New Delhi: Authorities are working on a new undersea network of smart cables near the Andaman archipelago to strengthen India’s early warning systems against tsunamis and undersea earthquakes.
The initiative, led by the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), aims to reduce disaster risks along the country’s eastern seaboard.
INCOIS Director Dr. Balakrishnan Nair explained that India’s east coast faces multiple hazards, including cyclones, tsunamis, and swell surges. Swell surges, caused by strong winds in distant storms, can trigger sudden coastal flooding with little notice.
He also warned of non-seismic tsunamis, which may arise from underwater volcanoes or other geological and meteorological events, particularly in the vicinity of the Andaman archipelago and the Sindh-Makran coast.
To address these risks, the government is developing a 270-kilometre-long smart undersea cable for the Andaman region. The cable will be equipped with seismometers, acoustic hydrophones, and advanced sensors to detect quakes and tsunamis more quickly than surface-based buoy systems.
Data collected will be processed at a new INCOIS regional centre in the Andamans, enabling faster alerts across vulnerable countries, including India, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka. “This system will ensure no seismic activity in the region goes undetected,” Dr. Nair said.
Highlighting the human dimension of disaster response, Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain, Member of NDMA, said that, “Half the battle is about awareness and preparedness among the public.” He stressed that the first responders are always local communities, not governments, and urged greater training and empowerment at the grassroots level.
Officials also encouraged citizens to download the NDMA’s ‘Sachet App’ and INCOIS ‘Samudra App’ for real-time disaster alerts. Location-specific warnings are also being sent directly to mobile phones in areas under threat.
On the technological front, Prof. Balaji Ramakrishnan, Director of the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), noted that the government is investing heavily under the Mission Mausam initiative to enhance weather readiness. “An allocation of ₹20,000 crore ($2.26 billion) is planned to upgrade forecasting and early warning systems nationwide,” he said.
Authorities believe the smart cable network will provide a critical boost to disaster preparedness in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and safeguard millions living in coastal regions.
