Sibal seeks funds for disaster warning infrastructure

New Delhi, July 27 (UNI) Earth Sciences Minister Kapil Sibal today sought funds for increasing the capacity of desalination plant in Chennai and for setting up an infrastructure for capturing the data needed to forewarn of impending disasters such as tsunami.

On the occasion of the first anniversary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Mr Sibal said the Ministry had grandiose plans to increase the capacity for low temperature thermal desalination plant from one million litre to ten million litre per day.

''I am sure Finance Minister P Chidambaram will support us in this endeavour,'' Mr Sibal said at the function where Mr Chidambaram was the chief guest.

On disaster management, Mr Sibal said the requirements for scientific knowledge of the oceans and earth systems were no longer luxuries.

''These are expensive, but I am sure the Finance Minister will lend his support to establish the needed infrastructure across the depths of oceans and the heights of the Himalayas to capture the needed data to forewarn of impending disasters such as tsunami.'' In his speech, Mr Chidambaram asked the Ministry to install advanced system that would help in predicting the weather, especially the ''whimsical monsoon'', necessary for better agricultural production.

UNI