Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has forecast that high waves of up to 6.5 metres are likely to lash the Maharashtra coast, waves up to 4.5 metres along Goa coast and 4-metre high waves on South Gujarat coast on Wednesday.
The institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences and also housing the Tsunami Warning Centre here is monitoring the movement of the cyclonic storm ‘Nisarga’ over east central Arabian Sea using its ‘Wave Monitoring Along Nearshore or ‘WAMAN’ buoy network and mooring buoy network of National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) with real-time communication to four lakh public, including fishermen along the west coast.
INCOIS scientists informed on Tuesday that high winds and waves can cause large-scale damage along the coast. The buoys recorded waves up to 3-metre height om Tuesday afternoon. The cyclone is very likely to intensify into a ‘severe cyclonic storm’ during the next 12 hours and cross north Maharashtra and adjoining south Gujarat coast between Harihareshwar and close to Alibag (Raigad district, Maharashtra) with sustained wind speed of 100-120 kmph.
Warnings to fishermen in deep sea, even those 1,500 km away, are being issued through the NAVIC gadget, developed with ISRO, on high waves, tsunamis, cyclones or potential fishing zones. “The other modes of communication are restricted to a maximum of a few kilometres. We have extended software support for these gadgets to ensure dissemination of this information to users to the last mile,” said INCOIS Director in charge Balakrishnan Nair.
The institute in association with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) is also issuing periodic joint bulletins which can be accessed at www.incois.gov.in.
Another app - GEMINI or Gagan Enabled Mariners Instrument for Navigation and Information, being developed in collaboration with the Airport Authority of India (AAI) is under extensive field trails. “This app with a gadget can provide early warning anywhere in Indian Ocean from Australia, to Africa to Antarctica,” Mr. Nair added.
