AppsNew Companion app helps avoid landslides in Sikkim, Darjeeling

New Companion app helps avoid landslides in Sikkim, Darjeeling

A group of engineering students from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Sikkim have developed an app dubbed Companion to help navigate the landslide-blocked roads in the area. The tool is designed as a crowd-based service and is currently live for Sikkim and Darjeeling.

Companion was launched by the Sikkim’s Governor Shriniwas Patil. The community-sourced application was formulated out of the need to avoid frequent roadblocks such as construction or landslides in the hilly areas of the state. The founders have additionally partnered with the Border Roads Organization and the Department of Roads and Bridges in order to verify reported traffic and landslides.

Companion

Rajat Bhardwaj, one of the NIT students, told IANS (via NDTV) that individuals frequently get stuck due to landslides in the hills of Sikkim for 3 to 4 hours at a time. The new Companion app can help prevent such scenarios by warning users about landslides, construction and accidents before they start their journey and in real time while they’re driving.

Also Read: New app helps locate victims trapped during natural disasters

Companion also lets consumers seek amenities like toilets, eateries, ATMs, vehicle repair shops and hotels along the route they’re travelling by. It even offers mobile recharges as an incentive for users who contribute to the application. Bhardwaj went on to say that since the tool is a community-dependent application, it’ll improve as more and more people start downloading it.

Companion is only available for Android devices and can be downloaded via the Google Play Store.

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