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Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services and ‘Kallakkadal’ Monitoring

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 

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