The Union government has sanctioned Rs 125 crore to set up a national tsunami warning system, Union Minister for Science and Technology and Ocean Development Kapil Sibal said on Friday.

Sibal was addressing a two-day session in New Delhi on the December 26 tsunami disaster that left close to 10,000 dead in India alone.

Sibal added the project will be operational in over two-and-a-half years.

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He said devices like the Deep Ocean Assessment and Reporting System for early detection and real-time reporting of tsunamis will be installed as part of the new system.

"Our plan envisages a system for tsunami warning for India and other countries like Myanmar, Indonesia and Sri Lanka," Sibal said.

The Union minister said that the country already has a system to monitor earthquakes but it needs to be updated.