Privacy Policy

Effective Date: June 2026 · Climate-B Ventures and project team partners

This Privacy Policy describes how Climate-B Ventures and project team partners ("we", "us", or "our") collects, uses, stores, discloses, and protects your information when you use the Apada Sahayak mobile application and website (collectively, the "App"). By electing to download, install, and use the App, you agree and consent to the practices described in this policy.

For questions or concerns, contact us at support@apadasahayak.com.

1. Information We Collect

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Phone Number — Collected during OTP-based registration to verify your identity and create your account, and disclosed by you to Government Agencies when you use emergency contact services.

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Name and email address — Collected when you contact us for support services.

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GPS Location — Collected when you use hazard-reporting features or view the hazard event map. Location data are used to tag your reports to a geographic point location and display relevant local hazards. They also enable geo-located notifications.

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Photos & User Hazard Event Reports — User-submitted images attached to hazard event reports to provide visual context (these are not automatically reshared via the app). As part of the user report submission process, you are giving further explicit consent for each individual submission you undertake.

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Device Information — Device type, app build version, and operating system version, collected to diagnose technical issues and improve app performance.

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Usage data — Pages accessed, features used and session duration, collected to diagnose technical issues and improve app performance.

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Google Account Information — If you choose to sign in with Google, we receive your name and email address from Google Sign-In to create or link your account.

2. How We Use Your Information

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Authentication — To verify your identity via OTP and enable secure login to the App.

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Hazard Reporting — To associate your submitted reports with a geographic location on the hazard event map, making them visible to other users in the affected area.

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Push Notifications — To send you timely alerts about hazard events in your area via Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM). You can manage your notification preferences within the App.

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App Improvement — Device information is used to identify and resolve technical issues, ensuring the App functions reliably for all users.

Data Sharing and Further Processing: These data (in raw and/or distilled formats) also support wider disaster management, public safety and legal compliance functions. This may include academic research, policy development, and publication of aggregated and/or anonymised user reported data by the project team, and authorised NGOs and government agencies.

We collect only the minimum data necessary to provide essential services and do not process personal data for unrelated purposes.

The App does not use personal data for advertising or commercial profiling, and we do not sell or rent personal information.

3. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services to operate the App. Each has its own privacy policy, which we encourage you to review these, using the links shared here.

Service	Purpose
Amazon Web Services S3	Secure cloud storage for user-submitted photos and report data
Google Sign-In	Optional OAuth-based account authentication
Firebase Cloud Messaging	Delivery of push notifications to registered devices
Google Maps	Interactive hazard event map display and geolocation features

4. Data Retention

Your personal profile data are retained for as long as your account remains active.

If you request 'partial deletion' — via the in-app option or through our web account deletion page — your profile data will be permanently and irreversibly deleted within 30 days of the confirmed request. This includes deletion of your profile information and device registration data. However, submitted hazard event reports and uploaded photos will be treated as published and archived for hazard and disaster management purposes, supporting future societal disaster risk reduction.

If you request 'full deletion' — via the in-app option or through our web account deletion page — your profile data and user shared data (i.e., submitted hazard event reports and photos) will be permanently and irreversibly deleted within 30 days of the confirmed request. Electing this full deletion option means that your hazard data are no longer available to help society.

5. Your Rights

You have the right to:

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Access — Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.

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Correction — Request correction of any inaccurate or incomplete data.

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Deletion — Request permanent deletion of your account and all associated data (subject to the data retention protocols described). You can also delete individual hazard reports you have submitted at any time from the "My Reports" section within the app.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@apadasahayak.com or use the web account deletion page.

6. Children's Privacy

Apada Sahayak is not directed at children under the age of 18 (excepting the NDMA Children's films; suggested for use under adult gatekeeper/parent/guardian consent and supervision). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If we become aware that a child under 18 has provided us with personal information, we will take prompt steps to delete the entirety of that information from our systems.

7. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal data, including encrypted transmission (HTTPS), secure cloud storage (AWS S3), and token-based authentication. However, no method of data transmission or storage over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security, so users download, install and use the app at their own discretion and liability. In the event of a data breach, appropriate steps will be taken to investigate, mitigate, and notify relevant authorities and users as required under applicable law.

8. Governing Law

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of India, including the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act). Any disputes relating to this policy shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of courts in India.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the App, our practices, or applicable law. We will notify you of any significant changes via the App and by updating the effective date above. Continued use of the App after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact Us

Climate-B Ventures and project team partners

Email: support@apadasahayak.com

We aim to provide first response to all privacy-related enquiries within 5 business days.