Credit should be given to our scientists and disaster management workforce for their efforts to keep us safe during the severe cyclonic storm ‘Fani.’ Going by past experiences, it is not easy to protect lives and properties against nature’s fury. Devastation caused by Super cyclone in 1999 or Aila in 2004 is still fresh in our memories. Though Fani was far more severe than these two cyclones, it could not wreck havoc like the previous two occasions. The limitation of wreckage was possible because this time we got more time to prepare ourselves to face nature. Lakhs were evacuated well before the storm arrived, flights, train services were suspended in advance. People living in coastal areas were properly advised on what to do and what not to do. All precautionary measures were taken with such precision that after the dust settled, the United Nations (UN), and the United States of America, all praised India for achieving a feat which has not been achieved by many countries.
It is true that high tech satellites and improved radars have helped our experts to track the storm. But that should not belittle their expertise in the field of weather. The manner in which our scientists predicted every move of Fani with pin point accuracy, no words of praise are sufficient to laud their roles. Remember, Fani was first spotted by the end of April. Initially, it appeared to be a low pressure zone. It was expected that the low pressure would bring rains to Tamil Nadu and Andhra. But soon it turned into a cyclone. When everyone was expecting the cyclone to hit the southern states, Fani had other ideas. It turned away from the Tamil coast and stayed a few days over Bay of Bengal and gathered enough strength to become a severe cyclonic storm. At that time, Indian scientists who were keeping a close watch on Fani predicted that landfall would be on the Odisha coast near Puri. The prediction came five days before Fani eventually hit Odisha, Bengal and finally Bangladesh.
Apart from the scientists, a few words should be attributed to the staff of disaster management cell. While we were fearing for our lives even sitting in our homes, these people were out on the streets. Braving wind speeds of nearly 200 kilometres per hour and heavy downpour, they were busy rescuing affected people, keeping roads open and manning the beaches to fight any eventuality. In a video released by Odisha police it was seen that amidst devastation by Fani, the disaster cell members were busy clearing roads removing uprooted trees. When the powerful Fani overturned a school bus, they were seen visiting the spot to inspect the site and check whether anyone needed help. Surely, they have made us proud once more.
Cyclones in the Bay of Bengal are nothing new. They come five or six times every year in the eastern coast of the country. Every time the cyclones create havoc and immense loss. But this time the story was different. Devastation was not as massive as it happened to be on earlier occasions. It proves that even nature’s fury can be countered with timely and adequate precautions along with a dedicated bunch of scientists and fearless rescuers. It is for them only we have fought and escaped the fangs of Fani.
