National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) sent 2,000 personnel to Andhra Pradesh and Odisha
TIMELY FORECAST, GREAT EVACUATION
Country’s weathermen deserve a pat for the timely forecast of the severe Phailin
hurricane that could save the lives of thousands of people. The official weather forecaster,
India Meteorological Department (IMD) took the wise decision for exchange of information and
cooperation with the agencies in different countries.
In matters of disaster management and mitigation, cooperation with different international
agencies is of absolute necessity. In a forecast the Hawaii-based forecasting outpost of the US
Navy, Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) has put the strength of the approaching Cyclone
Phailin at the coasts of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh as that of a Category 5 Hurricane – the
Indian Ocean equivalent is a super cyclonic storm. London-based storm tracking service, Tropical
Storm Risk had categorised Phailin as a Category 4 storm, one notch below the most powerful
Category 5 storm. Japan Meteorological Department was also monitoring the development of
A hurricane is classified as Category 5 when it gains a speed of over 120 knots/220
kmph. The JTWC had predicted Phailin might clock 140 knots in wind speed with gusts reaching
170 knots.
However, the IMD had term Phailin as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm slated to hit coasts of
north Andhra Pradesh and southern Odisha at a speed of 175 to 185 kmph.
The forecast helped the Indian Armed Forces and the state governments of Odisha and
Andhra Pradesh to conduct world’s largest evacuation involving over 800,000 people within 48
hours. The Andhra Pradesh government and the Seemandhra region which was in the midst of
agitation against the proposed bifurcation of the state woke up to meet the challenges of nature’s
It was a tragedy that that India felt the burnt of nature’s fury at the beginning of the four-
month monsoon season in June that caused the disaster at the pilgrim town Kedarnath leading
to a death toll in thousands and massive loss of property. Though IMD predicted a heavy rainfall,
adequate precautions could not be taken in time as pilgrimage was in progress. However timely
forecast and adequate precautions taken this time helped to prevent a heavy loss of lives when
Phailin approached the coast. It is a coincidence that both the incidents took place on festive
occasions – Chatur Dham Yatra when disaster struck Kedarnath and Durga Puja and Dussera
when Phailin approached the coast.
The cyclonic system was first noted as a tropical depression on October 4, 2013 within
the Gulf of Thailand, to the west of Phnom Penh in Cambodia. Over the next few days, the
system moved westwards within an area of low to moderate vertical wind shear, before as it
passed over the Malay Peninsula, it moved out of the Western Pacific Basin on October 6. The
system emerged into the Andaman Sea during the next day and moved west-northwest into an
improving environment for further development. The storm was named Phailin – a Thai word
meaning sapphire on October 9.
Phailin affected Thailand, Myanmar, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Odisha, Andhra
Pradesh and West Bengal in India.
The cyclonic storm hit the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coast in the evening of Saturday
with a wind speed of more than 200 kmph. There are variances in forecasts about the time of
approach, all forecast mentioned the same date. The IMD had predicted that it would move
northwestwards and cross north Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coast between Kalingapatnam and
Paradip.
The Indian defence minister AK Antony on Friday had directed the three Services
– Army, Air Force and the Navy – to be in full readiness to provide all support in view of the
impending cyclone, Phailin, forecast to hit the Odisha and Andhra Pradesh coast. Ministry of
Defence had received requests from the Odisha and Andhra Pradesh governments for rescue
and relief operations including the air support in the aftermath of the approaching Cyclone.
The IAF’s latest strategic transport aircraft, the C-17 Globe Master undertook its first sortie towards
transporting of relief materials including specialist army vehicles and ambulance from bases in central India
to Bhubaneswar, ahead of the arrival of cyclone Phailin, due to strike land later this evening.
The C-17 airlifted 60 troops and rescue and medical material including heavy vehicles and
ambulance from Allahabad before landing at Bhubaneswar. Additionally, the IAF transported NDRF
personnel and other heavy relief equipment by IL-76s and AN-32 from various bases across the country.
The IAF also kept in readiness two C-130J Super Hercules towards rescue and relief efforts. The Mi-17
V5 helicopters in stand by in Barrackpore, near Kolkata was ready to fly into Odisha for rescue and relief
activities, as and when required.
Two IAF IL-76 were despatched with National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and
equipment to Bhubneswar. Other IAF assets were on stand-by at various bases including- Raipur, Nagpur,
Jagdalpur, Barrackpore, Ranchi and Gwalior. IAF had committed two C130J Super Hercules aircraft,
18 helicopters, including Mi -17V5 and two AN-32s to the effort. IAF fully geared up to assist the state
administration and has tasked its Eastern Air Command to coordinate the entire relief operation with a Task
Force being positioned at Barrackpore.
Vishakhapatnam based Eastern Naval Command kept multiple Indian Navy diving teams with
inflatable rafts in standby mode at important locations which could be put into operations at short notices.
Besides these, Navy put some Chetak and UH-3H helicopters in standby for launching rescue and relief
operations, if necessary. Disaster relief ships, as required, were also being kept by the Navy in readiness.
Army moved its Command and control element to Bubaneswar under GOC Madhya Bharat (MB)
Area. One Engineer column from Bagdogra and one Medical column from Gopalpur started moving to
Bhubneshwar. Infantry columns are also stand by at Barrackpore.
The Coast Guard Headquarters sensitised State Governments of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and
West Bengal requesting them to issue appropriate advisory to fishermen, shipping and local community.
Coast Guard units in these three States were on high alert so that they can respond to any search
and rescue situation at sea and in coastal areas. Coast Guard is also in constant communication with other
forces and civil administration for meeting any eventuality during/post cyclone. All Coast Guard Ships and
Aircraft on Eastern seaboard were kept on standby to render immediate assistance to state administration.
After the first cyclonic winds felt on the coast and in Odisha state capital, Bhubaneswar at 2.30 pm
on Friday, panic struck the people and the state Government. NDRF teams began evacuation in southern
parts of coastal Odisha and northern Andhra Pradesh.
Thousands fled to shelter homes stocked with emergency food supplies and medicines. Fearing
the worse, people queued up at petrol stations and stocked up on food in Odisha. More than 35,000 families
from the lowlying areas of Puri district moved to safer places. In Ganjam district the authorities moved at
least 100,000 families to safer places. Odisha government cancelled Durga Puja holidays of government
employees.
Government is prepared, please don’t panic, said the Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
By 12 noon on Friday Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy reviewed state’s
preparedness to face the impact of Cyclone Phailin. All striking electricity employees in Coastal Andhra
and Rayalaseema against creation of Telangana temporarily called off their agitation in view of the cyclone
threat.
Source : IPA Service