Tsunami warning system in Indian ocean to be set up

New Delhi, May 19: The government is setting up an Early Warning System (ERS) for tsunami and storm surges in the Indian Ocean region, and a third expedition station at Antarctica, Minister for Science and Technology and Ocean Development Kapil Sibal told the Lok Sabha today.

In a written reply, Mr Sibal said the proposed ERS for Tsunami and Storm Surges would be installed with tsunami warning sensors close to the ocean bottom at appropriate locales in the Indian ocean, with real time connectivity.

The system will be equipped with tide gauge and data buoys networking to validate arrival of tsunami waves at the coast, strengthening of the existing seismological network to indicate occurrence of tsunamigenic earthquakes, modelling of the inundation scenarios for the entire coast and mapping of potential risk areas and collection of information analysis and generating status advisories.

The warning system is scheduled to be operational by September 2007. A centre would be set up at the Indian National Centre for ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad on a 24x7 basis.

In response to another question, Mr Sibal said the third expedition station at Antarctica to be set up in Larsmann Hills at 69 degree South latitude and 76 degree East longitude, for which preliminary surveys were conducted during the Antarctic summer of 2003-04 and 2004-05.

Further surveys on environmental parameters, as mandated under the Environmental Protocol of the Antractic Treaty, and also from logistics and scientific considerations, were carried out during February this year.

The Minister said the construction of the new station at Larsmann Hills will start after obtaining necessary approval of the consultative body of the Antractic Treaty as mandated under the Environmental Protection.

UNI