BHUBANESWAR: The six coastal districts, comprising 26 villages have officially been declared as "Tsunami Ready" by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO or IOC-UNESCO as Odisha becomes the first state to achieve such a vital milestone of coastal safety. The villages comprised the newly accredited 24, besides two previously certified villages.
The award was made based on the achievement of 12 key indicators that entailed a set of well-coordinated activities aimed at increasing local preparedness. Such efforts entailed capacity building, awareness programs for communities, distributing tsunami safety materials, making evacuation plans, and placing signages. Mock evacuation drills were also held to ensure that residents will be prepared in case it happens.
Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services or INCOIS, have been providing assistance in managing the round-the-clock monitoring system of tsunami. Besides, it also has alerts and risk assessments made within the proper time frame.
A live evacuation drill, conducted in Kaitha village, Kendrapara district, demonstrated the great community commitment towards safety recently witnessed. The event was attended by UNESCO's Dr. T. Srinivasa Kumar, OSDMA's Dr. Sunitha Jena and District Project Officer Amlan Anupam Senapati. This local engagement, as demonstrated at the event of the effective Odisha disaster preparedness program, brought about great success.
This recognition proves that it is a collaborative effort between the state government, local communities, and national agencies in providing an exemplary model for global coastal safety initiatives.
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