<p>India has done creditable work to minimise the impact of the cyclone Biparjoy which swept through Gujarat and Rajasthan in the past few days. The cyclone did a lot of damage to infrastructure and disrupted power and communication links but the precautionary measures against it helped to limit the loss of human lives to two. Some houses and other establishments were damaged and many trees were uprooted.</p>.<p>The record of damage and loss is much less than what could have been caused by a cyclone of “very severe” category. The credit for this should go to the enhanced prediction capabilities of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the ability of a number of agencies to handle a natural disaster of a high degree and magnitude. The cyclone has passed and the towns and villages that it hit have started returning to normalcy. It will however take some more days to end the relief and rehabilitation work. </p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/west/pm-says-people-of-kutch-will-rapidly-emerge-from-devastation-1228860.html" target="_blank">PM says people of Kutch will rapidly emerge from devastation</a></strong></p>.<p>The IMD issued its first warning about the cyclone on June 8, and by June 11 issued an evaluation report which indicated that it would not bypass India as previously assessed. It was forecast that the trajectory would cover Saurashtra and the Kutch coast in Gujarat.</p>.<p>This gave enough time for evacuation and other parts of a disaster management plan to be implemented. Fishermen were given advance warnings and tens of thousands of people were shifted to safety. The rescue and relief shelters were readied with food, medicine and other necessities. All agencies involved in disaster management, transport, food, health etc., worked in coordination to ensure that the plan was implemented efficiently. The effectiveness of the plan may be seen from the fact that Gujarat suffered a loss of about 10,000 lives when it was hit by a major cyclone in 1998. </p>.<p>This is obviously the result of the nation’s experience of dealing with cyclones and cyclone threats, mainly on the Odisha coast. Odisha had seen a death toll of over 10,000 when a super cyclone hit the state in 1999. But it has gradually reduced the losses over the years with efficient evacuation plans and other measures. The Odisha model has proved effective in other places, including Gujarat. But the country needs to go beyond this.</p>.<p>Evacuation, relief and return cannot be a permanent strategy, especially when it is known that the frequency of cyclones and similar disasters would increase as a result of climate change. Coastal zone regulation plans need to be strictly implemented and buildings and other structures should be made resistant to cyclones in vulnerable areas. Building of natural defences like mangroves should receive more attention. These should become part of disaster management plans.</p>
<p>India has done creditable work to minimise the impact of the cyclone Biparjoy which swept through Gujarat and Rajasthan in the past few days. The cyclone did a lot of damage to infrastructure and disrupted power and communication links but the precautionary measures against it helped to limit the loss of human lives to two. Some houses and other establishments were damaged and many trees were uprooted.</p>.<p>The record of damage and loss is much less than what could have been caused by a cyclone of “very severe” category. The credit for this should go to the enhanced prediction capabilities of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the ability of a number of agencies to handle a natural disaster of a high degree and magnitude. The cyclone has passed and the towns and villages that it hit have started returning to normalcy. It will however take some more days to end the relief and rehabilitation work. </p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/west/pm-says-people-of-kutch-will-rapidly-emerge-from-devastation-1228860.html" target="_blank">PM says people of Kutch will rapidly emerge from devastation</a></strong></p>.<p>The IMD issued its first warning about the cyclone on June 8, and by June 11 issued an evaluation report which indicated that it would not bypass India as previously assessed. It was forecast that the trajectory would cover Saurashtra and the Kutch coast in Gujarat.</p>.<p>This gave enough time for evacuation and other parts of a disaster management plan to be implemented. Fishermen were given advance warnings and tens of thousands of people were shifted to safety. The rescue and relief shelters were readied with food, medicine and other necessities. All agencies involved in disaster management, transport, food, health etc., worked in coordination to ensure that the plan was implemented efficiently. The effectiveness of the plan may be seen from the fact that Gujarat suffered a loss of about 10,000 lives when it was hit by a major cyclone in 1998. </p>.<p>This is obviously the result of the nation’s experience of dealing with cyclones and cyclone threats, mainly on the Odisha coast. Odisha had seen a death toll of over 10,000 when a super cyclone hit the state in 1999. But it has gradually reduced the losses over the years with efficient evacuation plans and other measures. The Odisha model has proved effective in other places, including Gujarat. But the country needs to go beyond this.</p>.<p>Evacuation, relief and return cannot be a permanent strategy, especially when it is known that the frequency of cyclones and similar disasters would increase as a result of climate change. Coastal zone regulation plans need to be strictly implemented and buildings and other structures should be made resistant to cyclones in vulnerable areas. Building of natural defences like mangroves should receive more attention. These should become part of disaster management plans.</p>
