Sudam Babu | State Bureau Chief Odisha

Bhubaneswar, Odisha | September 28, 2026: Odisha has reached a significant milestone in coastal disaster preparedness, with 100 coastal villages now recognised as Tsunami Ready under the UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme.

The achievement is part of the State’s broader effort to strengthen preparedness at the community level and expand tsunami resilience across its vulnerable coastal areas.

75 More Villages Receive Recognition

Odisha had previously received Tsunami Ready recognition for a number of coastal communities. In 2026, 75 additional villages were recognised, taking the State-wide total to 100 Tsunami Ready villages.

The State administration has set a broader objective of preparing 381 tsunami-prone coastal villages and habitations across six coastal districts in a phased manner.

The programme is being implemented through the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) in coordination with scientific and disaster-management institutions.

National Board Conducts Field Verification

Members of the National Tsunami Ready Board (NTRB) carried out field verification in selected coastal villages on September 26 and 27. During the assessment, experts interacted with residents and examined community awareness, preparedness measures and response mechanisms related to tsunami hazards.

The Board visited villages in Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapada, Puri and Jagatsinghpur districts as part of the field exercise.

The communities were assessed on their understanding of tsunami risks and their ability to respond to emergency situations. The exercise also provided an opportunity for experts to review the implementation of preparedness measures at the grassroots level.

Meeting Held in Bhubaneswar

A meeting of the National Tsunami Ready Board was held on September 28 at the Convention Centre in Bhubaneswar.

The meeting was chaired by Dr. Balakrishnan Nair, Director of the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), and Rajesh Prabhakar Patil, IAS, Managing Director of OSDMA.

The meeting reviewed the findings from the recent field verification and discussed preparedness measures adopted by coastal communities.

The NTRB members also interacted with Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, sharing their observations from the field visits.

Villages Covered During Assessment

The Board’s field verification included several coastal settlements. These included Nidhipada and Gudupahi in Balasore; Muladihi, Bhatapada, Amarnagar and Nuagaon in Bhadrak; Sailendrasahi and Bhateni in Kendrapada; Motto and Singharpal in Puri; and New Kirtipur (1008), Laxmipur, Noliasahi and Ramtara in Jagatsinghpur.

During their visits, Board members engaged with residents and examined how communities understand tsunami warnings and prepare for possible emergencies.

Odisha’s Tsunami Preparedness Journey

Odisha’s participation in the UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready initiative began with Venkatraipur (Boxipalli) in Ganjam district and Noliasahi in Jagatsinghpur district, which received recognition in 2019.

According to the information released by the Odisha administration, this made India the first country in the Indian Ocean Region to implement the Tsunami Ready Programme, while Odisha became the first Indian state to prepare communities under the initiative.

In 2024, another 24 villages in Odisha received Tsunami Ready recognition.

The addition of 75 villages in 2026 has now increased the total to 100.

Community Participation at the Centre

The UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme is designed around community-level preparedness. It brings together government agencies, scientific institutions, emergency management authorities and local communities to strengthen awareness and response capabilities.

The programme focuses on helping vulnerable communities understand tsunami hazards, receive warnings and respond quickly during an emergency.

Officials and experts involved in the programme highlighted the importance of translating scientific early-warning systems into practical preparedness measures that can be understood and implemented at the local level.

Experts and Officials Participate

The National Tsunami Ready Board meeting was attended by Dr. Kamal Lochan Mishra, Advisor, OSDMA, and Susmita Behera, Executive Director, OSDMA, along with officials from OSDMA and scientists from INCOIS.

Suci Dewi Anugrah, Chair of Working Group-3 on Tsunami Ready Implementation under ICG/IOTWMS-UNESCO-IOC, participated virtually.

The NTRB includes experts and officials from INCOIS, the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority, the Ministry of Earth Sciences and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands disaster management authorities.

With 100 villages now recognised as Tsunami Ready, Odisha has expanded its community-based disaster preparedness network along the coast. The State’s ongoing programme is aimed at extending similar preparedness measures to the remaining tsunami-prone villages in a phased manner.