Turning the focus on Amateur Radio
Whenever a disaster strikes, the first thing that goes off is the communication
system. And this is where the Amateur Radio operators play an important
role, N Vittal, former Chief Vigilance Commissioner has said.
He said this while addressing a press conference yesterday on the International
Seminar on Amateur Radio Communication in Disaster Management to be organised
by the National Institute of Amateur Radio and sponsored by Ministry of
Communication and Information Technology in Chennai on tomorrow.
Vittal said, 'When the tsunami struck the Indian coast on 26 December
2004, and destroyed all mode of communication in Andaman and Nicobar Islands,
a team of Amateur radio operators who were on a expedition to the Island
helped in restoring communication through HAMS by which the real picture
of destruction was brought to light'.
He said the seminar was being organised to shape a policy on the role
of HAMs during disaster like cyclone, floods and tsunami. He noted that
there were about three million HAMs in the world of which 14,000 were
in India.
Union Minister for Telecommunication and Information Technology Dayanidhi
Maran would inaugurate the seminar and deliver the chief guest address.
The seminar is expected to be attended by around 250 delegates from within
the country and Sri Lanka, Finland, United States and Germany. Issues
such as technology, emergency communication and trends in Amateur Radio
would be discussed.
News Today
• International
Seminar on Amateur Radio in Disaster Management and Information Technology
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