Sri Vijaya Puram, November 14: The Andaman and Nicobar Administration has begun community-level tsunami awareness programmes across identified coastal villages, with the Directorate of Disaster Management preparing an outreach calendar for 30 locations under the Tsunami Ready Programme. The initiative aims to familiarise residents with tsunami risks, warning systems and emergency communication procedures.
The District Emergency Operation Centre (DEOC), under the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Nicobar District, organised one such programme at Tamaloo Community Hall in Tamaloo village, Car Nicobar. A similar session was held a day earlier at Kinmai Community Hall, covering Kinmai and Small Lapathy villages.
The sessions focused on helping residents recognise the threat posed by tsunamis and understand the steps involved in responding to a potential emergency. Participants received information on tsunami hazards, their causes and possible impacts, along with natural warning signs that may indicate an approaching tsunami.
Officials also explained how early warning systems operate and how authorities communicate tsunami alerts and emergency information. The discussions covered the role of warning mechanisms in enabling communities to respond to a threat.
Question-and-answer sessions formed part of the outreach activities, allowing residents to seek clarification on tsunami-related concerns and engage directly with the programme organisers.
The outreach forms part of the Tsunami Ready Programme being implemented in 30 coastal villages across the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Directorate of Disaster Management has drawn up a schedule to conduct awareness activities in these locations.
The Directorate is coordinating the initiative with the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad, and the district administrations of South Andaman, North and Middle Andaman, and Nicobar.
The programme’s focus on local awareness and emergency communication places community preparedness at the centre of the initiative. The sessions are intended to familiarise residents in the identified coastal villages with tsunami warnings and the information needed to respond to such hazards.
