Latest news with #IndianNationalCentreforOceanInformationServices
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Science
- The Hindu
National Geospatial Practitioner Award 2025 to INCOIS
Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), has been awarded the National Geospatial Practitoner Award 2025 on Thursday for its outstanding use of open-source spatial technologies. The award was presented during the Open Source GIS Day (Edition 02) at IIT Bombay, to INCOIS Director T.M. Balakrishnan Nair by the former ISRO Chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar, said a press release.
The Hindu
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Naidu unveils vision for crime-free Andhra Pradesh using tech tools
: In a major push towards transforming Andhra Pradesh into a technology-driven and crime-free State, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday laid out a roadmap to achieve 'zero crime rate' using advanced surveillance and digital tools. Chairing a review meeting on Real-Time Governance (RTG) at the Secretariat in Amaravati, the Chief Minister emphasised leveraging cutting-edge technology to strengthen law and order, ensure public safety, and modernise welfare delivery mechanisms. 'We must make Andhra Pradesh a model State in crime prevention and governance. Technology should be our strongest ally,' the Chief Minister asserted. Highlighting the need for continuous surveillance, Mr. Naidu directed officials to monitor crime hotspots round the clock using CCTV cameras. He also called for regulatory amendments to utilise footage from private security cameras in public investigations. 'Shopping malls, hotels, and theatres must be covered under the Public Safety Act to aid law enforcement,' he said. Further, the Chief Minister called for increased use of drones and artificial intelligence in crime-prone zones and emphasised real-time monitoring through RTGS. He inquired about the progress of the upcoming Drone City in Orvakal and suggested integrating drone data into governance systems. Blockchain technology Reaffirming his commitment to data security and transparency, Chandrababu Naidu instructed officials to implement blockchain technology for securing government records, particularly in revenue departments. He directed that revenue records be thoroughly sanitised and permanently secured using blockchain, and all departmental data be consolidated into a central data lake. In a bid to strengthen disaster preparedness, the Mr. Naidu stressed the importance of early warning systems in lightning-prone areas. He ordered the installation of siren-based alerts to safeguard lives and called for the swift restoration of sensors and physio-meters to monitor groundwater levels. Real-time tracking of reservoir inflows and water discharge into the sea was also emphasised, as several reservoirs across the State are currently nearing full capacity. Mr. Naidu directed officials to disseminate sea wave data and fishing zone alerts from INCOIS (Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services) to fishermen and coastal communities. 'This real-time information must be readily accessible to those whose livelihoods depend on the sea,' he added. Welfare programs In line with the coalition government's P4 (Public-Private-People-Partnership) vision, the Chief Minister reiterated his commitment to eradicating poverty by 2029. He called for a complete integration of beneficiary and demographic data across departments with RTGS, ensuring real-time updates and responsiveness. Welfare programs, he said, must be tailored to meet the changing needs of the people, with special attention to supporting the 'last person standing.' Mr. Naidu also emphasised the continuation of the 'Bangaru Kutumbalu' mentorship initiative, aiming to uplift underprivileged families by linking them with affluent households for support and guidance. Chief Secretary K. Vijayanand, IT Secretary Katamneni Bhaskar, and other senior officials participated in the review meeting.
Deccan Herald
30-06-2025
- Science
- Deccan Herald
Oil spills call for new response
Following accidents involving the Liberian vessel MSC ELSA 3 and the Singaporean container MV Wan Hai 503, both along Kerala's coast, the Arabian Sea's vulnerability to marine transit hazards was further exposed when oil tankers ADALYNN and Front Eagle collided near the Strait of Hormuz on June 17, sparking massive fires. These back-to-back incidents underscore a critical reality: as India's maritime traffic surges, so does its exposure to oil spills that demand immediate policy intervention and technological response to such incidents demonstrates both India's maritime monitoring capabilities and critical gaps that threaten long-term coastal security. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Indian Coast Guard (ICG), and Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) coordinated effectively to monitor the oil slick and implement containment measures soon after the sinking of the Liberian vessel. CMFRI's ongoing coastal surveys following the accidents can be extremely useful for disaster management by the country's coastal and oil spill advisory issued after fire on container ship off Kerala EOS-04 satellite provided spatial images, using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensors capable of monitoring oil spills regardless of lighting or weather. However, this reliance on a primarily Earth observation satellite highlights a concerning gap in India's dedicated ocean monitoring infrastructure. The dependence on multi-purpose satellites creates potential conflicts between monitoring priorities and limits specialised maritime surveillance current oil spill trajectory modelling relies on adapted versions of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s General NOAA Operational Modelling Environment (GNOME) tool. These generalised international models using broad parameters and spatial data of coarse resolutions might struggle with India's unique peninsular coastline, without localised data inputs and specialised algorithms to predict oil spill behaviour. These limitations become pronounced during monsoon periods, when tropical ocean patterns dramatically alter, necessitating a region-specific technology deployment. More critically, the sensors can only detect oil presence or absence, not its types – information crucial for determining appropriate response spills create cascading impacts across sectors and environmental damage beyond visible contamination – from marine biodiversity to coastal economy, from health impact on coastal communities to losses in the energy sector. Yet these impacts rarely factor into policy well in Assam capped after 16 days of gas leakage: most concerning is the absence of comprehensive regulatory frameworks governing maritime pollution incidents. The absence of mandatory state-level oil spill contingency plans for vessels transiting Indian waters represents a significant policy gap. The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) also lacks independent capacity including boats and satellite data, enhancing dependencies on central to National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan, last updated in 2014, suffers from weak enforcement mechanisms and fragmented institutional oversight. The divided but overlapping authority between ICG, Pollution Control Boards, port authorities, and Directorate General of Shipping creates coordination challenges leading to delays in legal action against polluters. The tiered response structure also creates bureaucratic bottlenecks during major recent incidents highlight the need to focus on addressing India's maritime vulnerability that requires dedicated technological infrastructure designed for ocean monitoring. Deploying satellites with advanced sensors capable of oil type identification would enable real-time characterisation of pollutants, allowing immediate deployment of appropriate response technologies. These sensors, already available, could transform response effectiveness from generic containment to targeted and decentralised geospatial dashboards integrating real-time satellite data, weather information, vessel tracking, and response resource locations would provide comprehensive situational awareness. Enhanced inter-agency coordination between state disaster management authorities and national agencies like INCOIS and ICG requires structured training programmes and regular joint exercises. Rather than expecting universal expertise, shared capacity-building can enable seamless coordination during emergencies. Regular interactive training exercises in the state's specific geographic conditions would identify operational gaps and improve response Kerala chapter shows that the maritime future of Indian coastal states depends on transforming reactive crisis management into proactive risk prevention. This requires immediate investments in dedicated ocean monitoring satellites, comprehensive regulatory frameworks with robust accountability measures, and integrated response systems designed specifically for India's tropical coastal environment. The technology exists – what's needed is commitment to implement comprehensive maritime ecological safeguards before the next inevitable spill tests India's resilience..(The writer is a research analyst at the Takshashila Institution)
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Science
- Time of India
India plans smart tsunami and earthquake early warning system with underwater sensors
India is laying the groundwork for a smart tsunami and earthquake early warning system with a 275 km-long underwater cable in the Indian Ocean. The system could change the way seismic activity, submarine landslides, and other deep-ocean threats are detected. The initiative, still at the Request for Proposal (RFP) stage, is conducted by the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (Incois), Hyderabad. It aims to overcome limitations in the existing system that relies primarily on surface buoys. The communication cable equipped with sensors will be laid at a depth of about 2,500 m in the Indian Ocean from the Andaman Islands to the seismically active Andaman-Nicobar subduction zone. This cable will host a suite of sensors, including bottom pressure recorders, seismometers, tilt meters, and hydrophones, enabling real-time monitoring of seismic activity, undersea landslides, and sudden pressure changes. It will help gather long-term observations of the Indian Ocean and study oceanographic and geophysical parameters for climate research and operational applications also related to storm surge early warning systems. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo "The region is monitored with tsunami buoys that have a bottom pressure recorder and a surface buoy," says T M Balakrishnan Nair, Director of Incois. "Though data is transmitted to the Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre in Incois, maintaining the buoys is challenging as they are vulnerable to environmental conditions." He adds that the system will be reliable and provide high-bandwidth data related to seismic activity directly to shore stations. The Andaman-Nicobar subduction zone is where tectonically active Indian plates subduct beneath the Eurasian plate. This process is responsible for the formation of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and has historically been a hotspot for seismic activity. The entire northwestern segment ruptured during the 2004 Andaman-Sumatra earthquake, which led to the tsunami. The plan also includes setting up a dedicated shore station in the Andaman Islands, which may eventually evolve into a regional tsunami service centre, given the islands' vulnerability to tsunamis. The cable will be connected to the data processing centre in Hyderabad to ensure rapid dissemination of alerts. Email your feedback with your name and address to
The Hindu
18-06-2025
- Climate
- The Hindu
Coastal areas in Kozhikode under sea erosion threat
The District Disaster Management Authority on Wednesday stepped up surveillance measures along the coastline of Kozhikode district as several fishermen families complained of increasing sea erosion threat. Revenue department sources said the worst-hit were those living on the coastline of Vadakara, where the construction of sea wall had been pending for years on several vulnerable stretches. Some of the worst-affected families were asked to vacate their houses on Wednesday following the visit of local administrators to the affected areas. Officials said relief camps would be opened in case of any emergency situation. 'Several houses are on the verge of destruction near the Vadakara sand banks and Puramkara areas. The issue will worsen as long as we delay the construction of sea walls,' said V. Muneer, a local resident. He alleged that the rehabilitation measures offered by the State government under 'Punargeham' project had failed to win the confidence of coastal people. Following the rough weather alert by the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, the entry of tourists to vulnerable coastal areas was restricted. Fishermen who venture into the sea on country boats were also asked to be vigilant against the rough sea and high waves. As part of the heightened vigil, Fisheries department officials asked boat owners, especially those from the Chombala harbour, to review the safety of fishing boats anchored at various harbours. They were also urged to ensure a safe distance between all anchored boats and avoid chances of collision during high waves. Revenue department officials said no major rain-related calamities were reported in the district on Wednesday. They said all the rescue forces, including the community rescue volunteers in villages and urban areas, were remaining alert to handle emergency situations. Meanwhile, the death of a 46-year-old man after accidentally slipping into an open drain at Thadambattuthazham in Kozhikode city on Tuesday sparked wide public protest. The protesters alleged that the drain constructed about 25 years ago was continuing to be a death trap in the area. The body of the victim, identified as Shameer, was recovered with the support of the National Disaster Response Force.
