New Delhi (NVI): The Odisha government has come in for praise from the World Economic Forum (WEF) for its efficient handling of the extremely severe cyclone ‘Fani’ which struck the state in May this year.
The WEF said that Odisha has not only set an example in disaster preparedness but also has set a record in biggest human evacuations in history with 1.5 million people being shifted in just 24 hours.
“The more recent severe cyclone Fani was a rare summer cyclone and the first one to hit in 43 years. It made its landfall on the religious town of Puri and Khurda district and travelled through Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, wreaking havoc with extensive damage to the life and property of more than 1.65 crore people in 12 districts” the report said.
“As Odisha had already set a global benchmark in handling disasters by leveraging technology, strengthening institutional capacities and building resilience measures, it was fully prepared to face this calamity of national magnitude. The state undertook one of the biggest human evacuations in history with a record 1.5 million people shifted in just 24 hours,” the report said.
The report said that Cyclone Bulbul in 2019 highlighted how Odisha has mastered disaster management – with lessons for other disaster-prone cities and states.
Giving an example on ho the state has managed after the super cyclone that ravaged the state the report said, “In 1999 there were only 75 cyclone shelters along the entire coastline. Some 800 multipurpose cyclone and flood shelters have since been built in the coastal districts following the super cyclone”.
The report said that around 800 new multipurpose cyclone and flood shelters have been built since 1999 in the coastal districts following the super cyclone.
“The major cyclones that have hit the state in the last two decades are the 1999 super cyclone, Phailin in 2013 and Titli in 2018,” report said in a statement.
The report also praised Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik fopr handling the disaster and focus on saving lives to creating cyclone-resilient infrastructure.
