Dr. Maneesha V. Ramesh, Director, Amrita Centre for Wireless Networks and Applications received the Runners-Up Award for Rural Innovations from NABARD.

NABARD or the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development chose Amrita’s Real Time Landslide Monitoring and Detection System that was deployed in Munnar, Kerala in 2009 from among thirty other short-listed innovations in the category of Academic/Research Institutions for the honor.

Dr. Maneesha received the award from Shri. P. Chidambaram, Honorable Union Finance Minister on October 17, in a ceremony organized at the Municipal Convention Centre in New Delhi, on behalf of the Amrita Center for Wireless Networks and Applications.

“Our innovative three-level warning system uses wireless sensor network technology to issue real-time landslide warnings before an impending landslide, facilitating evacuation and disaster management. This is world’s first comprehensive landslide detection system using wireless sensor network technology,” explained Dr. Maneesha.

Elaborating on the system that was designed, developed and deployed by a team of scientists at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham led by Dr Maneesha Ramesh, she added, “Our system is replicable. Recently, the Government of India selected this as a model project and asked for it to be deployed in several landslide prone areas in the Himalayas and North Eastern regions of the nation to save lives.”

The NABARD Rural Innovation Award aims to honor the efforts of those who work for the betterment of poor in rural areas and invent ways and means to create better living conditions for them.

Several pioneers of processes and products that have eased the lives of rural people have been chosen for awards in previous years. Only such innovations that have been implemented in the field are considered for the award.

There are five categories in which NABARD invites nominations viz. Public Sector/Government, Private Sector, Academic/Research Institution, NGO/Trust and Individual. This year, over 1400 entries were received in the five categories combined.

A distinguished jury selected the final nominees. Chaired by Shri Jairam Ramesh, Honorable Minister for Rural Development, the jury also included Shri. L.V. Saptarishi, Co-Chairman, Confederation of NGOS of Rural India (CNRI) ; Ms. Neelima Khetan, Former Chief Executive, Seva Mandir; Shri. Vineet Rai, CEO, Avishkaar; Dr H. Harish Hande, Managing Director, SELCO India and Shri. Bishambhar Mishra, Chief Executive, Farm Equipment Sector, Mahindra.

October 18, 2012
Amrita Centre for Wireless Networks and Applications