Date:31/12/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/12/31/stories/2004123101431003.htm

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Preparedness

Sir, — The tragedy has raised some serious doubts about our preparedness and readiness to meet such contingencies. It took the tsunami nearly an hour after it hit the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to strike the east coast. What is the purpose of spending millions on remote sensing satellites?

K. Murlidar,
Chennai

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Sir, — It is one thing to have a warning system and quite another to pay heed to it. The seismic signals recorded in India around 6.30 a.m. on Sunday clearly showed that an undersea earthquake of high magnitude had struck Sumatra.

It was common sense to expect disturbances in the Indian Ocean. But did the geologists and seismologists act in time?

R. Krishnan,
Versailles, France

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Sir, — While it may be desirable to set up a tsunami warning system, it is worth asking whether the poor people living along the coastline have the necessary equipment to receive the warning in time. And do we have the men and material to effect a mass evacuation?

G. Rukmini,
Chennai

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Sir, — Poompuhar (also known as Kaveripattinam), seaport of the early Chola kings, was swallowed by the sea suddenly. It could have been the result of a tsunami.

Historians and seismologists may find it interesting to examine whether the submergence of the thriving port city of the ancient times — of which there are documented works — was the work of a tsunami.

N. Ramakrishnan,
Chennai