CCTV can be useful for tsunami advisory for Indian ocean region

The tsunami which shook the entire South Asia on 26.12.2006, struck the southern part of the Great Nicobar Island, which is situated at the extreme south end of Andaman Islands, one hour before striking countries like Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Sri Lanka including India around the Indian Ocean.

It may be noted that the southern coastal area of the Great Nicobar Island is also a famous tourist attraction called the Indira Point.

A Light House has also been built there.

When striking that area, the height of the tsunami waves at the seashore was thirty feet. If surveillance cameras had been installed in the Light House, it would have definitely facilitated to find out about the tsunami striking that area directly.

On the basis of this, thousands of people living in the coastal areas of other countries surrounding the Indian Ocean, including India, could have been saved from tsunami by alerting them about the approaching danger and instructing them to move to safer places.

It should be noted that this is not the first time that the tsunami waves generated in the Sumatra Island region to strike the Indira point before approaching the countries around the Indian Ocean, including India.

It may be interesting to know that around a hundred and thirty three years ago, on 27.8.1883, similar tsunami waves generated as a result of the eruption of Krakatau Volcano situated to the south of Sumatra Island, struck the Indira point before striking the countries around the Indian Ocean, including India after one hour.

This has been recorded by the tide gauges, which measure the height of the ocean waves.

Had a communication centre been installed in the Indira point taking this earlier incident as a warning, people living in the coastal areas of other countries surrounding the Indian Ocean, including India, could have been saved from tsunami by alerting them when the South Asian tsunami struck that region.

Hence, I sincerely request that surveillance cameras be installed in the Light House at the Indira point and surveillance task at the sea shore is commenced without any further delay.