Bhubaneswar - Twenty-four coastal villages in Odisha have been recognized as "Tsunami Ready" by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (IOC-UNESCO). This announcement was made on Thursday by the Odisha State Revenue and Disaster Management Department in a press statement.

The recognition, awarded during the 2nd Global Tsunami Symposium held in Indonesia on November 11, 2024, acknowledges the communities' preparedness for tsunami events. These villages, located across six coastal districts - Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, and Ganjam - have demonstrated successful implementation of the IOC-UNESCO's Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme (TRRP).

The Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme (TRRP) of the IOC-UNESCO includes training and capacity building of various stakeholders, community awareness programs, distribution of tsunami awareness posters and leaflets, preparation of Tsunami Management Plans, conducting tsunami mock drills, identification of tsunami evacuation routes, installation of tsunami hoardings and evacuation signages.

The 24 newly recognized villages include Jagannathpur, Jayadev kasabapahi, Sahapur, Kanyanagari of Balasore district, Mohanpur, Adhuan, Badahabelisahi, Sanakrushnapur of Bhadrak district, Kantilo, Tantiapal Sasan, Kaitha in Kendrapara district, Bagheipur, Dhanuharbelari, Sahadabedi, Bhuyanpal in Jagatsinghpur district, Keutjanga, Narasinghpatana, Khalakatapatana, Chhotipada of Puri district and Uppulaputti, Prayagi, Kantiagada, Markandi of Ganjam district.

In addition to recognizing these 24 new villages, the IOC-UNESCO also renewed the Tsunami Ready certificates for two previously recognized villages: Noliasahi in Jagatsinghpur district and Venkatraipur in Ganjam district. Two of these villages were recognized as Tsunami Ready in 2020.

The press statement from the Odisha R&DM department outlined the various activities undertaken in the 24 newly recognized villages to achieve this milestone. These efforts included training and capacity building for stakeholders, community awareness programs, distribution of informational materials, preparation of tsunami management plans, mock drills, identification of evacuation routes, and the installation of tsunami warning signs and evacuation signage.

Verification of the villages' compliance with the TRRP's 12 indicators was conducted in September 2024 by members of the National Tsunami Ready Recognition Boards (NTRB), comprising scientists from the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) and officers from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

Vidar Helgesen, Assistant Director General of UNESCO and Executive Secretary, IOC-UNESCO, presented recognition certificates at the Indonesia symposium to E. Pattabhi Rama Rao, representing India as a Scientist G at INCOIS.

With 381 tsunami-prone coastal villages and habitations, Odisha aims to progressively make all coastal communities "tsunami ready," according to the statement from the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA).