By IANS
New Delhi : Minister of Science and Technology Kapil Sibal said Friday that a national tsunami warning system would be operational by September end.
“The government is setting up a National Early Warning System for Tsunami and Storm Surges in the Indian Ocean and the system is scheduled to be operational by the end of September 2007,” Sibal said.
“An interim warning centre is already working at Indian National Centre for Ocean information Services, Hyderabad, on a 24×7 basis,” the minister informed the Lok Sabha.
On Dec 26, 2004, tsunami had killed over 10,000 people in costal India and had rendered tens of thousands of people homeless.
A Tsunami is experienced when an earthquake of high intensity occurs under the ocean belly leading to high rising waves. The tsunami of 2004 had crossed shores, engulfing many villages in coastal Indian states.
The national tsunami warning system will help Indians get alerted if such a scenario happens again and help people evacuate to safer places.
Sibal also said that, “The National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) has been drawn up with a view to addressing cyclone hazard risks in 13 cyclone prone coastal states and union territories including Tamil Nadu.”