GEOGRAPHY
CYCLONE ‘FANI’
Context
- Indian Navy launched a massive rescue and rehabilitation effort in Odisha in the aftermath of the devastation caused by Extremely Severe Cyclone ‘Fani’.
- Odisha, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh are the worst affected states.
Cyclone Disaster Preparedness and Management in India
What are the cyclones?
- A cyclone is a large scale air mass that rotates around a strong center of low atmospheric pressure. Cyclones are characterized by inward spiraling winds that rotate about a zone of low pressure. It is distinguished by swift and often destructive air circulation.
- Meteorologically it is classified into two categories:
- Tropical cyclones
- Temperate cyclones or Extratropical cyclones
- Tropical cyclones are of thermal origin. It is caused by the warmness of ocean water and low air pressurecenter.
- It occurs between Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn.
- The temperate cyclone is of frontal origin. Extratropical cyclones generally occur outside the tropics and in the middle latitudes of Earth between 30° and 60° latitude.
What are Tropical Cyclones?
- Tropical Cyclones are low pressure systems that form over warm tropical waters and have strong wind force exceeding 63 km/h to 90 km/h near the centre.
- They derive their energy from the warm tropical oceans waters having temperatures of 27° C or more which feeds the storm.
- After their formation they can persist over lower sea-surface temperatures.
- Tropical cyclones associated with the convergence of wind rotating inwards to the low-pressure point forming a closed cyclonic vortex.
- Coriolis force and the rapid inward circulation to the low-pressure area is the reason behind the formation of the cyclonic vortex.
- The circular eye or centre of a tropical cyclone is an area characterised by light winds and often by clear skies. Eye diameters are typically 40 km but can range from under 10 km to over 100 km.
- In the middle is the center of the low-pressure area which is called EYE region where the atmosphere is calm.
- The area around the eye region is called Eyewall and it is surrounded by a dense ring of cloud about 16 km high which makes the belt of strongest winds and heaviest rainfall.
- Tropical Cyclones are associated with cumulonimbus cloud with torrential rainfall due to which flooding and damaging storm surges that can cause inundation of low-lying coastal areas.
Categories of tropical cyclone
- According to the wind speed, Tropical Cyclones are classified in to five categories:
- Category 1: Less than 125 km/h strong winds – Minimal house damage. Damage to some crops, trees and caravans. Boats may drag moorings.
- Category 2: 125 – 164 km/h Destructive winds – Minor house damage. Significant damage to signs, trees and caravans. Heavy damage to some crops. Risk of power failure. Small boats may break moorings.
- Category 3: 165 – 224 km/h Very destructive winds – Some roof and structural damage.
- Category 4: 225 – 279 km/h Very destructive winds – Significant roofing and structural damage
- Category 5: More than 280 km/h extremely destructive winds – Extremely dangerous with widespread destruction.
Favourable Conditions for Tropical Cyclone Formation
- Large sea surface with temperature more than 27-degree Celsius.
- Presence of the Coriolis force enough to create a cyclonic vortex
- A low-pressure condition whereITCZ forms between 5 to 8 degree north and south of the equator.
- An adequate amount of vapour supplythrough evaporation.
- Differential heatingof land and sea.
- Small variations in the vertical wind speed
- Strong anticyclonic divergencein the upper atmosphere.
Effects of cyclones
- Strong winds/Squalls: high-speed winds of tropical cyclones cause severe damage to the infrastructure. Installations, dwellings, communication system etc. and destroyed lives and property.
- Storm surge: Severe tropical cyclone cause an abnormal rise in sea level results in the drowning of low lying areas in the coastal region. Due to which there is loss of lives, destruction of vegetation and the salt content in seawater reduces the soil fertility.
- Heavy rainfall: Torrential rains cause floods resulting in loss of shelter. Also cyclonic rainfall causes landslides, soil erosion and weaken the embankments.
Tropical cyclone in India
- India with a long coastline of 7516.16 km is one of the worst affected regions, where it is exposed to around 10% of tropical cyclones in the world.
- The Bay of Bengal, located in the northeast of the Indian Ocean, is responsible for the formation of some of the strongest and deadliest tropical cyclones in the world.
- Majority of the cyclones affecting India originates from the Bay of Bengal striking the eastern coast.
- The Arabian Sea is located in the northwest of the Indian Ocean. The ratio of occurrence of cyclone between the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea is approximately 4:1.
- Storms typically do not reach a high intensity in the Arabian Sea due to dry air coming from the desert of the Arabian Peninsula and unfavorable wind shear from the monsoon.
- In Indian Ocean cyclones mainly occur during the month of May, June, October, and November.
- Cyclones likeNada, Varda, Hudhud, Phailin, Ockhi caused loss of property in the eastern part of India.
- A severe cyclonic storm FANI is threatening the loss of lives and damage to properties in Odisha, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh in month of May 2019.
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND MANAGEMENT IN INDIA
- Government’s initiatives for Disaster Management
- Indian Meteorological Department (IMD)is the nodal agency for early warning of cyclones and floods.
- Natural Disaster Management Authorityis mandated to deal with the disaster management in India. It has prepared National Guidelines on Management of Cyclone.
- National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)has done a commendable performance in rescuing and managing relief work.
- National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP)was launched by Home ministry to upgrade the forecasting, tracking and warning about cyclones in states.
- National Disaster Response Reserve (NDRR): A fund of 250 croresoperated by NDRF for maintaining inventory for an emergency situation.
National Disaster Management Plan 2016
- The first National Disaster Management Plan, 2016 was launched aims to make India disaster resilient and significantly reduce the loss of lives and assets.
- It provides a framework to deal with prevention, mitigation, response and recovery during a disaster.
- Ministry of earth science will be responsible for disaster management of cyclone.
- By this plan, India joined the list of countries which follow the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.
Challenges in Disaster Preparedness and Management
- India is largely confined to post-disaster relief works. It is more about management than prevention.
- Institutional system, manuals, policy, programs are designed to address the post-disaster work as an important activity.
- Major section of the population in India lives in the coastal area. Most of them are marginalized people.
- Lack of proper coordination between the central and state government and its agencies makes Disaster Preparedness and relief work harder.
- Mining and other industries in the ecologically sensitive area, lack of compliance with zoning and building regulation codes is increasing the death toll.
- According to international law carrying communication equipment with small fishing vessels is illegal. It makes harder to help in saving lives during a disaster.
- There is also a lack of coordination between the local communities for search and rescue missions.
Needs to be done
- Disaster Risk Reduction should be an important aspect of global poverty reduction initiatives.
- Use of satellites, technology and resources should be making more effective. This makes it important from point of view of international cooperation.
- There is a need of harmonizing the national and local level disaster resilient regulations, land use zoning, resource planning, early warning system establishments and technical competence.
- State governments should increase their engagements in scientific research institution for a better formulation of policies.
- Disaster Risk Reduction program should be more people-centric.
- There is a need for private sector participation in designing and implementing policies, plans, and standards.
- Need of Disaster Management program to be inclusive including women, civil society, and academia.
keynotes
- India is highly vulnerable to natural hazards especially cyclones, landslides, floods, drought, earthquakes.
- Studies indicate that natural disaster losses equate to up to 2% of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and up to 12% of Central government revenue.
- Natural disaster comes without warning. India should prepare to mitigate and deflect the destruction caused by Cyclones.
- For this India need to employ more technology, strict following of command structure and most importantly the participation and cooperation of local communities in the affected area.
