On the 130th anniversary of the first recorded tsunami in the world, India stands head and shoulders above the comity of nations in advance warning of such natural disasters.
If the August 27, 1883 tsunami generated by eruption of Krakatoa in Indonesia took the world by surprise, nations heaved a sigh of relief on August 16, 2013 — thanks to the advanced tsunami warning system developed by the Indian National Ocean Information System (INCOIS) of Hyderabad.
On August 16, an earthquake of magnitude 6.8 took place at Cook Strait near New Zealand, at 8.01 am. Dr Sreenivas Kumar, head of the Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre at Hyderabad and his colleagues, however, alerted the entire world about the earthquake by 8.06 am.
“By 8.08 am, we sent out messages across the world that the earthquake was not tsunamigenic,” Kumar told The Pioneer from the ITEWC control room. The world still does not have an effective tsunami warning system but high quality research and development work has made India a global leader .
Mohammed Momenu-lIslam, meteorologist at the seismic Observatory & Research Centre, Dhaka, says it is ITEWC that guards Bangladesh from any tsunami.
The Pioneer correspondent had a hands on experience with the ITEWC scientists at their control room for a day. It is manned 24x7 by a four-member team led by a senior scientist. The giant TV screen gives a panoramic view of the state of all major oceans. ITEWC are the gatekeepers of Asia, Africa and Australia.
“Any abnormalities — including earthquakes of magnitude 4 and above — are picked up in real time. We can issue the first warning bulletin to all concerned agencies within four minutes. We can find out whether the earthquake is tsunamigenic or not within 8 minutes,” said Dr Satish Kumar Shenoy, director of Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services.
Though natural phenomenon like tsunamis and earthquakes could not be prevented, Indian scientists have mastered the strategy to tame tsunami waves. “Advance warnings and information whether the earthquake could lead to tsunamis will help us in mitigating nature’s fury. This system was not there in 2004 or even during the 125th anniversary of Krakatoa,” said Kumar.
“We guard the region from Macran Coast in Pakistan to Malacca Cost in the east. Our main responsibility is to ensure the safety of all countries in the Indian Ocean Rim,” chuckled one of the ITEWC team members. The speed and accuracy with which they work is mind boggling. Three pairs of eyes scan the giant TV screen for any abnormalities. The moment the screen comes to life with flashes and flickers, hot lines get activated; faxes and e-mails flying.
Ocean Buoys and pressure gauge recorders installed by National Institute of Ocean Technology, Chennai in Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea provide ITEWC with non-stop real time nature of the sea. “It is these buoys and pressure gauges which help us in zeroing in on any impending disasters,” said Kumar.
The team is presently engaged in evolving a strategy to save the region between Andaman and Nicobar Island and Banda Aceh in Indonesia. “Most earthquakes occur close to this region and we have to issue tsunami alerts as early as possible to save the people here. Chennai is more than 1300 km from Andamans. Our major concern is Andaman and Nicobar region now,” said a senior ITEWC scientist.
In 1883, four violent explosions at 5.30 am, 6.44 am, 8.20 am and 10.02 am at Krakatoa island wiped out two-third of the island. Eruption of the volcano in Krakatoa resulted in massive tsunami waves which devastated the island. The sounds, it is reported, were heard 3,000 miles away in Australia.
There were no scientific warnings about the impending tsunami. The Times, the venerated newspaper published from london had carried a small news report in its May 24 edition about “Strong Volcanic Eruption , Krakatoa island, Sunda Straits” which did not get due attentio. The report was filed not by the paper’s correspondent but by the Society of lloyd’s, an international maritime organisation.
In 2004, another earthquake of magnitude 9 in the Richter scale struck near Sumatra. The tsunami waves generated out of this earthquake devastated 14 countries lying along the rim of the Indian Ocean. It is reported that 2,50,000 people in 14 countries including India lost their lives.
The word tsunami itself was unheard of in Indian newsrooms before it struck on that fateful day. Though alerts of an impending tsunami were issued by the Tsunami Warning Centre at Hawai in Pacific Ocean, nobody took notice of the warning.