INCOIS to launch standard operating procedures for volcano-induced tsunami

The remains of a house destroyed in the 2004 tsunami at Keechankuppam in Tamil Nadu’s Nagapattinam district.
| Photo Credit: File picture

Hyderabad-based Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), which houses the Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC), will launch the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for volcano-induced tsunamis and dissemination of tsunami warnings to the maritime sector on December 26.

The launch is in commemoration of the 20^th anniversary of the massive tsunami of December 26, 2004, which devastated 14 countries across the Indian Ocean Region, claiming over 2.3 lakh lives and impacting millions more.

A conclave will also be organised at the institute, which works under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), the same day. Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh, MoES Secretary M. Ravichandran, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO) executive secretary Vidar Helgesen and others will participate in the event, said INCOIS director T.M. Balakrishnan Nair on Friday (December 21).

He said the tsunami tragedy had served as a wake-up call for the global community to enhance disaster preparedness and response. While the Indian Ocean Region continues to face significant tsunami risks, it is far better prepared today. This was achieved with the support of international collaboration through IOC-UNESCO Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System.

The director said the country, with its extensive coastline and vulnerable population, has taken many steps to enhance disaster preparedness with ITEWC-INCOIS becoming the nodal agency for real-time monitoring and warning services. It is also one of the Tsunami Service Providers for the Indian Ocean Region.

India is also the first country in the Indian Ocean Region to have tsunami-ready communities, with Venkatraipur and Noliasahi in Odisha achieving the recognition in 2020 and 24 more villages getting it later, thanks to the efforts of the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority, National Disaster Management Authority, INCOIS and IOC-UNESCO. Further efforts are on to expand the programme nationwide, he said.

IOC-UNESCO teams will visit the institute this weekend to check how the tsunamis are detected, monitored and alerts issued. They will also visit the 26 tsunami-ready villages in Odisha, where they will observe mock drills and so on, he added.