Odisha has installed the India’s first automatic coastal warning system. This system can warn the population residing along its 480 km-long coast by pressing a single button in the event of the occurrence of natural disasters like a tsunami or a cyclone.
This Early Warning Dissemination System (EWDS) enable loud sirens go off simultaneously from towers at 122 locations in 22 blocks under six coastal districts such as Balasore, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Puri and Ganjam.
The sound emanating from the towers can be heard in localities up to a radius of 1.5 km.
The EWDS comprises of technologies like Satellite-Based Mobile Data Voice Terminals (SBMDVT), Digital Mobile Radio (DMR), Mass Messaging System (MMS) and Universal Communication Interface (UCI) for inter-operability among different communication technologies.
This project was implemented with assistance from the World Bank.
The new system will also enable authorities to alert people in smaller pockets, depending on the severity of the disaster.
Neighbouring Andhra Pradesh is also building up such capability to face natural calamities.