Bhubaneswar, September 30, 2026: Odisha has reached a major milestone in disaster preparedness, with 100 coastal villages now recognised as “Tsunami Ready” under the UNESCO-Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme. The initiative is aimed at strengthening community-level awareness, preparedness and response to tsunami hazards.
The programme is being implemented by the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) across the state’s six coastal districts. Odisha has identified 381 tsunami-prone coastal villages and habitations for phased preparedness, making the latest recognition an important step towards the wider target.
Odisha tsunami-ready villages expand across six coastal districts
The latest assessment involved field verification by members of the National Tsunami Ready Board (NTRB). The team visited coastal communities and examined their awareness of tsunami hazards, preparedness measures and ability to respond during an emergency.
The field verification was followed by an NTRB meeting in Bhubaneswar on September 28. The meeting was chaired by Dr Balakrishnan Nair, Director of the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), along with Rajesh Prabhakar Patil, Managing Director of OSDMA.
The Board also interacted with communities in villages across the coastal districts. Officials highlighted community participation, awareness of tsunami risks and readiness to respond as important elements of the recognition process.
Preparedness programme targets 381 coastal villages
Odisha’s tsunami preparedness initiative has been developed around community participation and scientific early-warning systems. The UNESCO-IOC programme focuses on helping vulnerable coastal communities establish preparedness and response mechanisms rather than relying only on emergency action after a disaster occurs.
According to INCOIS, Odisha’s initial Tsunami Ready initiative included six pilot villages across six coastal districts. Venkatraipur in Ganjam district and Noliasahi in Jagatsinghpur district were subsequently recognised as Tsunami Ready communities, making Odisha an early state-level participant in the programme.
The programme has since expanded to additional coastal communities. Current recognition brings the number of tsunami-ready villages in Odisha to 100, while work continues towards the larger goal of preparing all 381 identified tsunami-prone villages and habitations.
The latest development underscores the importance of community-level disaster preparedness along Odisha’s coastline. Odisha tsunami-ready villages are being developed as part of a broader effort to strengthen awareness, early response and resilience in communities exposed to tsunami hazards.
