Andhra disaster management Facebook page rated among the best

Hyderabad, March 10 (IANS) The Andhra Pradesh government's "AP Disaster Management" Facebook page has been rated as one of the best examples for managing disaster responses through Facebook in emergency situations.

The Facebook page figures in the internet giant's global report on effectively managing disaster responses.

Facebook carried out a study titled "Prepare and respond" to analyse how individuals, communities and governments globally use Facebook to respond to emergencies and act accordingly.

The Andhra Pradesh government through its "AP Disaster Management" page used Facebook as a platform to alert people before the Hudhud cyclone, took grievances, complaints, concerns and informed people about relief material availability during the severe cyclonic storm that hit the north Andhra coast last year.

The page was also used to post pictures of on-ground efforts of the entire administration along with the relief and rehabilitation measures.

The AP Disaster Management created local Facebook communities through which relief efforts were monitored by various volunteer groups.

The report under section titled "Tips for first responders and government agencies" states how the "AP Disaster Management" Facebook Page engaged public as part of its team and quickly connected the community to help people stay safe and informed.

The Facebook report also states examples of the disaster prevention page of Japan, New South Wales Rural Fire Service page, Colorado Wildfire Information page and others across the world.

It also highlights how the #HudhudAP hashtag was successfully used widely across social media by people to promote the cause and seek help from the government.