Hyderabad-based INCOIS to conduct nation-wide Tsunami mock exercise on Tuesday

In line with World Tsunami Awareness Day, a mock exercise will involve all disaster management organizations (DMOs) from coastal states and union territories, including the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Lakshadweep Islands, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Diu & Daman, and Gujarat. Participants will include personnel from the Navy, Coast Guard, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and critical installations like nuclear power plants, ports, and harbors.

Hyderabad: To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami, Hyderabad-based Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) in coordination with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is conducting National Tsunami Mock Exercise on Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Coinciding with World Tsunami Awareness Day, the mock exercise will feature all disaster Management Organisations (DMOs) from coastal states/union territories including Andaman & Nicobar Islands, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Lakshadweep Islands, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Diu & Daman and Gujarat, Navy, Coast Guard, and National Disaster Response Force), personnel from Critical Installations such as Nuclear Power Plants, Ports and Harbours will participate in this exercise.

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“These exercises will provide a great opportunity for all stakeholders to test tsunami warning procedures, standard operating procedures and enhance public awareness and preparedness. It will help us identify and fix any gaps in warning chains and be fully prepared for future events” said Dr T.M Balakrishnan Nair, Director, INCOIS.

The tsunami mock exercise scenario, to be held between 9.30 am and 1.30 pm on Tuesday, will simulate an event with a 9.3 magnitude earthquake at Northern Sumatra, Indonesia (where 2004 tsunami occurred), followed by an ocean-wide tsunami, in which a simulated wave will hit all coastal states of India with large wave heights.

The INCOIS will generate and issue 7 tsunami bulletins to its registered contacts through email, fax, SMS as well as web. Due care will be taken to ensure the public is not inadvertently alarmed.

In preparation for this exercise INCOIS has already conducted a training workshop and table-top exercise on 25-26 September 2024 to enable the coastal state stakeholders to streamline their SOPs.

A manual comprising specifics of conducting the tsunami exercise, along with the detailed bulletins and feedback forms was also prepared and circulated to the stakeholders. Feedback from the participants after the exercise is expected to identify and fix any gaps in communication channels and the SOPs of all stakeholders.

To observe the tsunami mock exercise, the advisory council of UNESCAP (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific) Trust Fund for Tsunami, Disaster and Climate Preparedness (ten members team from various countries) along with INCOIS officials will visit designated Tsunami Ready village Narsinghpatana of Puri district, Odisha and witness the mock exercise.