pankaj@stalworth.co.in
M: 9716299102
 Background : Larji Dam Incident, HP (June 2014)

• 24 Engg students from Hydb washed away in Beas river

• Students picknicking in the river on their way back from
Manali.
• While cooling their heels in the knee deep water and clicking
photographs, they missed the rising level of water that
engulfed them in minutes.
• The sudden rise in the river level happened because the
upstream Larji dam opened its gates to release water.
• Survivors said no sirens were sounded before releasing the
water, the authorities claimed they had sounded the siren.
Larji Dam Incident
 Larji Dam Incident : Shimla High Court

• The HC took suo-moto cognizance of the tragedy

• Treated media report as a public interest litigation
• Ordered the police to file FIR’s against staff members of Larji
project
• Court took upon themselves to monitor the criminal cases.
• All staff members of the Larji dam were suspended for
negligence.
• Top officials of HPSEB and Govt were repeatedly summoned
for hearings by the court.
 Larji Dam: HC questioned the Dam Mgmt practices

• Why was the water released all of a sudden?

• Any pre-warning issued to vulnerable citizens downstream?
• What is the evidence that operator actually activated the
hooter switch (industrial siren)?
• If at all the hooter at the dam was activated, did the sound
reach accident site ~2.8 Km downstream?
• How would a tourist /vulnerable citizen interpret the sound of
Industrial Siren and instantly react?
• Regular testing procedure of Hooter’s working condition?
• If the 3-ph AC power to hooter fails?
 Larji: Enquiry by Div Commissioner; HC Judgement

• In an inquiry report, Divisional Commissioner Mandi, held that

the Larji project authorities had acted in most irresponsible
manner to release the water from the reservoir upstream
without any prior warning.
• "The warning system … constitutes a systemic failure … “
• 19 months after the tragedy (Jan 2016),HC ordered a
compensation of Rs 20 lakh to each parent of victim. And
major share was slapped on HPSEB being the owner and
operator of the Larji Dam.
Decoding the tragedy
Typical Hazards; Need for Emergency Action Planning

• Floods, mainly caused by rain storms, cloud bursts, melting

snow or long-term rainy weather, have represented a serious
hazard for ages
• Though meteorologists forecast such events with reasonable
preciseness, it is difficult to forecast intensive local rainfall
• Expensive technical equipment required to monitor weather
conditions, and monitor water levels of various, otherwise
inconspicuous, creeks and potential waterways.
• Storm water can represent very sudden danger- it is
necessary to warn people in danger very fast and efficiently
 CWC Guidelines for EAP (Feb 2016)

• More than 80% of ~4,900 large dams in India are >25 years
old and their health and safety are of paramount importance
• It is also necessary that we are prepared to face any
emergencies caused by a dam failure.
• Need for a foolproof warning system to alert downstream
habitats before release of water from the dam spillways.
• The warning system must be backed up by alternate power
sources to work in case of power failure.
• Regular testing process to ensure all time functioning of
system.
The Solution – Warning & Notification System (WNS)

• WNS solution devised and designed as an integrated

monitoring, warning dissemination and notification system
• Warn riparian communities of an imminent release of water
when significant increase in water level and/or flow rate
• The system comprises of :-
– Multiple Electronic Sirens (e.g. 2, or 20, or 2000)
– Each mounted on standalone Towers or Poles erected on roof-tops
– Control Centre (also called “Dispatching Centre”)
– Small System of 2-3 Sirens covering a small dam
– 200 Sirens covering the coast line of an Indian state
– 2,000 Sirens for a National Warning system in Europe
The Solution – Warning & Notification System (WNS)

• Siren has 3 options:- hooting / play pre-recorded messages /

relay live voice announcements
• Comprises of Horn array
• Each Siren power rating selected to cover audio distance
based on different vulnerable locations to be covered, e.g.,
one Siren could cover 500 m and another 2 Km audio distance
• Vulnerable points where people are fishing, collecting water,
washing clothes or bathing along the margins of the river, or
where there are settlements / villages close to the river banks
which could be exposed to the risk of water surge
 WNS - Reliability of utmost importance

• Features like auto-testing functionality, in Silent Mode

• Generate warning from internal Battery during power failure
• Solar Panels to recharge internal batteries
• multiple wireless communication channels like GSM/ GPRS
VHF (Radio), VSAT (Satellite), TCP/IP (Ethernet / Optic Fibre),
RDS, Wi-Fi, Blue Tooth, Zig Bee etc,
• Authorized User selectively activate Sirens from control centre
• Send out SMS & Email notifications to designated authorities,
• Store operator logs of various commands given to ensure
accountability, and legal evidence
 WNS - Reliability of utmost importance

• The authorised operator will login to computer and give

command by selecting Sirens on GIS Map.
• The system can integrate with various sensors and data
loggers so water level and water flow thresholds from
upstream dams or river can automatically trigger the Sirens.
• False alarm elimination is important
• IDEAL SYSTEM - small and mid-size Dams - 2 to 10 Sirens
• Large Dams - 15 to 30 Sirens
• Pr. Channel through GPRS and Sec through VHF Radio / OFC
• Time taken to receive acknow of activated Siren <30 Seconds
• VSAT for remote locations / high altitudes
Dam WNS – Solution Schematic
 WNS – System for extreme weather conditions

• The Electronic Sirens should work in extreme weather

conditions like temperature range of -10o to +50oC,
• IP65 /66 box caging of Controller to protect from dust and rain
• Coastal Tsunami Warning System for ODISHA – SEOC – BEOC
-122 Sirens and for AP – SEOC -BEOC -160 Sirens
• Communication Channels
– Siren - VHF Radio and GSM/ GPRS,
– TEOC/ BEOC - VHF and Ethernet
– SEOC - Ethernet (State wide area network “SWAN”) and GSM/ GPRS
 Water Surge Incidents in the last 10 years
• June 2014, Larji hydropower on Beas river - 24 students swept away
• Two weeks later, 10 men marooned for >12 hours in Damodar river in
Jharkhand, from the Tenughat dam 55km upstream
• 18 April 2011, three girls in Teesta river at Bardang in Sikkim
• 27 March 2013, five members of a family drowned in Bhavani river in
Tamil Nadu, from the Pilloor dam, 20km upstream.
• 8 Jan 2012, nine people drowned in the Cauvery river in Erode, Tamil
Nadu, from the Vendipalayam Bhavani Kattalai hydro project barrage
• 6 Dec 2011 Three men drowned in Netravati river from the Shambhoor
hydropower project in Karnataka. Eight others have been killed since 2009
• The Maneri Bhali hydel project on Uttarakhand's Bhagirathi river has been
blamed for >5 deaths, in 2006, 2007 and 2011
• 1 October 2006, at least 57 pilgrims were washed away while walking
across the Sind River in MP, from the Manikheda dam
• 7 April 2005, >70 pilgrims drowned at Dharaji in MP when the Narmada
swelled from the Indira Sagar power project.
 Don’t use Electro-mechanical Hooters !!
Electronic Siren (WNS) Electro-mechanical Hooter
Three Siren Options – Only option is hooter -
• Hooter • Does not convey the “what to do”
• Live voice message message to vulnerable tourists / outsiders
• Pre-recorded audio messages in (Larji Dam legal case)
multiple languages • Requires extensive training to villagers /
vulnerable population to interpret various
long or short hoots (operational overhead
& cost)
Testing of Siren in Silent mode, Can be tested only by hooting:-
All Operator logs available in the Control • disturbs all nearby population
room • prone to be interpreted as “false” alarm
Pre-configured durations for each beep / Needs to be manually switched off by
tone/ hoot or message operator (operational overhead)
Two-way communication between control No confirmation of hooter activation
room and towers, along with confirmation which may be several Km away from
of activation from each tower operator (Larji Dam legal case)
 Don’t use Electro-mechanical Hooters !!
Electronic Siren (WNS) Electro-mechanical Hooter
Control Room maintains logs of all the
No evidence available – whether the
operator activity, various commands given
hooter was activated at a particular time
and Time stamp of each siren activation
(Larji Dam legal case)
(for legal evidence)
Strong security in software at control
room accessible to authorised users and
No Audit Trail
complete audit trail – ensuring
No Acountability of Operator
accountability of operator (for legal
evidence)
Dual feature of control –remotely from
control room and also locally at the Siren Not Possible
controller box for authorised user
SMS notification to all the designated
Not Possible
officials /authorities (internal or external)
 Don’t use Electro-mechanical Hooters !!
Electronic Siren (WNS)
Runs on single phase power 220 V AC
Completely Electronic (no moving parts)
• System does not fail for 3 to 5 years
• Complete diagnostic /status of each
siren controller is available at control
room
Each Siren has internal battery and
continues working in the absence of AC
mains power. Can directly connect with
Solar panel.
Status of batteries of every Siren is
available in the Control room
Scalable to hundreds of towers
Electro-mechanical Hooter
Runs on 3 phase – requires special cabling
Impossible to provision on roof tops of
villagers, Street light poles,etc
High Power Motor converts electrical
energy to mechanical and then to sound –
• huge power loss in the system
• machine wear & tear leading to
frequent maintenance and break-downs
Siren does not work in the absence of
power – emergency notification
completely comes to halt
(Larji Dam legal case)
Scalability not possible
 Thank You

PANKAJ AGRAWAL
Director
Stalworth Systems Pvt Ltd, Gurgaon
E: pankaj@stalworth.co.in
M: 9716299102