Early Warning and Timely Action Saved Lives
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REVIEW PAPER A REVIEW ON MANAGEMENT OF CYCLONE PHAILIN: EARLY WARNING AND TIMELY ACTION SAVED LIVES Gourikumari Padhy1,*, Rabi Narayan Padhy2, Sangeeta Das3, Abhisek Mishra4 1Associate prof., Dept. of Community and Family Medicine, AIIMS, Raipur 2AYUSH medical Officer, Kanheipur, Ganjam 3Assistant Prof., Dept. of Community Medicine, MKCG Medical College, Berhampur 4Senior Resident, Dept. of Community and Family Medicine, AIIMS, Raipur *Corresponding author Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT On the evening of October 12, 2013 a very severe tropical cyclone, Phailin, brought damaging winds of more than 220 kilometres per hour (km/h), storm surges of up to 3.5 metres and torrential downpours to the eastern Indian states of Odisha. The impacts of Phailin and ensuing floods affected more than 13.2 million people, and caused enormous damage .The estimated total damage to houses, crops and public properties was 14373.47 crore. There was massive destruction of power supply system, communication and transportation system. However, early warning alerts, disseminated four days before landfall of Phailin, allowed for the evacuation and relocation of approximately 1.2 million people, resulting in the largest evacuation operation in India in 23 years. A total of 21 lives were lost as a result of the cyclone and an additional 23 lives due to severe flash flooding in the aftermath of the cyclone. A comparable cyclone, Cyclone 05B, hit Odisha in 1999 with winds of up to 260 km/h, but had a much more than 10,000 lives were lost. Early warning using multiple channels of communication and timely action saved lives during Phailin. Government cooperation, preparedness at the community level, and lessons learned from Cyclone 05B contributed to the successful evacuation operation, effective preparation activities and impact mitigation. This event exhibits the importance, benefits and effectiveness of the use of early warning for a massive disaster. The lesson learnt from this event can act as a guide for development of plan for management of other similar disasters in future. Key words: Cyclone phailin, Disaster preparedness INTRODUCTION India has witnessed several disasters. Various states of India are Each day, natural disasters such as vulnerable for different kinds of disaster. floods, earthquakes and Odisha is a state on the eastern seaboard of hurricanes/cyclones threaten human life India, having a 480 km coastline2.The long and cause severe environmental losses coastline adjoining the Bay of Bengal makes around the world. During the last decade, the state vulnerable to cyclonic storms and disasters have affected the lives and assets their aftermath of heavy rain and floods. of almost 2.4 billion people across the The state experienced a disaster of great world. In India alone since the year 2000, magnitude when a super cyclone struck it an average 65 million people have been on 29 October 1999. Cyclonic storm Phailin affected by disasters every year1. slammed Gopalpur area of Ganjam District, Odisha on 12th October 2013, triggering Disasters disrupt progress and heavy rains and strong winds with speed destroy developmental work of several reaching up to 200-215km an hour3.Very decades. It is not possible to eliminate the Severe Cyclonic StormPhailin was the possibility of disasters. However, with due second-strongest tropical cyclone ever to care and proper preparation, the risks and make landfall in India, behind only the damages from disasters can be reduced 1999 Odisha cyclone4.Ganjam district was considerably. Effective management of the worst-affected district in Odisha5,6 disaster can save lives and reduce economic loss to the affected area. Indian Journal of Forensic and Community Medicine, January – March 2015;2(1):56-63 56 Padhy et al. A Review on Management of Cyclone Phailin: Early Warning and Timely… This study examines response to the eastern frontier of Ganjam district and disaster Phailin. An analysis of its coast extends over 60 Kms7. Agriculture management of various stages of disaster is the main occupation of the people of the provides insight into the factors affecting district and backbone of their economical disaster management. Building on these background (Main crop paddy). insights, the study outlines desirable qualities for effective management of Assessment of services during phailin disaster and proposes areas that could be given attention in the future. 1. Disaster preparedness AIM OF THE STUDY I. Detection and tracking of storms To assess management of cyclone & Hazard Assessment Phailin 2013 in Odisha Timely identification of disaster: Phailin was monitored & predicted continuously since OBJECTIVES its inception by the India Meteorological To identify lessons learned from Department. The forecast of its genesis on Cyclone Phailin and how they can be 8th Oct 2013, its track, intensity, point & applied to other disasters time of landfall, as well as associated adverse weather like heavy rain, gale wind METHODOLOGY & storm surge were predicted more accurately, contributing to better forecasts Type of study-cross -sectional and more effective early warning Place of study- Ganjam district of Odisha communication8,9. Duration of study- 7 months (10th Oct 2013 to 9th May 2014) II. Dissemination of information Dissemination of cyclone warning through Method of data collection: various channels As soon as the 1st cyclone warning Data were collected by two means was received on 8th October 2013, i) Review of literature documenting the Collectors of all the 14 cyclone responses to the above stated prone districts were alerted through natural calamity (newspaper, e-mail, fax & telephone 2.All internet, TV channel) Collectors were directed to activate ii) Perception of individuals from the Control Rooms round the clock at disaster-affected communities district, Blocks, Sub-divisions and (casual telephonic conversation and Tahasils. face to face communication with Awareness message for local people near and dears before and after regarding “do and do not during cyclone) cyclone and flood” was disseminated using different modes of Sampling method and sample size- communication like inter personal Convenient sampling (sample size-100) for communication, loud perception of people affected speaker,newspaper , radio,TV channel, internet(e mail, twitter, Analysis of data done manually face book),mobile(phone, sms). RESULTS III. Preparation for cyclone shelter Mock Response drill was conducted Description about the study area in each multi-purpose cyclone shelters/ flood shelters and test Ganjam district is one of the coastal check of various equipment in district of Odisha. According to the 2011 cyclone shelters was carried out census Ganjam district has a population of (Generator, Water Pump, Inflatable 3,520,151 and population density of 429 Tower Light and Mechanized Tree Persons per square Km. The sex ratio is Cutters) .Steps were taken for repair 981 and average literacy is 71.88% (female of defective ones. literacy 61.84 %) The Bay of Bengal touches Indian Journal of Forensic and Community Medicine, January – March 2015;2(1):56-63 57 Padhy et al. A Review on Management of Cyclone Phailin: Early Warning and Timely… Initiative was taken for identification Truck, helicopter, and planes were of other school, college and other kept ready for relief with stockpiling public buildings as cyclone shelters. of emergency food supply. As part of the preparations, 600 It was decided to divert manpower buildings were identified as cyclone and materials of neighboring shelters .Arrangement of Lighting, unaffected districts to affected Drinking Water, and districts on requisition of the TemporaryToilets was carried out. concerned district administration in Arrangement for availability of stock case of necessity. for relief operation (rice, chuda, gud, baby food, keroseneetc.) was done Arrangement of means of transportation by procurement and stocking. Requisition of Boats (for rescue & Information regarding location of relief operation) and vehicles (for shelter home and safe building in evacuation/ transport of relief public places was displayed at materials) was done. The Ministry of various places. Defense, Govt. of India was requested for deploying 7-8 no. of IV. Evacuation MI-17 Helicopters at Bhubaneswar To ensure zero casualty, the airport for air dropping operation in Collectors of cyclone prone districts case of necessity2.Eighteen were directed to evacuate all people helicopters, 12 aircraft and two living in low lying areas and in warships had been kept ready by kutcha houses to the nearby the government for rescue and relief cyclone/ flood shelters or other operations. Indian Air Force identified buildings Special care was helicopters were kept on standby in taken to shift the old, infirm, West Bengal to move in for help at physically challenged, pregnant short notice2. women, nursing mothers and children. About one million people Arrangement for food, drinking water were shifted in the 36 hours and fuel preceding the landfall of the It was decided to prepare one lakh cyclone5. The cyclone prompted food packets in advance for air India's biggest evacuation in 23 dropping.Odisha government had years. Free Kitchen centers were made arrangements for over opened from the night of 11th 1,000,560 food packets for relief. October 2013 for the evacuated 5 lakh tonnes of food grain was kept people 8. ready for distribution to Phailin Steps were taken to shift the victims2. livestock to safer place. Arrangement of food,