Pakistan's Tsunami Warning System Not Up to the Mark

If reports are to be believed, Pakistan's tsunami warning system is far from perfect, due to a lack of coordination between the district, provincial and national disaster management authorities.

According to a report in the Dawn, while Pakistan was spared the destruction of the 2004 tsunami, the country has experienced several earthquakes, some of them devastating.

The country faces a constant risk of experiencing a tsunami if an undersea quake strikes the Indian Ocean close enough to Pakistan's coast.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department has recently installed the National Seismic Monitoring Network and Tsunami Warning Centre at the Meteorological Complex in Karachi, in a bid to give authorities ample warning in case of a tsunami.

The centre is supported by highly sensitive broadband seismic stations in Balakot, Muzaffarabad, Gilgit, Chitral, Quetta, Khuzdar, Turbat, Zhob, Bahawalnagar and Umerkot.

But, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Major-General Farooq Ahmed Khan is of the opinion that a sea-based early warning system is required if Pakistan wants more comprehensive protection.

The sea-based system is much costlier and has so far not been made operational.

"Only the ground-based early warning system is operational at this point," Maj-Gen Farooq said.

"In the situation of a tsunami in the Arabian Sea, an immense amount of damage will be caused, especially close to the shoreline," Farooq said, adding that "there should be plans and contingency plans for such a time and breakwalls should also be erected to control the extent of devastation along with other related measures that can restrict the degree of damage."