CHENNAI: Turning the clock backwards, the Tamil Nadu government is planning to put to use shortwave radio frequencies that were widely used across the globe in 19th century. This unique technology of olden days is being brought to life to communicate with deep-sea fishermen during natural disasters. During Cyclone Ockhi in November last year, many fishermen lost their lives in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and other parts due to non-communication of the impending danger.
Commissioner of Disaster Management Rajendra Ratnoo, who delivered a lecture on disaster management perspectives of Cyclone Ockhi as part of a seminar on 'Monsoons 2017' at the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), admitted that the current modes of communications like Very High Frequency (VHF) radio or mobile phones were of no use to contact deep-sea fishermen.
"We were helpless when Ockhi struck. The weather event has taught us many important lessons. The government is exploring multiple means to improve the communication system. One option is shortwave radio frequencies. Radio waves are transmitted based on earth's ionosphere, which makes them the perfect candidate when it comes to communicating during the worse scenarios of natural disasters. Shortwave radio can be used to transmit messages to anyone who has the required equipment to receive. A long range communication system via radio waves can be the device that could save many lives when no help is around," he said.
S B Thambi, Deputy Director General, RMC, told Express on the sidelines of the event that he had proposed the use of shortwave frequencies at the recent meeting of Tamil Nadu Disaster Management Authority. "Very little infrastructure is required for long-distance communications using shortwave radio. All one needs is a pair of transceivers, each with an antenna, and a source of energy such as a battery. This makes shortwave radio one of the most robust means of communications, which can be disrupted only by interference or bad ionospheric conditions. "We can contact anyone from anywhere and the ideal example is the Voice of America radio station, with listeners across the globe," he said.
This apart, Ratnoo told Express that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and INCOIS, Hyderabad, were working on project to develop satellite-enabled hi-tech communication gadgets through which fishermen can stay connected in the 1,500-km radius from the shore without internet or tower connectivity. Also, the senior bureaucrat said a proposal for permanent naval station in Kanniyakumari is pending.
Meanwhile, the government has decided to maintain a registry of fishermen and make installation of life-saving gadgets in the fishermen's vessels mandatory to limit damage in the wake of natural disasters.
Clearing the air over the allegation of delayed alert on Ockhi, he said fishermen were warned not to venture into seas as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warning on November 29.
However, there were many fishermen in the deep sea, who had left the shore even weeks/days before the warning. "Initially, a clear picture of the total number of boats and fishermen could not be captured immediately as a large number of the fishermen belonging to Tamil Nadu along with their crew operate predominantly from the Kochi harbour due to lack of safe berthing, landing, processing and packing facilities in TN and nearly 40% of the fishing vessels are not registered," he said.