Harsh Vardhan lauds services rendered by INCOIS

Union minister for Environment, Forests, Climate Change and Earth Sciences Dr Harsh Vardhan on Saturday lauded the services of Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS).

Inaugurating the new building for International Training Centre for Operational Oceanography (ITCOocean) at INCOIS here, he said the ocean state forecasts provided by INCOIS are helping fishermen, ships, Indian Navy and the Coast Guard.

He noted that the Search and Research Aid Tool ( SARAT) is helping in the planning and conducting of search operations for missing objectsA including fishermen at sea.

The Tsunami Early Warning Centre also continues to perform better than other centres in issuing appropriate warnings and advisories.

The ITCOocean has been set up to create trained man power in marine, coastal sustainability and response to marine natural hazards in India and other countries.

The UNESCO General Conference had approved establishment of ITCOocean as category 2 centre to provide training opportunities in the areas of ocean science and management for the South Asian and African states bordering the Indian Ocean and small island nations of Pacific.

The minister pointed out that there are about 1207 institutions like the CSIR institutes in the world and India ranks ninth, where technology for improving the lives of people is being developed.

Harsh Vardhan said that India is one country which is adhering to various agreements on climate change and taking steps to mitigate global warming.

The International Solar Alliance mooted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been welcome and several nations joined the alliance, he said.

Harsh Vardhan also appealed to the people to join the 'Green Good Deeds' campaign launched by his ministry to sensitise the people about climate change and global warming.

A compendium of 700 such deeds, which every citizen can practise, can be found in the ministry's website, he added.

--IANS

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