Berhampur: A wave rider buoy, equipped with GPS, sensor and different other instruments, was spotted at Gopalpur beach in Odisha’s Ganjam district.
According to sources, it was found ashore at the Gopalpur Military Station on Saturday. Army authorities recovered the buoy after it was spotted. Wave buoys are used to measure the state of the ocean surface, mainly wave height.
It was later found that the buoy belongs to the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
It is currently operating at Gopalpur port by the Chilika Development Authority (CDA) under the Forest and Environment department of the Odisha government.
The buoy, important for providing improved ocean state forecasts and vital for safe navigation and sea operations, was handed over to project scientist of CDA Rakesh Baral.
Baral was quoted by TNIE as saying that the buoy, stationed around two km offshore and at a depth of 20 km in front of Gopalpur port and Haripur creek, provides detailed information on waves, high tide, height, direction, etc., every 15 minutes.
The buoy, tethered with a wire rope, is believed to have snapped loose and drifted away. While the exact reason is yet to be ascertained, it might have drifted towards the coast because of high-speed winds or a potential collision with a boat.
Stating that no damage has been caused to the buoy, he said it will be reinstalled at Gopalpur port within a fortnight after thorough examination.
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