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Tsunami experts ask Indian media to set up Standard Operating Procedure

All major and minor countries from the Indian Ocean rim except Pakistan are participating in this five-day event.

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Tsunami experts drawn out from the Asia Pacific region asked the Indian media to set up a Standard Operating Procedure to take on future tsunami attacks.

“The Andaman and Nicobar islands and Indonesian regions in the Indian Ocean are the major sources of tsunami attacks. Data analysis of the last two thousand years show that all major tsunamis originated in this  region. With India assuming the role of the Regional Tsunami Warning Centre from October this year, the country’s media should put in place a Standard Operating Procedure to disseminate whatever warnings and information they receive from the RTWC at Hyderabad,” said Laura Kong, director, International Tsunami Information Centre, Hawai on Thursday.

She was addressing tsunami experts, disaster managers and media representatives from the Indian Ocean Countries who have been convened here by the United Nations Development Programme and United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to familiarise them about the new status of the Hyderabad based Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Service (INCOIS) which will be assume the role of the major tsunami warning centre for the entire region.

All major and minor countries from the Indian Ocean rim except Pakistan are participating in this five-day event.

Dr Kong pointed out that East Timor, India, Indonesia and Maldives are the countries which lie along the danger zone in the Indian Ocean. “These countries are vulnerable to any tsunami attacks erupting in the Indian ocean region. The waves travel so fast and it is imperative that the warnings should reach the local people without any delay,” she said.

All these years, the tsunami waves in the Indian Ocean were monitored by the Pacific Ocean Regional Tsunami Warning centre and the Japanese Regional Tsunami warning Agency. With INCOIS. Graduating into the big league with itys technical and scientific expertise, the role of the other agencies will be confined to their own respective regions.

INCOIS will take over the role of the Big Brother from October 12.

“India will host the Indian Ocean wave 2011, one of the biggest tsunami warning drills at Hyderabad on that day. All countries in the Indian Ocean rim have conformed their participation. This will test the efficacy and efficiency of our monitoring and dissemination system,” Dr srinivas Kumar, head, Regional Tsunami Waring Centre, Hyderabad, told DNA.

Ardito M Kodijat, programme officer, UNESCO, said the Indonesian Government has has made it mandatory for all TV and radio stations in the country to broadcast  tsunami warning alerts issued by Indonesian Tsunami and Earthquake Warning Station. The UNESCO and UNDP have developed  a Standard Operating Procedure in the form of a user friendly handbook for the media professionals.

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