Early warning system in place, no threat from tsunami now

Reliable warning mechanism capable of pinpointing when and where a tsunami will hit India's coast, says earth sciences ministry

Nikita Mehta, Neha Sethi
Updated27 Dec 2013, 12:38 AM IST
The scene at the Marina beach in Chennai on 26 December 2004, after tidal waves hit the region. Photo: AFP<br />
The scene at the Marina beach in Chennai on 26 December 2004, after tidal waves hit the region. Photo: AFP

New Delhi: Nine years after a tsunami killed more than 12,000 people in India, the earth sciences ministry says it has a reliable warning mechanism that is capable of pinpointing when and where a tsunami would hit the coast.

“If an earthquake occurs today in northern Sumatra (in Indonesia), like 2004, we would be able to issue a warning five hours in advance to the east coast, and 30 minutes in advance for Andaman and Nicobar,” S.S.C. Shenoi, director, Indian national centre for ocean information services, told Mint over the phone on Thursday.

In 2004, an earthquake of 9.1 magnitude off the west coast of northern Sumatra caused a tsunami in the Indian Ocean, which affected 14 countries. India was among the most affected.

“Our warning system is capable of removing confusion and can direct more specific action in vulnerable areas as we can detect the places which will face the tallest waves,” said Shenoi.

Reddy said the 2004 tsunami was a defining moment in the history of disaster management in the country as it acted as a catalyst to set up a disaster management mechanism at the national level.

“The government set up NDMA after the tsunami. It was in March 2005 that the Bill was introduced in Parliament to set up the authority,” he said over the phone.

“We can know which coastal areas will be affected because of a tsunami within eight minutes of an earthquake on the ocean bed,” he said.

NDMA is trying to improve this speed as the travel time for tsunami waves to reach Andaman and Nicobar islands from the time of an earthquake would be 20-30 minutes, leaving only about 12-22 minutes for warning and evacuation. “This is the only problem area,” Reddy said.

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First Published:27 Dec 2013, 12:38 AM IST
Business NewsPoliticsPolicyEarly warning system in place, no threat from tsunami now

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