Chennai: The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) jointly organized a conclave on Marine Multi-Hazards Services for the Indian Coastline in Chennai on Friday to strengthen preparedness for coastal disasters.

NDMA member Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Syed Ata Hasnain inaugurated the event and announced that a common alerting system using cell broadcast technology will be launched on a trial basis from September 1 to warn fishermen of cyclones and other hazards. The alert will sound even on silent phones, he said, urging the public to download NDMA's Sachet app and INCOIS' Samudra app for weather alerts.

Hasnain cited the successful evacuation during Cyclone Biparjoy in 2023, when over 32 million messages were sent, minimizing loss of life. “Multi-hazard preparedness is the bedrock of resilience,” he noted.

INCOIS Director Dr. T.M. Balakrishnan Nair reaffirmed the Centre's zero-false-alarm record for tsunami warnings and emphasized its “Science to Society” vision. Prof. Balaji Ramakrishnan, Director, NIOT, highlighted the coordinated efforts of multiple institutions, while MSSRF Chairperson Dr. Soumya Swaminathan called for emergency sea rescue services and tracking of heat index data to address climate-related health hazards.

The conclave included sessions on tsunami early warnings, storm surges, oil spill forecasting, and vulnerability mapping. Participants agreed to scale up community preparedness and enhance coordination with state disaster authorities, Navy, and Coast Guard.