India learnt lessons on disaster management..

'October 12, 2013 saw a dramatic shift in the way India perceived and handled natural calamities, like Super Cyclone Phailin. Merely three months after devastating floods in Uttarakhand state left over 15,000 people dead, Indian government acted swiftly and decisively.

Massive rescue operation ensured that every single soul, in direct line of the storm, was evacuated safely or forcefully. As Indian Meteorological Department issued a timely warning, Odisha government set a target of 'zero casualty'.

Cyclone Phailin was nearly the size of hurricane Katrina, which killed 1,200 people in 2005 and caused devastating flooding in New Orleans. It also had the wind power of 1992's hurricane Andrew, which packed 265 kph winds at landfall.

The Collectors of all seven districts like Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Jagatsingpur, Kendrapara, Nayagarh and Khurda were directed to start evacuation and ensure 100 per cent evacuation of people to cyclone and flood shelters and other safe places in a single day. Till the time Phailin made landfall, around 10,00,000 people had been evacuated from various districts and villages of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

Teams were constituted and made ready with relief and rehabilitation material. Road clearing teams were instructed to clear roads within 12 hours of the cyclone striking. Police forces were deployed in heavy numbers to ensure quick and safe passage of relief material to the affected areas. Food packets for one lakh people were arranged that could be air dropped to the most severely affected areas. Several teams of Indian Army and Navy were on the standby across the region to begin massive relief and rescue operation. 

A crucial role was played by National Disaster Relief Force - formulated under National Disaster Management Act (NDMA) of 2005. The force is gradually emerging as the most visible and vibrant multi-disciplinary, multi-skilled, high-tech force of the NDMA capable of dealing with all types of natural and man-made disasters. It appeared India had learnt its lessons well.

Block Development Officers were instructed to check all the multipurpose cyclone shelters that had been constructed, for readiness with all equipment like generators, power saws, tower lights, megaphones and utensils. Steps were taken to keep the communication systems operational. Satellite phones were issued to the District Collectors. Identification of additional schools, colleges and other public buildings that could be used as cyclone shelters and all arrangements for electricity, drinking water and temporary toilets were made. Assistance from defence forces and helicopters for rescue operation and airdropping of food packets was requested. Boats for rescue and relief operation, vehicles for evacuation and transportation of relief materials were kept in readiness. Pre-positioning of sufficient stock of fuel for vehicles was ensured.

The World Bank, appreciating the effort of the state government said that, “Successfully evacuating a million people is not a small task. This cannot be merely achieved by kicking the entire state machinery into top gear for three to four days following a cyclone warning. This has taken years of planning, construction of disaster risk mitigation infrastructure, setting up of evacuation protocols, identification of potential safe buildings and most importantly, working with communities and local organizations in setting up volunteer teams who knew exactly what needed to be done.”