State of readiness
This reality check was a welcome one in many ways. Five deaths caused by heart attacks were reported, but overall, better popular awareness of what to expect, information flow based on more advanced technologies, and proactive steps initiated quickly by authorities, suggests disaster preparedness of a higher order. Although the quakes did not ultimately cause a tsunami, the alert proved a test of the Indian Ocean tsunami warning system, an ambitious network of tidal gauges, deep ocean buoys and seismic monitors put in place post-2004. In the tense hours that a tsunami watch remained in effect, meteorologists monitored offshore buoys that measured the waves, confidently predicting that the likelihood of a large tsunami was minimal. The founding of the National Disaster Management Authority and State Disaster Management Authorities, and the launching of the National Disaster Response Force during the last decade marked the realisation in India of the need for the management of emergency situations.
In a First for Country, UNESCO Recognises Two Odisha Villages as 'Tsunami Ready'
Discover Related
Earthquake today: Magnitude 5 quake hits Nepal, tremors felt in North India
Post-earthquake ceasefires in Myanmar offer rare opportunity for disaster diplomacy
Heatwave alert! Check warning for THESE 30 mandals in Andhra Pradesh today
Why India's "disaster diplomacy" is becoming so important
Operation Brahma: India sends 50 tonnes of ‘first-responder’ aid to earthquake-hit Myanmar
Operation Brahma: India sends 400 tonnes of relief material to quake-hit Myanmar
Lessons from Myanmar: Why India must act before the Great Himalayan Earthquake
Modi to meet Myanmar junta chief in Bangkok amid earthquake relief efforts
Lessons from the Myanmar earthquake: Disaster preparedness
Tsunami warning lifted after 7.0 earthquake near Tonga in the South Pacific
India stands ready to offer all possible assistance: PM Modi on earthquake
Disaster management bill gets House nod; Shah says no centralisation of power
Coastal warning issued after magnitude 6.7 quake hits off New Zealand
US: Shifting disaster preparedness to state and local governments
Use of advanced communication tools in disaster management needed: official
Chief Secretary reviews summer preparedness, advises people to stay alert
Indian cities most vulnerable to heat waves focus on short-term fixes: Report
Anupriya Patel inaugurates Quad workshop on pandemic preparedness
India’s policymaking must account for uncertainty: PM’s principal secretary
On building resilient telecom infrastructure | Explained