(a) whether the Government has recently surveyed the coastal areas in the country which
are vulnerable for Tsunami attack;
(b) if so, the places/areas identified;
(c) whether the Government has formulated any contingency plan to tackle the enormous
situation like the Tsunami waves which occurred in 2004;
(d) if so, the details thereof; and
(e) the external assistance sought to tackle Tsunami Waves in the country?
MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT,MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, MINISTER OF EARTH
SCIENCES AND MINISTER OF TELECOMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY(SHRI KAPIL SIBAL)
(a) Yes, Madam. To mark thirty years of Indian presence in Antarctica a scientific
expedition to South Pole was launched from the Indian Station `Maitri` at Antarctica on
13th November, 2010. An eight member team comprising geologists, glaciologist, geophysicist
apart from a doctor and vehicle engineers after travelling a journey of 2350 kms in 10 days
have made it to South Pole on 22nd November, 2010.
(b) Entire mainland coastline of India along with Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep
Islands are vulnerable to Tsunami.
(c) Yes Madam.
(d) The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) is the institution
hosting 24X7 National Tsunami Warning System (NTWS) that covers the entire Indian Ocean. The
NTWS, commissioned and made operational in 2007, is capable of detecting tsunamigenic sea-bed
earthquakes and to monitor tsunamis so as to provide timely early warning advisories to
concerned government departments and to vulnerable community using latest communication
infrastructure.
(e) No international assistance has been sought/received to commission/upgrade existing
Tsunami Warning forcasting ability. However, India has signed an Implementation Arrangement
with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), USA to assess the NOAA`s Tsunami
model performance vis-Ã -vis the model of NTWS over the Indian Ocean.