“Establishment of National Early Warning System for Tsunamis and Storm Surges”

Coastal Vulnerability Modeling and inundation Mapping:
As a part of “Establishment of National Early Warning System for Tsunamis and Storm Surges”, the Ministry had taken up development “Coastal Vulnerability Modeling and Inundation Mapping”. Under this endeavor, a wide range of coastal vulnerability maps on different spatial scales ranging 1:1,00,000 to 1:5,000, are being generated for the entire coast of India by various agencies primarily for use in the forewarning of various ocean hazards viz., Tsunami, Cyclones and Storm Surges.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), responsible for coastal zone management of India, has initiated a comprehensive project for hazards mapping of the national coastline, livelihood improvement of coastal communities and coastal ecosystem conservation at a cost of Rs. 1156 crores in phase-1 covering Gujarat state, as a part of World Bank aided program. The topographical maps being generated by the MoEF for the entire coast line of India is on 1:10,000 scale to cover the strip of land of 7 km.

The agencies involved in development of these digital maps include Survey of India (SOI), National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Integrate Coastal and Marine Area Management (ICMAM). An atlas on Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) for the entire Indian coast on 1:1,00,000 scale has been prepared. On a pilot scale, the 3-Dimensional Geographical Information System (3D GIS) maps for the coastal stretch between Cuddalore and Nagapattinum have been completed in association with Industry Partners. All the above studies have resulted in generation of valuable datasets and information resources that provide insights into vulnerability of the Indian coastline to tsunamis.

The maps so generated are already being used by coastal administrators for saving lives and property during disasters. The MoEF is using these maps for integrated coastal zone management activities.

The above information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Planning, Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Dr. Ashwani Kumar in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today