Shimla, July 24 -- In a state where landslides and flash floods can cut off entire village, Himachal Pradesh has introduced a homegrown disaster reporting app that lets citizens alert authorities instantly--even at poor connectivity.

The app aims to ensure the rapid exchange of information between locals, disaster responders and the administration in the event of natural or man-made disasters anywhere in the state, thereby preventing delays in relief and rescue operations.

"The application - Aapda Rakshak allows users to capture photographs and videos even without internet connectivity. Once the network becomes available, the data can be uploaded instantly, after which our operations centre is immediately alerted and response mechanisms...