The Hyderabad-based Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (Incois) and the Centre for Earth Science Studies (Cess) here have jointly developed an early warning and information system on natural disasters off the Kerala coast.
The first of the two wave-rider buoys, which form part of the system, was deployed off the coast here on May 5. The second buoy will be set afloat off Kozhikode by the year end.
The buoys will track the differences in wave regimes off the southwest coast. They will be moored to the seabed at a depth of 30 metres and be powered by batteries. The buoy system would act as a coastal observation system and be enabled to warn about cyclones, tidal waves, storm surges and tsunamis.
Real-time information on waves, tide and ocean currents will be disseminated to fishermen to not just help them plan fishing expeditions but also warn them about extreme weather conditions.
The buoys will help identify potential fishing zones and movement of shoals, according to Mr N.P. Kurien, Director, Cess, and Mr T.M. Balakrishnan Nair, Head, Information Services and Ocean Sciences Group, Incois.
Real-time information from the buoy would be relayed to the supercomputer at Incois and incorporated with satellite data to generate models for forecasting. Other scientific institutions could also use the data as input for research work.
Mr Nair said the system is designed for multi-hazard ocean forecasting and warning. It can also gather information about oil spills and give fishing zone advisories.
Mr Kurien said the installation of buoys will be followed by the establishment of automatic weather stations, tide gauges and current meters.
The project — funded by the Ministry of Earth Sciences — also involves the setting up of a digital display board at the Vizhinjam fishing harbour here to relay information to fishermen.
The data from the buoy will be transmitted every 30 minutes through the Insat-C satellite to a shore station at Cess.
A Global Positioning System on the buoy can be used to monitor the position of the buoy continuously.
The data will then be sent to Incois, Hyderabad, for dissemination to various end-users such as the India Meteorological Department, Coast Guard, Navy and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation.
Cess proposes to organise workshops and employ other methods of mass communication such as television, radio and newspaper to disseminate the data to the user communities such as fishermen.
The data generated by the buoy will be used for various applications such as fisheries, shipping, climate studies and forecasting, coastal zone management, oil exploration, offshore or coastal engineering works and rescue operations at sea.