Odisha is likely to face a fresh cyclone later this week. The state has so far encountered 10 cyclones in a span of 23 years and the frequency of such natural disasters is only on the rise, official records of the State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) showed.
Odisha government said on Wednesday that all precautionary measures have been taken to deal with any eventuality coming out of summer cyclones. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also reviewed the situation and instructed the department concerned to make necessary arrangements, said Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) of Odisha Satyabrata Sahu on Wednesday.
Mr. Patnaik was worried about summer cyclones that had adversely impacted Odisha in the past. He reminded them of the Fani cyclone and its disastrous impact in 2019.
Briefing the media, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Satyabrata Sahu said that though summer cyclones are always unpredictable, there is no need to panic as all measures are being taken to deal with the situation. The month of May is prone to cyclones in the Bay of Bengal.
All departments including the National Disaster Response Force, the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force and fire services were asked to stay prepared, while emphasis was given on evacuation of all the vulnerable people from the coastal and low-lying areas to safe shelters.
For the past few years, we have been successful in adopting the zero casualty policy in the State. All the concerned departments have been instructed to be ready. About 1,000 cyclone shelters are ready and other schools have been identified as possible shelters,” said State Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena.
The SRC said that IMD always issues forecasts after a detailed micro-planning basis. It is pertinent to mention here that earlier several rounds of meetings were held to ensure proper planning and coordination between various departments to deal with any situation.
Odisha has faced the wrath of cyclones almost every year. Here are some of the deadliest cyclonic storms to have hit Odisha.
1. Cyclone Phailin – 2013: Cyclone Phailin was the second strongest tropical cyclone in India since the 1999 Odisha cyclone. It resulted in heavy rainfall in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand. It made landfall near Gopalpur in Ganjam district. It destroyed power supply, communication and transport systems massively. Around 14,514 villages in 12 south and coastal districts were affected. Majorly affected districts in Odisha were Ganjam, Puri and Khordha.
2. Cyclone Hudhud- 2014: Cyclone Hudhud was a strong tropical cyclone that caused damage to Visakhapatnam city in Andhra Pradesh. Odisha too was affected by Hudhud. Hudhud caused heavy to extremely heavy rainfall with strong gale winds leading to large scale structural damage over North Andhra Pradesh and adjoining districts of South Odisha coast. According to media and government reports, 22 people were killed and over 248,00 people in 320 villages were affected.
3. Cyclone Titli – 2018: Very severe cyclonic storm Titli was part of the 2018 North Indian Ocean cyclone season and made landfall between Odisha’s Gopalpur and Srikakulam of Andhra Pradesh. Cyclone ‘Titli’ triggered heavy to very heavy rainfall in Ganjam, Gajapati and Puri districts. Over 60 persons were killed by Titli and the subsequent flooding and landslides.
4. Cyclone Fani – 2019: Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Fani was the first severe cyclonic storm of 2019, and also the strongest tropical cyclone to hit Odisha since 1999. Fani reached its peak intensity on May 2, 2019 with a wind speed of around 175 kmph. The extent of damage due to Fani was estimated to be over Rs 11,942 crore. The cyclone caused massive destruction to forests and environment. According to government sources, Fani had killed 64 people and affected 140,000 hectare crop area.
5. Cyclone Bulbul -2019: It was the second cyclone in 2019. it caused extensive damage to agriculture in Odisha.
6. Cyclone Amphan –2020: Cyclone Amphan was the costliest tropical cyclone ever recorded in the North Indian Ocean and strongest cyclone ever since the 1999 Super Cyclone. It had affected at least 44.45 lakh people in 9833 villages and 22 urban bodies.
8. Cyclone Yaas –2021: In May 21 Yaas hit Odisha’s Dhamara and left two people dead.
9 Cyclone Gulab-2021: In September 2021 Cyclone Gulab corssed the Odisha- Andhrapradesh coast. in this Cyclone No death was reported in Odisha.
10. Cyclone Jawad 2021: The Cyclonic Storm Jawad was a weak tropical cyclone that caused major disruptions over Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal in India while bringing heavy rainfall and strong winds over these states as a weakened system.
That Naveen Patnaik Government has amazingly tackled all the cyclones that odisha’s disasters management system has got lot of praises.
