Author: Dr S S C Shenoi

Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons The word ‘tsunami’ was largely unfamiliar in India until 26 December 2004, when a massive 9.2 magnitude earthquake struck northwest of Sumatra, Indonesia. The resulting tsunami reached the Andaman and Nicobar Islands within 25 to 30 minutes and the mainland’s eastern and western shores within 2 to 5 hours. The disaster claimed 230,000 lives, destroyed vast amounts of property and livestock, and caused over USD 10 billion in damages. In response, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) under UNESCO, along with governments from vulnerable coastal nations, recognised the urgent need for an early warning system to mitigate…