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www.southgatearc.org
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Last Updated on:
Thursday, July 31, 2008
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21 ham radio stations planned for emergency commsIn southern India, the Orissa State Disaster Mitigation Authority (OSDMA) has decided to install 21 ham radio stations in seven districts, including six coastal ones.Pravat Ranjan Mohapatra, manager (coordinator) of OSDMA, said the decision was taken as the amateur radio network can easily communicate when other communication services fail during natural disasters like cyclones, tsunamis, storms and earthquakes. ‘‘We wrote letters to collectors of seven districts, including six coastal districts of Kendrapara, Jagatasinghpur, Puri, Balasore, Bhadrak and Ganjam, and urged them to select three places in each district where we will install ham radios. UNDP has provided 21 ham radios to OSDMA to install in seven districts,’’ said Mohapatra. The scientists and officials of National Institute of Amateur Radio (NIAR), Hyderabad, trained 100 youths of the coastal pockets of Orissa in 2007- 08 to operate ham radios during emergency. OSDMA had sought the help of NIAR to impart training to the youths. Students,who have passed in first grade, will only get permission from the authorities concerned to operate ham radios by forming radio clubs. The Ministry of Information and Technology will issue licences to first-grade pass students to run ham radio clubs, added Mohapatra. Mobile phone towers are not safe at the time of cyclones for which ham radio is a necessity during natural disasters. A bamboo stick can be used as an antenna for a ham radio and one can send messages throughout globe, he said.
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