Kendrapara, Sept. 7: Residents of seaside villages woke up today to the blaring shriek of a siren with the sounding of a tsunami warning through the public announcement system.
The warning startled them, but they soon found out that it was a mock drill to prepare people for any natural disaster.
The Odisha State Disaster Mitigation Authority along with the district administration and other government and non-government agencies conducted the mock tsunami drill today at all the 328 tsunami prone coastal villages under 22 blocks of the six coastal districts of Odisha to create awareness among the public about tsunami.
"The Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System of Hyderabad sent us a mock tsunami warning message this morning and we immediately alerted all the coastal districts through fax, email, SMS and phone. After getting messages from us, the district administrations of all the coastal districts alerted all the 328 tsunami-prone villages.
Immediately, the district administration, Indian Navy, Coast Guard, fishery officials, port officials, fishermen, local residents, panchayat members, NGOs, social workers and others took part in the mock tsunami drill,' said deputy general manager of the disaster mitigation authority Prasanta Kumar Nayak.
The disaster mitigation authority had earlier conducted a training programme for those who would help villagers at the tsunami-prone villages on the natural disaster.
"We also trained many teachers and students. The disaster mitigation authority has already made plans to face a possible tsunami at the seaside villagers. Tsunami warning systems have been developed in the state. The National Tsunami Early Warning System helps the disaster mitigation authority to give tsunami warning to the seaside villagers," said Nayak.
"Eight years ago, the disaster mitigation authority had identified 328 villages situated within 1.5km of the coastline at six coastal districts. Sixty-four seaside villages of Kendrapada district, 28 of Jagatsinghpur district, 88 of Puri and 44 villages of Ganjam district were identified as being vulnerable to tsunami. Similarly, 63 villages of Balasore district were also identified as tsunami prone, as were 41 villages in neighbouring Bhadrak district.We had trained the coastal communities in how to react when tsunami warnings are issued," said Nayak.
A mock drill was also conducted throughout all the coastal states and union territories in the country today under the supervision and guidance of the officials of the Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre based out of the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, Hyderabad, an autonomous institution under the ministry of earth sciences.