THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Governor P Sathasivam has underlined the need for clarity and simplicity in communicating matters related to natural disasters to the public. Inaugurating the World Space Week (WSW) celebrations at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), he urged the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to take the lead in coordinating the flow of such vital information.
‘’It is surprising why different agencies engage in blame games about the timely availability of information during natural disasters. Personally, I have felt a need for better clarity and simplicity in the communications that reach the people. Ultimately, the manner in which we communicate matters to society decides how people understand important warnings about weather and more importantly, climatic change,’’ the Governor said.
Programmes for updating the media through training modules also should be considered so that they can convey scientific information with better clarity, he said.With a National Information system for Climate and Environment Studies (NICES) in place, the expansion of such information sharing should not be a problem at all, he said.
Satellite-based remote sensing and communication systems are becoming a critical requirement for disaster management across the world. the Governor said.Considering India’s leadership in satellite-based remote sensing and its applications for cyclone monitoring, disaster management, monitoring of rescue operations and national security, the public’s expectations from such facilities have also increased.When disaster-affected areas get isolated, satellite images are the only way to determine the gravity of the disaster, he said.
WSW is jointly organised by VSSC, Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) and ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU). The governor also called for a more flexible and encouraging policy to involve universities in space research.“With ISRO supporting universities willing to launch their own satellites, I hope there would be positive changes,’’ he said.LPSC director V Narayanan, IISU director D Sam Dayala Dev, VSSC chief controller Biju Jacob and other officials were present.