Mockdrill on tsunami warning begins

A mega mockdrill on tsunami warnings in 33 coastal districts of eight states and union territories began today.
The two-day mockdrill conducted by Indian National Centre of Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) began at the eastern coastal districts and will take place in Gujarat, Kerela and Karnataka tomorrow.
"Almost 33 coastal districts of 8 states/UT are participating up to community level. Community level evacuations will be carried out in around 350 villages and around 40,000 people will be evacuated during the drill," a release quoting INCOIS Director Satheesh C Shenoi as saying.
He said most of the coastal states/UTs are participating in the Tsunami mock drill exercise 'IOWave16' organised under auspices of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.

The Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC), established at INCOIS, provides services such as Tsunami Warnings (which serves 27 countries in the Indian Ocean), Ocean State forecasts and High wave alerts for coastal residents and seafarers, Coral bleaching alerts for environmental monitoring etc.