Tsunami mock exercise will be conducted on October 15 and November 5. The image is used for representative purposes only.
| Photo Credit: KUMAR SS
India, along with several other Indian Ocean nations, will participate in a major tsunami mock exercise —IOWave25 — on October 15, 11.30 a.m. and another on November 5, 8.30 a.m. The first one will simulate magnitude 9.0 earthquake in the Makran Trench (off the Pakistan coast), affecting India’s west coast and Lakshadweep Islands.
The second will simulate magnitude 9.2 earthquake in the Sumatra Trench (off Northern Sumatra, Indonesia), impacting the east coast of India and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Each exercise will run in real-time for 12 hours, during which ITEWC (Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre) will issue 15 test bulletins. Measures will be taken to ensure the public is not inadvertently alarmed.
The drill is being organized by the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/IOTWMS) under UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC).
The exercise aims to enhance tsunami preparedness, assess response capabilities across participating nations, and strengthen regional coordination. It will test the standard operating procedures (SOPs) of emergency services and evaluate their readiness to respond to tsunami-like emergencies.
“The goal is to engage all levels of the tsunami warning and response chain, with a primary focus on local coastal communities,” said Director of the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) T.M. Balakrishnan Nair on Tuesday (October 14, 2025).
The (ITEWC), operated by INCOIS, serves as one of the Tsunami Service Providers (TSPs) for the Indian Ocean region, issuing advisories to India and 26 other Indian Ocean rim countries. During IOWave25, ITEWC will act in its dual role as India’s National Tsunami Warning Centre (NTWC) and a regional TSP, issuing test bulletins via GTS, email, fax, SMS, and its website.
“These exercises offer a valuable opportunity for stakeholders to test their tsunami warning and response mechanisms, raise public awareness, and strengthen overall preparedness. They also help identify and address gaps in the warning and communication chain,” Dr. Nair added.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Coastal Disaster Management Organizations of States and Union Territories, the Indian Navy, Coast Guard, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), critical coastal installations, ports, harbours, and other maritime stakeholders will actively participate.
The IOWave25 exercise also provides an opportunity for Tsunami Ready implementing States and UTs to demonstrate their preparedness in line with the UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme (TRRP). It will help assess the effectiveness of community-based preparedness, response mechanisms, and public awareness initiatives aimed at achieving and sustaining “Tsunami Ready” status, as per a press release.
Published – October 14, 2025 05:30 pm IST
