Development
Disaster management authority and IIT Patna unveil 'NITISH' pendant for lightning and flood alerts
The Bihar State Disaster Management Authority and IIT Patna developed a pendant-shaped device, named NITISH, that speaks, changes colour and vibrates to warn its wearer of lightning, floods, heatwaves and cold waves, using alerts from the Bihar Meteorological Service Centre. It was launched in the chief minister's presence around the start of February 2024, and BSDMA reported its trial complete in March 2024. No distribution to the public has been evidenced.
- Stage
- Announcement only
- Confidence
- High
- Latest news
- Sources
- 2 cited
Journey so far
The highlighted step is the current stage. Not every development passes through every step.
- Announcement only (current stage)
- Agreement approved
- Agreement finalised
- Programme or pilot initiated
- Operational
- Outcome verified
Good to know: Trials were reported complete in March 2024 and the device was described as ready for use, but a technical trial is not a pilot with users and no distribution or field use has been evidenced, so it stays at announcement.
What's confirmed
4 facts backed by sources
- BSDMA, with IIT Patna, developed a pendant-shaped alert device named NITISH that warns its wearer of lightning, floods, heatwaves and cold waves by voice, with colour change and vibration, synced with the Bihar Meteorological Service Centre.
- It was launched in the presence of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna, reported on 3 February 2024 as having happened earlier that week.
- BSDMA vice-chairman Uday Kant Mishra said it would alert users half an hour before lightning or flooding and would charge from body heat.
- In March 2024 the Meteorological Service Centre's director in charge, Dr C N Prabhu, told a BSDMA meeting that the pendant had succeeded in all experimental and technical tests.
Still to be confirmed
5 things to watch for
- The exact launch date. The report places it in the week before 3 February 2024.
- Whether any pendants have been produced or distributed to farmers or the public, how many, at what cost and through which agency. No report after March 2024 was found.
- Whether any real alert has been delivered through the device, and how accurate the half-hour warning is.
- The acronym is expanded differently: 'Novel Initiative Technological Intervention for Safety of Humanlives' (Indian Express) and 'Novel & Intense Technological Intervention for Saving Human lives' (Navbharat Times).
- The claims that it charges from body heat and is the first device of its kind in the world are official statements, not verified.
How it unfolded (2)
Each step as a dated source records it, oldest first
- Announcement
The pendant was launched in the chief minister's presence in Patna, as reported on 3 February 2024; BSDMA's vice-chairman said it would sound an alert half an hour before lightning or flooding.
The Indian Express
- Announcement
At a BSDMA meeting the Meteorological Service Centre's director in charge said the pendant had passed its trials and technical checks and was ready to issue disaster warnings, and that it would soon reach people at scale.
Navbharat Times
Sources (2)
Who reported it, when, and what they cover
| Publisher | Published | Covers | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
The Indian Express Established news |
| Open source (opens in a new tab) | |
Navbharat Times Established news |
| Open source (opens in a new tab) |
Record ID: BIHAR-TECH-2024-02-001Dataset last checked Spotted an error? Report a correctionHow corrections work