At long last, we are beginning to equip ourselves well in order to deal with the periodic fury of nature. That thought is uppermost in our minds when we consider how we were prepared this time for cyclone Fani. And how we prepared the population in its arc to protect itself against its devastating effect.
Armed by the near-precise forecast by the meteorological department about the time, place, etc as to where the cyclone will make a landfall, the National Crisis Management Committee did a commendable job keeping the loss of life and property to the minimum. Given the ubiquitous presence of television, ordinary people most likely to be hit by the cyclone cooperated with the authorities, leaving their homes for temporary shelters arranged by the local administration.
Evacuating nearly a million people in Puri, Bhubaneswar and other nearby areas at short notice was not an easy task. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said that 12 lakh people were evacuated to safer locations within 24 hours from 10,000 villages and 52 urban agglomerations. They were housed in 4,000 shelters, including 880 specially designed centers and were provided free food and other necessary services.
Remarkably, all this was done without any trouble. Mostly poor people with little children in tow moved out from their shacks carrying whatever little of value they possessed. Television images were reassuring that at long last we are able to handle natural disasters with due professionalism.
The fury of the cyclone was such that it flattened structures directly in its eye, uprooting communications towers, electric poles and even railway signals. Torrential rains accompanied by winds up to 175 kilometers per hour lashed the coastal areas in Odisha bringing rail, road and air traffic to a halt. Towns and villages along the coast were flooded with heavy rains. A day later on Saturday, communication links in Odisha were yet to be restored.
The State government said extensive damage was caused in Puri and Bhubaneswar and nearby areas, though the peak of the fury of Fani seems to be over in Odisha. Eight people died in the cyclone-related incidents. Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force were engaged in relief and rescue operations, ensuring that the road link is restored as early as possible.
Power transmission lines were being restored and private and public cellular phone service providers were now working overtime to restart their services. In other words, all hands were on the deck, as it were, to deal with cyclone Fani. The Prime Minister despite being engaged in electioneering took time off to preside over a meeting of the cabinet to take stock of the situation.
He spoke to the Odisha chief minister promising all possible help to overcome the cyclone onslaught. Central ministries such as Health, Railways, Civil Aviation, Roads and Highways, etc. were in direct contact with the state authorities to restore order at the earliest. Senior officials from various central ministries attended meetings of the NDMA and NDRF to coordinate efforts to handle the cyclone.
Even the coast guard and the navy deployed its men and material to provide humanitarian aid to the victims. They flew medical and relief supplies by helicopters to the victims in Puri and other parts areas in the State. In particular, the people living in hatched huts in low-lying areas would need preventive checks against common ailments in such situations stemming from contaminated water, foul environment and choked sewage lines.
The health ministry had put together a team of doctors, nurses and auxiliary staff for deployment in the cyclone-hit areas to handle the feared disease breakout. Meanwhile, after lashing parts of Andhra Pradesh, the cyclone was moving towards West Bengal.
The State government too had taken the necessary precautionary measures, though it hoped that the fury of Fani would be much weaker in the State. Kolkata airport was closed late on Friday afternoon as a precautionary measure. In fact, election rallies were canceled for two days as well. In sum, we as a government and as a people are learning to get our collective act together. The central and state governments deserve credit for rising to the occasion.
