Reports of thousands of deaths and millions displaced from their homes has become somewhat synonymous with disasters in India — be it the super cyclone in 1999, the Indian Ocean earthquake and the tsunamis that followed in 2004, or the recent floods and destruction in Uttarakhand. And every time such a disaster strikes, Government efforts face immense criticism, being dismissed publicly as being far too less or ineffective.
However, things have surely started to look positive on the disaster preparedness front for India with the Indian agencies turning the tide during the recent cyclone Phailin, which hit the coasts of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh (AP) in south-eastern India. With torrential rains and winds topping 200 km per hour, it had all the makings of unearthing the insubstantial government claims of ‘learning lessons from the past’ and being prepared for such calamities yet again. But, instead, the government agencies, at both central and state levels, ensured that Phailin did not cause a heavy human toll, by better anticipation of the situation and moving swiftly during the most critical times, two of the things absent in most of the previous such scenarios.
The cyclone caused massive destruction though, with reports of tens of thousands of homes being destroyed, along-with widespread destruction of crops and livestock across the two states. Phailin weakened significantly after making landfall as a Category 4 storm, with sustained winds of up to 210 km per hour, according to Indian meteorologists. The government agencies were able to pull off a miraculous rescue effort, moving nearly 1 million residents out of the storm’s path and into the shelters run by government agencies. This ensured that the overall death toll was kept low, with the reported count standing at 44.
There were several factors which were responsible for such a commendable effort by the agencies. Firstly, there were accurate predictions by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), which were, interestingly, in stark contradiction with their American and British counterparts, which predicted a much wider impact area and a ‘record-breaking cyclone’, on the lines of Katrina. The IMD relied on satellite imagery and inputs for their predictions on the situation in the Indian Ocean, a hotspot for cyclones due to the presence of warm waters, with 27 of the deadliest 35 storms documented in history either originating or coming through the Bay of Bengal area. The accurate prediction, 4-5 days in advance, was a massive boost to the preparedness and the results are evident: casualties were down drastically from nearly 10,000 in 1999’s cyclone that affected this region.
Secondly, the swift movement of government agencies post the receipt of the forewarnings from the Met department, ensured a coordinated effort for rescue. The NDMA’s (National Disaster Management Authority) project of National Cyclone Risk Mitigation ensured that the cyclone shelters were both sufficient in terms of numbers along the coastline and the supplies of food and medicines. There were also around 2,300 personnel deployed by NDMA and other agencies, clearing roads and ensuring that the nearest rescue shelter was not more than 2.5 km away from the cyclone hit areas. The coordination between the center, the state, NDMA and the defense services, who are at the forefront whenever any such situation arises, was instrumental to the success of the whole activity. Not to miss the role played by the local groups everywhere, arranging for food and clothes, and coordinating with the blood banks for the needy.
Thirdly, it was better planning and execution that saved the day. The rescue shelters were a result of years of careful planning and its implementation by both the central and state government agencies. State government opened control rooms in all the cyclone hit districts, continuously monitoring the supply of medicine and food. There were even reports of cancellation of Dussehra leaves for government employees.
Lastly, but perhaps the most important underlying factor for this successful disaster response, was the role of communication. Announcements were made via radio and TV to prepare people for leaving their homes for the rescue shelters well in advance. Some didn’t feel very safe leaving their homes and belongings, and had to be pacified by the volunteers; in some cases, even force was used to make the people movement happen. More people had access to cell phones, which enabled a coordinated rescue effort. Although there were reports of over 7,500 telephone towers being damaged in Odisha and AP, various telecom operators came together to share their telecom infrastructure for enabling mobile services to the people of the two states.
Although a lot of damage was eventually caused by Phailin as it receded and moved to Jharkhand, there are now a lot of problems to be confronted by the people that were affected. Farmers have lost their crops, fishermen have lost their boats, everyone associated with the local economy, directly or indirectly, is facing the aftermath of the cyclone. While the governments have set up relief efforts by coordinating monetary support and grants, returning people to their livelihoods and connecting them to the mainstream economy is going to be a major challenge, one which will take significant time to execute, and a lot of support from both public and private agencies would be required for rehabilitation of the impacted area and its people.
The efforts this time around would certainly be the benchmark for any future tragedy, and hopefully, things would improve from hereon in terms of disaster preparedness and response and rescue efforts.
Jaspreet Singh is Associate Director – Advisory Services, Ernst & Young LLP.