INFOKARA RESEARCH ISSN NO: 1021-9056

A STUDY ON OCKHI CYCLONE AND ITS IMPACT IN DISTRICT - WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO DISASTER MANAGEMENT

P. GIRIJA Research Scholar of History Bharathidasan University Tiruchirappalli, .

Dr.T.ASOKAN Assistant professor Department of History Bharathidasan University Tiruchirappalli-24.

Abstract In the view of this article, accentuate of Ockhi cyclone and its impact on the district of Kanyakumari. The disaster is a natural phenomenon; it has to create a wide range of geophysical as well as hydro-meteorological hazards. Its destruction level millions across the coastal area of Tamil Nadu leaving after a trail of heavy loss of lives, property and livelihoods. In many coastal areas of the district, disaster losses tend to outweigh the development gains. The economic and social costs on account of losses caused by cyclone continue to mount year after year as hazards occur with unfailing regularity encompassing every segment of national life. The article has elucidate disaster management activities during the Ockhi.

Keywords: Cyclone, Colossal, Disaster, Destruction and Mitigation.

Introduction

Kanyakumari district is situated on the southernmost tip of the Indian peninsula subcontinent where the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea meet. The coastal length of district stretches 71.5 km. The district is known for its multi-hazard exposure, the major natural hazards occurred in Cyclonic storms, Urban and Rural floods. Government of Tamil Nadu which is

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committed to reducing the risks due to different disasters has initiated several measures to strengthen preparedness, response, relief and reconstruction measures over the years.

Aims and Objectives

1. To district disaster management main aims to cyclone related awareness create among the communities and the general public. 2. To highlight the disaster preparedness, and effective emergency response for saving of lives during the cyclone of Ockhi in the District of Kanyakumari. 3. To emphasize and implement risk reduction activities to provide relief and humanitarian assistance. 4. To make possible faster recovery through comprehensive reconstruction and rehabilitation methods. 5. To conduct training programmes and capacity building for effective prevention, mitigation and response for the cyclonic situation. II. Material and Method a. Study Site

Kanyakumari district is the smallest district in Tamil Nadu. The district lies between 77˚ 15' and 77˚ 36' of the Eastern Longitudes and 8˚03' and 8˚ 35' of the Northern Latitudes. It has bound by District on the North and the east. The South Eastern boundary is the Gulf of Mannar. On the South and the South West, the boundaries are the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. On the West and North West, it is bound by . Based on the agro-climatic and topographic conditions, the district can be divided into three regions, namely in the uplands, the middle and the low lands, which are suitable for growing several crops. The district is famous on its vast green stretches of paddy fields, coconut groves, Rubber garden and luxurious forests and the rare-earth of the western seashore and stretched valley mountain of the Western Ghats. The proximity of equator, its topography and other climate factors favour the growth of various crops. Minimum temperature prevailing is 24°C and the maximum temperature is 34°C. The average rainfall of the district is 1456.8 mm per annum. From 2005 onwards the annual rainfall is estimated to be 1006 mm. Unlike other districts in Tamil Nadu, Kanyakumari receives a fairly good rainfall from both southwest and northeast monsoons. Southwest monsoon accounts for 32.6%, Northeast monsoon being 42.5%, winter being 3.3% and summer being 21.6% of total rainfall. According to the fishing report, 1,18,387 fisher-folks and 44

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villages of Kanyakumari coast which constitute about 26% of the total fishermen of Tamil Nadu. Fisherfolks do not own land but put their hut on the seashore on unsurveyed land. Most of the villages are having tiled and thatched roofs. In each village a few houses have concrete roofing;

Data Description

There is no proper source available. The Disaster Management and Indian Meteorological Department annual reports are helpful. This information says about the cyclone strikes on the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea regions. The article is also descriptive and analytical based on the works to be engaged. In addition to empirically support on the field visit data is highly useful of this research.

Ockhi cyclone and its impact

Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Ockhi was a strong that devastated parts of Kanyakumari in 2017. It has originated as a low-pressure system later; it was a Depression off the southeast coast of on 29th November. Due to high atmospheric moisture and warmer oceanic surface temperature between Sri Lanka and Kanyakumari in the mainland of Tamil Nadu, Ockhi intensified into a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm on 30th November 2017.

Occurrences of Cyclones on the east coast are frequent phenomena while on the west coast the frequency of cyclones is somewhat less as compared to the east coast. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reports, for last two hundred years or so does not indicate the occurrence of a strong cyclone at Kanyakumari. The cyclones are classified in various categories depending upon the wind velocity. The Ockhi cyclone is wind speed is 165kmph.

Name Wind velocity

1. Low-Pressure Area up to 30 2. Depression 30 - 50 3. Deep Depression 50 - 60 4. Cyclonic Storm (moderate) 60 - 85 5. Severe Cyclonic Storm 85 - 115

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6. Very Severe Cyclonic Storm with a core of hurricane winds 115 and above

The destructive effects of a cyclone are felt only when it crosses the land. It is usually associated with heavy wind, torrential rainfall and sometimes gives rise to high tidal waves; all these play a very important role in causing havoc in the cyclone-affected area. In Tamil Nadu, cyclones occur during April – May (known as pre-monsoon period) and during October-December (known as a post-monsoon period). Most of the cyclonic occurrences in the post-monsoon period only. The East Coast experiences more cyclonic storms with a high frequency of occurrence.

Impact of Ockhi, uprooting coconut trees and causing extensive damage to houses, power lines and other infrastructure on the coastal area of Kanyakumari. Later, Ockhi and catastrophic wind its massive destruction in Sri Lanka, , , and The . It also caused heavy rainfall along the western coast of India, particularly in and . The Ockhi was given by Bangladesh which means in ‘Eye'. Cyclone Ockhi, landfall in the Arabian Sea, the coastal town of Kanyakumari have getting torrential rains, subsequent damage and destructions. Further, paddy, coconut, rubber, and plantain trees, was washed out in this cyclone. And also damaged power and communication lines due to the flood break off the tree and uprooted of large numbers of trees. Urban and rural areas were damaged.

Vulnerabilities of cyclone disaster are directly affecting the socio-economic factor. Majority of the households in Kanyakumari are marginal fishermen and are under the middle-income group. Their sources of income get from fishing, the majority of the households belong to the low-income group of occupations such as boat making, labourers, and marketing products of tourist interest. Owing to the community’s dependence on fishing, disruption of fishing activities would have adverse multiplier effects on other related occupations such as fish vendors.

Table No. 1.1 Details of damage in the Cyclone Ockhi

Sl. No Damage of cyclones Rupees in Crores 1. fishing net 1,94,17,800/- 2. Boats and engines 1,36,38,300/- 3. Sunken boat 69,18,000/- 4. 4Other equipment 1, 67,28,250/-

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Source: District Disaster Plan in the Kanyakumari District, Disaster Management, Kanyakumari, Government of Tamil Nadu, 2018. However, the detail describes fishing communities exposing the biggest problem during the cyclonic situation missing equipment at sea.

Role of Disaster Management in the Ockhi cyclone

Tsunami consumed the lives around 800 people in the District and economic loss in crores. The developmental activities that are taking place on the sea coast further worsen the coastal community. Government of Tamil Nadu has considered its vulnerability then, implementing Coastal Disaster Risk Reduction Programme (CDRRP) and its Sub-component Community Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) with the support of the World Bank. The District Disaster Management Authority was created in the year 2014. The Hazard Risk Vulnerability and Capacity (HRVC), Roles and Responsibilities to Stakeholders and Standard Operation Procedure (SoP) were helpful to the Disaster management. Several training programmes were organized to Stakeholders and middle-level officers under the aegis of the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA). Because of the efficient planning and guidelines issued by Commissioner of Revenue Administration (CRA) from time to time helped the District Administration to avoid human loss and a substantial amount of material loss. The low lying areas are pre-identify and categorized as High, Medium and Low. The different interdepartmental team were appointed in vulnerable areas and marked as a zone. The Zonal Team along with community and Non-Governmental Organization (NGO's) is played a vital role in alleviating the sufferings of people at the large level. During the Ockhi cyclonic situation, District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) Kanyakumari has provided emergency services to the people. Government of Tamil Nadu has deployed state and national disaster response force teams in district of Kanyakumari. The catastrophic fallout of natural disasters on the community and the people is worst affected. At the same time, it is their impact on the existence, survival and viability of the economic muscle of a nation, community and region.

The entire Disaster Management operations should be so designed that at all levels disaster control and mitigation operation start immediately after the information of disaster striking the district is received. In other words, the entire system at all the levels is self-activated without requiring any directions from the district level authorities to act. For this, the role and responsibility of each of the

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officer at various levels of the district administration have to be unambiguous, and the system should be in the state should be alert during any disaster period.

The high vulnerability profile of Kanyakumari also enhances to multiple disasters and impacts it similarly. The rising ferocity and magnitude of natural disasters and the expanding human and The Indian Perspective of Disaster Risk Management and The Role of Corporate Sector economic infrastructure over the last few decades has led to greater exposure of the same to hazards of nature. The only way of safeguarding the precious physical infrastructure is to integrate disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness measures into them. While hazards belong to nature and cannot be wished away, the risks can be reduced and the vulnerabilities can be tackled and this belongs to us.

The ever-expanding extent, sweep and scale of natural disasters has made it imperative for the corporate sector to initiate and integrate disaster risk prevention and mitigation measures in all facets of their functioning and operations to safeguard the painstakingly built industrial assets from the impact of natural disasters. During the last decade, the frequency and fury of disaster occurrences in different parts of the country has imposed a colossal economic cost in terms of financial losses, disruption in industrial activities, retardation of expansion and growth plans and dissipation of investment and precious resources on rebuilding the same assets and infrastructure to make the operations sustainable. It is an 'encounter' of the worst kind with the dice firmly loaded against the human and physical infrastructure.

Today, the corporate sector has become an inalienable part of our socio-economic and national life and a vibrant industry is not only better placed to make itself sustainable but can also act as a composite foil to the governmental efforts at holistic disaster management. Recognizing the importance of integrating the corporate sector and their nodal organizations in disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness agenda, the National Disaster Management Framework drawn up by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India envisages "involvement of corporate sector in awareness generation and disaster preparedness and mitigation planning" through sensitization, training and co-opting of the corporate sector and their nodal bodies in planning process and response mechanisms. Similarly, the Gol- UNDP Disaster Risk Management Programme also entails the promotion of partnerships with the private sector in awareness generation and sensitization leading to the development of disaster risk management plans.

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The recent major disasters have indicated the need for the interweaving of disaster risk reduction and management concerns to minimize the losses— both human and economic. This underscores the necessity of involvement of all stakeholders, from the Government, at all levels, to Community Based Organizations, international and national organizations, the community and, of course, the corporate sector.

III. Result and Discussion

Globally, Cyclone was an unusual phenomenon, which was evident in its prediction of rapid intensification remains and area of concern. The prediction of rapid intensification of cyclones is imperative methods, to bolster our existing capacity for advance cyclone warning. Indian Meteorological Department must acquire inputs on sea surface temperatures from thermal satellites and integrate them into the cyclone forecasting models to predict cyclones like Ockhi and another upcoming cyclone is more accurate. The results and discussion are described that increasing population and their needs led to global warming. Global warming caused for unchanged monsoon problems. This all activities favour for five or six cyclones occurred in the Bay of Bengal region in every year. Due to the poor construction methods, few urban land areas have been destroyed by the wind speed of the Ockhi cyclone. At the same time, the Government of Tamil Nadu makes increased water storage due to the flood situation lets the irrigation possible and makes forest lands to be converted into agriculture and also increased barren land.

The Committee also feels the advisory issued by the IMD might not have been given wide publicity in the mass media and through radio stations. This might be the reason for the concern raised regarding the absence of any prior warning or alert. The people should have been alerted through media channels and radio stations promptly before cyclone Ockhi hit the coast. The Committee recommends that in the future, the Ministry should issue an advisory when there are weather disturbances, as a measure of an abundant precaution, to the State Governments. All the media units and radio stations in such States may be sensitized and instructed to give wide publicity, in a prioritized manner, to all the advisories, regarding any imminent disaster, issued by the IMD and the Area Cyclone Warning Centres/Cyclone Warning Centres. 1.2.8 The Committee also recommends that coastal communities, like fishermen, who are at grave risk due to disasters, maybe regularly sensitized about the fact that certain natural disasters cannot be predicted well in advance and they must, in their interest, strictly adhere to any advisories/warnings in the future.

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The Government of Tamil Nadu has slowly implemented to the relief and reconstruction methods. They are should not given early warnings to issue the fishing and common people. Aftermath of cyclone, government cannot take reconstruction work for debt relief, interest free loans, subsidy for purchasing new boats, to their affective areas and training in alternate means of livelihood for at least one member of their families. In future, the Central and State Government should provide all necessary support and assistance to victims.

These deep-sea fishing vessels go beyond 150 NM and they operate for 10-15 days per voyage, During the Ockhi Cyclone, the fishermen who ventured for deep-sea fishing before the onset of the Cyclone could not be contacted and warned to return to shore immediately. It has resulted in the loss of life of fishermen, major injuries to those who had been rescued apart from damages and loss of fishing crafts and other fishing implements. Moreover, many fishermen could not be contacted and have to be considered as untraceable. In order to avoid such situations in future, these deep-sea fishing boats of Tamil Nadu will be brought under the seamless communication networking system in order to enhance the safety and security of the deep sea-going fishermen of Tamil Nadu, by equipping the vessels with High frequency (HF) sets that provide a long-range service in both the ship to shore and the shore to ship directions, especially for usage by the deep-sea fishing marine fishermen mainly during distress situation. To provided a proper and efficient communication system for the deep-sea vessels of Kanyakumari District. It is proposed to provide 1500HF communication equipment besides establishing HF control rooms in two locations in Tamil Nadu.

IV. CONCLUSION

Cyclones are natural phenomenon, affected everybody but main victims groups the fishing people. They are particularly vulnerable because are poorly understood, marginalized and often invisible. Majority of the cyclonic events occurred in the Bay of Bengal region the main reason for Climate Change and its consequences happenings of global warming. It also led to cyclone and floods. Disaster Management is a multi-disciplinary area, covering a wide range of discipline that encompasses the aspects of preparedness, mitigation, rescue, relief and rehabilitation. Indian Meteorological Department and disaster management was to co-ordinate to rapid intensification of cyclone and it landfall. During the Ockhi cyclonic events, rapid intensification did not developed. IMD to issue a cyclone watch or alert and, therefore both are the affected by State Government and the people. .

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