
Why in the News
Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has installed a second Coastal Flood Monitoring System (CFMS) near Kollam Harbour to improve forecasting of ‘Kallakkadal’ or swell surge events along India’s southwest coast.
What is ‘Kallakkadal’?
- “Kallakkadal” is a Malayalam term meaning: “Sea that comes stealthily”
- It refers to:
- Sudden high-energy swell surges
- Coastal flooding without local storms or rainfall
Purpose
- Improve accuracy of coastal flood forecasts
- Study nearshore wave transformation
- Build better early warning systems
About Coastal Flood Monitoring System (CFMS)
- A scientific monitoring system developed by Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services for:
- Real-time monitoring of coastal wave activity
- Early warning for swell surges
Components of CFMS
- The system integrates:
- Coastal Automatic Weather Station
- Four high-frequency pressure sensors
- Installed at: Shallow depths of 3 to 7 metres
Why Kollam?
- Kollam Harbour was selected because:
- Kerala’s southwest coast frequently experiences swell surges
- Fishing communities are highly vulnerable
| [2017] At one of the place in India, if you stand on the seashore and watch the sea, ‘you will find that the sea water recedes from the shore line a few kilometers and comes back to the shore, twice a day, and you can actually walk on the seafloor when the water recedes. This unique phenomenon is seen at a. Bhavnagar b. Bheemunipatnam c. Chandipur d. Nagapattinam |
