‘NSMS’ to keep tab on Iran nuclear plant

Manama

 Alerting on the possibility of an earthquakes near the Bushehr nuclear plant in Iran is one of the top priorities of the new Seismograph station in Bahrain, authorities said.

 National Seismic Monitoring Station (NSMS) was inaugurated last month by Undersecretary for Civil Aviation Affairs at the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications, Ahmed Al-Namah.

 “One of the main objectives of the station is to alert the government and the residents about the possibility an earthquake near the nuclear plant in Iran,” said Acting Director of Meteorology at the Ministry of Transportation Adel Daham. 

 Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) nations had repeatedly expressed concerns about safety and radiation leaks about nuclear facilities based in Iran after an earthquake in the country killed 90 people in April 2013.

 "Any earthquake in the world can be detected with our station, even if the magnitude is only 1. We have already detected many earthquakes from many parts of the world. We have not detected anything in Bahrain because Bahrain is in an area safe from earthquakes. But if there are any earthquakes in the region, we will be able to detect it from our station," Daham told DT News. 

 "The meteorology department will be able to provide input and support to the National Disaster Management Committee with highly accurate analysis and forecasts. The station will further facilitate collaboration and the standardisation of information among the GCC meteorology departments,” he said. “This will consequently contribute to enhancing cooperation with the international meteorological organization."

 The Seismology station is being operated with the cooperation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). "It serves in providing a modern and fully equipped station as per global standards. This cooperation with the UAE in the filed of Meteorological services is a result of longstanding relationship between the respective authorities in the two countries whereby Bahrain's station has been linked to the national seismograph network of the UAE," Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunication stated.

 "It’s worth noting that the Kingdom of Bahrain is one of the oldest countries in the Middle East with a recognised Meteorology monitoring centre with documented history dating back to 1902. Moreover, the fruition of this station is a result of the efforts of the Meteorology Directorate team, who have built and developed strong relation with their counterparts in the UAE, which successfully contributed to the launch of this station,” the Ministry added.