Tsunami simulation exercise tomorrow

Anuradha Kodagoda

A tsunami simulation exercise will be conducted in Hambantota and Batticaloa on October 14 at 6.30 in the morning. This exercise is organized by the Intergovernmental Coordination Group of Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System (ICG/IOTWS).

This exercise will be conducted in 15 countries in the Indian Ocean on the same day, to coincide with World Disaster Reduction Day. “We have to understand this is only an exercise to check the standards of the operation procedures.

It is to educate the citizens if there is a tsunami occurring in the country and also for the relevant departments to be pro-active to reduce the damage. On October 14 we will be conducting this exercise for nearly 3 hours to educate and to improve the awareness of the people to minimize damage in a disaster situation,” said the Director General, Department of Meteorology, G.B. Samarasinghe.

“We have selected one village in each district, that is Godawaya in Hambantota District and Pudukuduirippu South in Batticaloa. We have already done an awareness program and conducted training programs also for the villagers and this exercise is to check whether they are fully aware and comfortable with the system. In Batticaloa the message will be conveyed through telephone and in Hambantota it will be conveyed through the tsunami watch tower,” he said.

“The Department of Meteorology as the National Meteorological and Tsunami Early Warning Centre, will issue the ‘Tsunami Watch’ and ‘Tsunami Warnings’ only to the Disaster Management Centre according to this exercise. The Disaster Management Centre will disseminate these messages to the selected communities through their early warning dissemination system,” he said.

The main purpose of Exercise IOWave09 is to test national standard operating procedures and the operational lines of communication between the National Tsunami Warning Centres and Japan Metrological Agency (JMA) and Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii, USA and improve coordination through out the region.

The exercise provides an opportunity to Indian Ocean countries to exercise their operational lines of communications, review their tsunami warnings and emergency response procedures, and to promote emergency preparedness. There are 50 tsunami watch towers situated in many areas in the country and 47 towers are in operation at the moment, said the Director, Disaster Management Centre, Gamini Hettiarachchi.