The Hindu : National : Satellite captures images of tsunami havoc in Andhra

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 28, 2004

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National

Satellite captures images of tsunami havoc in Andhra

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, DEC. 27. One of the four Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has captured images of the Andhra Pradesh coastline that was devastated by the tsunami on Sunday.

The images were captured between 9.30 a.m. and 10.30 a.m., when the tsunami was pounding the region.

The images, which are now being analysed by experts at the National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) here, are expected to help administrations in the affected areas to coordinate and plan rescue and relief operations, provide information on the pattern in which the tsunami struck the Andhra Pradesh coast as well as inputs for disaster monitoring and environment studies.

Sources in the NRSA say two of the images captured by an IRS satellite which passed over the region between 9.30 a.m. and 10.30 a.m. on Sunday were blurred by clouds obstructing a clear view.

But there was a "high volume" of data from the satellite, which would take time to be analysed. Better pictures could be available by Tuesday noon, the sources said.

The sources said the NRSA , as part of its mandate, had been receiving satellite data on the region every day, but that there were no signs of any impending calamity.

Since earthquakes cannot be predicted, there was no chance of any warnings as well.

An NRSA official, confirming the receipt of images of the disaster-ravaged areas on Sunday, said the presence of clouds was concealing details in the images analysed so far. "But wait till Tuesday, we will surely get something clearer," he said.

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