In an interview with FPJ, SEEDS co-founder Dr Anshu Sharma speaks on preparedness to handle Nisarga like cyclone in Mumbai. Excerpts from the interview
What was so special about Cyclone Nisarga?
Cyclone Nisarga is the first cyclone in more than a century to hit Mumbai. While it is normal to expect a cyclone in this season, as per the recent incidents cyclones are getting stronger than before and are striking regions that rarely see them. We can no longer depend on the previously set patterns depicting disaster scenarios set to occur in a year. Mumbai hasn’t seen a severe one in a long time. Since, large parts of Maharashtra, and Mumbai in particular, are already reeling badly with the existing complexities of COVID-19, the impact of this disaster will be more than expected.
What needs to be further done to improve disaster management?
Existing COVID-19 hospitals, isolation wards, quarantine centres, and individuals under home quarantine need to be secured and provide assistance on priority in case there is a significant impact of the cyclone.
The secondary and tertiary impacts of the cyclone, such as storm surges, localised flash floods, contamination of drinking water, damage to toilets, particularly in dense low-income communities using community toilets at ground floor level, waterborne diseases, livelihood losses and losses of homes and civic infrastructure are eventualities that we need to avoid, yet be braced to respond to.
Adequate disaster risk management protocols need to be set up. In the longer run, focus and investments have to done on preparedness towards such disasters irrespective of the previously defined patterns and vulnerability quotient of a region.
How do you foresee the impact this disaster will have on communities?
Packing destructive winds, Cyclone Nisarga was expected to cause widespread disruption to assets, lives and infrastructure. While it is a great achievement that human life loss has been largely contained with early warning and evacuations, the loss to property and livelihoods is going to take a huge toll on the impacted communities.
