On the morning after Christmas in 2004, while joy and festivities lay mixed in the air, an underwater earthquake with a magnitude of 9.15 triggered a series of catastrophic tsunamis in the Indian Ocean. Nearly all the landmasses overlooking the Indian Ocean were run over by gigantic waves which washed away both life and property in the region. Energy equivalent to 23,000 atomic bombs was released as up to three-storey high waves traveled at a speed of nearly 800 kmph. At least 200,000 people across 15 countries were confirmed dead with more reported missing. At least 10,000 were reported dead in India alone. It was rightly termed as one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history. Although life is seemingly returning to a normal routine, the socio-economic and psychological repercussions of the cataclysmic event can still be felt.
Houses which were ruined have been rebuilt, fresh Tsunami colonies and villages have been set-up, the fishing & tourism industry in the affected regions is making a slow but assuring recovery, but the memories just don't seem to fade away. The horror that redefined life for all those who survived the ruinous event continues to shape lives even today. The more important question, however, concerns the future and not the past. 10 years down the line, we ask this one question; Are we prepared for such a merciless calamity? If it were to strike again?
Government Initiatives
As far as forecasting is concerned, India was quick to set-up a sophisticated warning system at the Indian National Centre of Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) in Hyderabad. The Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC) began its operations in 2007 assisted by a ground station with a radar receiving data from various satellites including Oceansat-2. Furthermore, INCOIS works in partnership with other national nodal agencies like ISRO, IMD, National Institute of Ocean Technology, and Survey of India in order to fill remaining gaps. A tsunami warning SMS service has also been started for villagers residing near coastal areas. In addition to all this, a GPS based system is being planned to record the vertical movement of tectonic plates . Around 35 GPS systems are currently being installed at the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. These systems will combine with the information gathered by Bottom Pressure Recorders (BPRs) placed some 3,500 feet below sea level in the Indian Ocean. BPRs record the pressure of water above them as water pressure undergoes significant change during a tsunami due to increased ocean surface level.
Concerted Effort Required
But other crucial national level initiatives for mitigating the damage inflicted by a tsunami are still missing from the big plan. Experts have voiced their opinion on giving impetus to mangroves as well as casaurina plantations which can withstand the fury of such disasters thereby minimizing the degree of damage incurred. Tsunamis offer a reaction time of hardly two hours and in some cases even less than that. We're talking about a warning and evacuation plan which should be based on proper training for coastal communities along with resilience in terms of infrastructure and disaster management capacity.
While contingency measures and plans are in full swing, certain technological hindrances force us to question the effectiveness of the proposed methods and strategies. For example, how do the authorities plan to reach out to areas which are still technologically underdeveloped? And how will the authorities speed up methods to educate the local populace in these regions on disaster management and loss mitigation? Although a few major steps have already been taken, a lot still remains to be done. May the 10th anniversary of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami act as a reminder of our inadequacy in terms of preparedness levels for such monumental tragedies.