India’s Next-Generation Tsunami Monitoring System: Technology, Early Warning Capabilities

India’s Next-Generation Tsunami Monitoring System strengthens early warning capabilities using advanced sensors, real-time data, and ocean observation technology. Learn its features, importance for disaster management, and role in protecting coastal populations.

Table of Contents

Context

The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information and Services (INCOIS) is establishing a ₹300-crore Regional Service Centre (RSC) at Vijaynagar on Swaraj Dweep (Havelock Island) in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

About Regional Service Centre (RSC) at Vijaynagar

Nodal Agency: Indian National Centre for Ocean Information and Services (INCOIS), which operates the Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC).
Key Features:
- The system expands detection to include non-seismic tsunamis caused by submarine landslides, mudslides, and volcanic activity.
- A 270-km sub-sea cable will be installed directly along tectonic subduction zones to ensure high-speed, real-time data transmission.
- The system will monitor underwater acoustic signals, which can travel faster than seismic waves, significantly reducing alert lead times.
Significance
- Establishing the Regional Service Centre in Swaraj Dweep provides a critical “first-response” buffer for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- The RSC will provide tsunami warning services to neighboring Indian Ocean Rim countries, specifically Sri Lanka.

Details

● Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC): Established in 2007 (post-2004 Tsunami), it is recognized by UNESCO-IOC as a Tsunami Service Provider (TSP) for the Indian Ocean region.

● Tsunami Ready Program: A community-based initiative by UNESCO-IOC. In 2020, Odisha’s Venkatraipur and Noliasahi became the first villages in the Indian Ocean region to be certified “Tsunami Ready.”