Scientists are aided with bathymetric maps of the ocean floor and topographic maps of the inlands, which can be utilised in speculating the impact of Tsunami waves on coastal areas. When one approximates the magnitude of the wave height that is going to lash down on shorelines, it becomes a tentative guess, but nonetheless, it can still be helpful in estimating the possible impact and degree of inundation. One can ascertain the most vulnerable zones, and more importantly what type of land use pattern dominates over these zones. For example, a marshy mangrove region will be hardly affected, as compared to a densely populated coastal tract. Resourceful satellite images that scan the Earth in multi-temporal mode help in delineating different land use patterns, and thereby aid in precise estimation of potential threats in a quantitative way. With great progress in digital technology, these studies have gained a sophisticated edge with the revolutionising advent of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). This spatially collated geo-database analysis provides a convergent platform for processing divergent data fields.

Now with this information, we are faced with the following questions:

1. Have any preliminary surveys been done on these aspects?

2. We are equipped with the technology – Are we harnessing it to its fullest?

3. Do we have a comprehensive warning system?

4. Are our Coastal Zone Management policies relevant?

Sadly, the answer is no.

• Disasters like Tsunami are unprecedented, but one could have done the basic preparatory course.

• There is sheer lack of collaborative approach. Do we really think globally, and act accordingly? As one might have well understood the fact by now, that collaborative approach would have made a sea change. By collaboration we precisely suggest the construction and maintenance of up-to-date, multi-scale and continuous information not as an activity of a single organisation but through a collaboration of many partners. We need to combine our enriched data sets into a comprehensive coverage for larger areas that are multi-purpose and can serve the needs of numerous applications simultaneously.

• It is inevitable that the countries lying adjacent to the centre of origin of the disaster would be worst hit. But what about far off places? It triggered off the coast of Indonesia, travelled at an awesome speed, devastated the Andaman chain of islands en route to its rampage at Nagapatinam. By the time it reached Paradeep much of its strength had subsided. The hour and a half time permitted to undertake rescue operations was wasted, and an emergency evacuation was not even planned.

A concerted effort

It’s time for introspection. It is time for analysis, time for careful assessment of our competency in addressing hitherto overlooked concerns, time to develop an unsurpassed scientific platform, and time to make the system foolproof, self-reliant, and progressive.

At the same time, mass awareness requires immediate attention. Regarding this, there was a silver lining, though. During the tsunami catastrophe, villagers of Pondicherry were a remarkable exception with their ‘not so sophisticated’ warning devices. They averted danger with an indigenously built tidal gauge and a simple public announcement device.