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This operations update informs the second allocation of the DREF in supporting the scale up of the relief

operation of Indian Red Cross Society, for 5,000 families who are affected by Cyclone Fani. The key
highlights of this operation update:
 5,000 families will be supported with emergency shelter assistance through distribution of shelter
and household items such as tarpaulins and kitchen sets, and also non-food items (NFIs) such as rope
and clothing items.
 RDRT deployment budgeted to support the upscaled operation.
 Operation’s end-date and timeframe revision from 1 June to 1 September 2019 – three months
extension.
A. SITUATION ANALYSIS

Description of the disaster

Cyclone Fani, classified by meteorologists as the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane (extremely severe
cyclonic storm), made landfall along the east coast of India near Puri in Odisha state at 8.00 am on Friday,
3 May 2019. Gusty winds of more than 175 kmph caused uprooting of trees, fallen trees blocked road
network, communication lines completely broken, significant damage to the public infrastructure and
kutcha houses (semi-permanent).

While the storm weakened, on its way it caused heavy rainfall in the north east part of the country covering
Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur states and light to moderate rainfall at most places over
east Assam, Nagaland and east Arunachal Pradesh till 5 May 2019.

While Odisha, West Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh states were affected by the cyclone, significant damage
occurred in 6 districts of Odisha - Puri, Jagatsingpur, Kendrapara, Bhadarak, Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.
In Andhra Pradesh, three coastal districts namely Vijayanagaram, Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam,
received heavy rainfall. Most of the damage was caused due to high velocity winds.

As of 8 May, the death toll as per media reports is 60, mostly due to falling trees and collapsed walls.
Elaborate preparedness measures were undertaken both by the government agencies and the non-
government organizations. There was good coordination among different agencies that averted a major
disaster. Cyclone Fani was considered the strongest cyclone after the 1999 super cyclone that killed
approximately 10,000 people in Odisha, if not for the preparedness measures, many casualties would have
taken place.
Inter-Agency Group coordinated by the SPHERE India chapter is conducting Initial Rapid Assessment and
also complimented by the assessment team comprising National Disaster Response Team members
(NDRT) deployed on 8 May. The following inputs are based on the initial inputs received from various
sources, mostly from the Inter-Agency Group members:

West Bengal: There is no major destruction and zero casualties. Local organizations in Sunderban are
collecting information on the damage and needs. Few cases of partial damages to buildings are reported.
Minimal damage to livestock as well. In Sunderban, the paddy cultivation (Boro rice) is affected by this
cyclone. Reports of corn fields affected due to high velocity winds have been reported as well. Few kutcha
houses / mud houses damaged in the Kultali, Kakdip and Canning Block and a number of big trees have
fallen on the road. Electric poles have fallen due to winds.

Andhra Pradesh: There is no casualty or damage reported as of 6 May. Vizianagaram and Srikakulam
were the affected districts.

Odisha: The information regarding the extent of damage occurred in Odisha cannot be ascertained as
communication networks are not functional in Odisha. Based on the initial reports as of 6 May, electricity
and infrastructure have suffered a massive damage in the region. Failure of mobile connectivity has added
to the chaos. Puri, Jagatsingpur, Kendrapara, Bhadarak, Cuttack and Bhubaneswar are the most affected
districts. Damage is much higher in Odisha when compared to Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal Media
reported that 45 death due to collapse of walls, trees and electric poles in Odisha. However, there is no
official information to validate the current death toll.
Fani, a rare summer cyclone in the Bay of Bengal, hit eastern India on May 3. It is one
of the strongest cyclones to have hit India in the last 20 years, according to the Indian
government’s meteorological department. Storm surges and powerful winds reaching
125mph blew off roofs, damaged power lines and uprooted countless trees.

But the worst-affected state, Odisha, has been successful in keeping the loss of life
and numbers of affected people to a minimum. This is the result of a very effective
strategy of disaster preparation and quick responding.

The United Nations office for Disaster Risk Deduction (UNISDR) and other
organisations have hailed government and volunteer efforts that have ensured the
levels of destruction have been kept to a minimum. According to official estimates, 64
people lost their lives due to the devastating cyclone Fani. But considering the power
of the cyclone, it is remarkable that more lives have not been lost.

To put the death toll in perspective, the 1999 Odisha cyclone (which had 155mph
winds) killed 9,658 people and caused US$2.5 billion in damages in the state. It was
this super cyclone in 1999 that led the state to become better prepared for future
cyclones.

The government’s “zero casualty” policy for natural disasters and the near accuracy of
the India meteorological department’s early warning system have helped reduce the
possibility of deaths from cyclone Fani. A record 1.2m people (equal to the population
of Mauritius) were evacuated in less than 48 hours, and almost 7,000 kitchens,
catering to 9,000 shelters, were made functional overnight. This mammoth
exercise involved more than 45,000 volunteers.

The statistics are striking when compared to the impact of recent big weather events
around the world. When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017 with wind speeds of
175mph, it caused a death toll of 2,975. The same year, Hurricane Harvey struck
Texas with winds of 130mph and caused devastating flooding. There was US$125
billion in damage and at least 68 direct storm-related deaths reported in Texas. Most
recently, cyclone Idai hit Mozambique on March 14 and ripped through Madagascar,
Malawi and Zimbabwe, with more than 1,000 people feared dead.

So the Indian state of Odisha’s ability to put such an effective disaster management
plan in place and save thousands of lives is a template that the world can learn from.
This, after all, is a state where the average income is less than US$5 a day. We
identify four key takeaways from Odisha.
1. Build a relief infrastructure
Until 1999, Odisha didn’t have a well laid out plan for disaster management. Two
months after the cyclone hit, the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority was set
up and plans put in place. Around 900 cyclone shelters have been built in vulnerable
pockets of the state, with systems in place for the evacuation of hundreds of thousands
of people. By 2001, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force was also set up to conduct
rescue operations and distribute relief.

There is a clear command and control structure for disaster relief and there are clear
protocols in place for carrying out relief operations. These were successfully used in
managing cyclone Phailin in 2013 (a storm five times the size of hurricane Katrina),
cyclone Hudhud in 2014 and cyclone Fani.

2. Accuracy of early warning systems


The India Meteorological Department has built an effective service to predict accurate
timings of cyclone formation in the Bay of Bengal and when it will make landfall
along India’s coastline. This early warning system enables the state to be disaster
ready and minimise loss of lives. It’s then crucial that people follow the protocols in
place when the warnings come in.

3. Clear communication plan


Roughly 2.6m text messages were sent to locals in clear language before cyclone Fani
hit, keeping those potentially affected alert. Regular press briefings were made by
officials to update people of the approaching cyclone. People were repeatedly advised
over all forms of media not to panic and given clear “do and don’ts”. This helped in
the record evacuation of 1.2m people to safe buildings.

4. Effective co-ordination of groups


Preparations to fight the onslaught of Fani involved a number of government
agencies, as well as local community groups and volunteers working together. The
government’s disaster response forces were pre-positioned in vulnerable locations,
food packets for air-dropping were made ready for air force helicopters to drop to
people. Senior state officials and police officers were sent to the affected districts to
co-ordinate efforts of various agencies.

Cyclone Fani has, however, left a fury of damage to properties and public
infrastructure. The post-cyclone recovery will be a daunting challenge to the
administration in Odisha, demanding a lot of resources. In the aftermath of the 1999
super cyclone, the state relied on a number of community-based groups and
volunteers to help rebuild communities. The same goes for today, but they are in a
much better position thanks to the disaster preparedness and risk mitigation followed
before the storm hit.

In the aftermath of the devastation caused by severe Cyclone 'Fani', the Eastern Naval
Command of the Indian Navy has launched a massive rescue and rehabilitation effort
in Odisha.

Two Maritime Recce sorties were undertaken by the Dornier aircraft of the Navy revealing
widespread destruction localised around the temple town of Puri, according to an official
statement.

The Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command personally undertook
aerial survey of the cyclone affected area Saturday morning and visited INS Chilka to review the
relief efforts, it said.

The extremely severe cyclonic storm, which made landfall at Puri on Friday, unleashed copious
rain and windstorm that gusted up to 200 kmph, blowing away thatched roofs of houses,
swamping towns and villages, before weakening and entering West Bengal, officials said.

Based on the aerial surveys, the Eastern Naval Command is undertaking a three-pronged
rescue and rehabilitation effort centred around Puri and its suburbs in coordination with the state
government and the district administration.

"Relief and rehabilitation 'bricks' and 'pallets' (Naval parlance for containerised relief stores)
comprising food material, essential medical supplies, clothing items, disinfectants, repair
material, chain saws for removing damaged trees, torches and batteries, etc have been sent to
the INS Chilka, a naval establishment at Odisha, closest to Puri," it said.

The Naval Officer-in-Charge (Odisha) is centrally coordinating distribution of these relief


materials and a community kitchen is being planned to be set up.

Simultaneously, three eastern fleet ships are undertaking rescue and rehabilitation efforts.

The Naval Officer-in-Charge (Odisha) is centrally coordinating distribution of these relief


materials and a community kitchen is being planned to be set up.
Simultaneously, three eastern fleet ships are undertaking rescue and rehabilitation efforts.

Based on the aerial surveys, the Eastern Naval Command is undertaking a three-pronged
rescue and rehabilitation effort centred around Puri and its suburbs in coordination with the state
government and the district administration.

"Relief and rehabilitation 'bricks' and 'pallets' (Naval parlance for containerised relief stores)
comprising food material, essential medical supplies, clothing items, disinfectants, repair
material, chain saws for removing damaged trees, torches and batteries, etc have been sent to
the INS Chilka, a naval establishment at Odisha, closest to Puri," it said.
ADVERTISEMENT

The Naval Officer-in-Charge (Odisha) is centrally coordinating distribution of these relief


materials and a community kitchen is being planned to be set up.

Simultaneously, three eastern fleet ships are undertaking rescue and rehabilitation efforts.
ADVERTISEMENT

Indian Navy ships Ranvijay, Kadmatt and Airavat with three helicopters are presently operating
off Puri and coordinating aerial survey and immediate response through their integral
helicopters.

As the first responders, helicopters from the ships have been able to provide immediate support.
In order to coordinate the relief efforts, the Eastern Naval Command has pre-positioned Liaison
teams in cyclone affected areas around Puri, who in turn are directing the rescue and relief
efforts being undertaken by the ships, the statement added.

"With the likely opening of the Bhubaneshwar airport today, Chetak and UH3H helicopters are
being positioned there by the Navy to launch rescue efforts and air-dropping of relief material to
the inaccessible and remote areas.

"The deployment of the helicopters at Bhubaneshwar would enable aerial rescue of stranded
personnel to safer areas as well as access to areas without road connectivity," it said.

The statement said that in order to sustain the rescue and relief work over the next few days,
the Eastern Naval Command has additional ships with standby relief material.

The death toll due to the calamity, which stood at eight on Friday, mounted to 12 with four fresh
casualties reported from Mayurbhanj district in Odisha, the officials said, adding that detailed
information from many areas was still awaited.
The Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command personally undertook
aerial survey of the cyclone affected area Saturday morning and visited INS Chilka to review the
relief efforts, it said.

The extremely severe cyclonic storm, which made landfall at Puri on Friday, unleashed copious
rain and windstorm that gusted up to 200 kmph, blowing away thatched roofs of houses,
swamping towns and villages, before weakening and entering West Bengal, officials said
Fani, a rare summer cyclone in the Bay of Bengal, hit eastern India on May 3. It is one
of the strongest cyclones to have hit India in the last 20 years, according to the Indian
government’s meteorological department. Storm surges and powerful winds reaching
125mph blew off roofs, damaged power lines and uprooted countless trees.

But the worst-affected state, Odisha, has been successful in keeping the loss of life and
numbers of affected people to a minimum. This is the result of a very effective strategy
of disaster preparation and quick responding.

The United Nations office for Disaster Risk Deduction (UNISDR) and other
organisations have hailed government and volunteer efforts that have ensured the
levels of destruction have been kept to a minimum. According to official estimates, 64
people lost their lives due to the devastating cyclone Fani. But considering the power of
the cyclone, it is remarkable that more lives have not been lost.

To put the death toll in perspective, the 1999 Odisha cyclone (which had 155mph winds) killed
9,658 people and caused US$2.5 billion in damages in the state. It was this super cyclone in
1999 that led the state to become better prepared for future cyclones.
The government’s “zero casualty” policy for natural disasters and the near accuracy of the India
meteorological department’s early warning system have helped reduce the possibility of deaths
from cyclone Fani. A record 1.2m people (equal to the population of Mauritius) were evacuated
in less than 48 hours, and almost 7,000 kitchens, catering to 9,000 shelters, were made
functional overnight. This mammoth exercise involved more than 45,000 volunteers.

The statistics are striking when compared to the impact of recent big weather events
around the world. When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017 with wind speeds of
175mph, it caused a death toll of 2,975. The same year, Hurricane Harvey struck Texas
with winds of 130mph and caused devastating flooding. There was US$125 billion in
damage and at least 68 direct storm-related deaths reported in Texas. Most recently,
cyclone Idai hit Mozambique on March 14 and ripped through Madagascar, Malawi and
Zimbabwe, with more than 1,000 people feared dead.
So the Indian state of Odisha’s ability to put such an effective disaster management plan
in place and save thousands of lives is a template that the world can learn from. This,
after all, is a state where the average income is less than US$5 a day. We identify four
key takeaways from Odisha.
1. Build a relief infrastructure
Until 1999, Odisha didn’t have a well laid out plan for disaster management. Two
months after the cyclone hit, the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority was set
up and plans put in place. Around 900 cyclone shelters have been built in vulnerable
pockets of the state, with systems in place for the evacuation of hundreds of thousands
of people. By 2001, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force was also set up to conduct
rescue operations and distribute relief.
There is a clear command and control structure for disaster relief and there are clear
protocols in place for carrying out relief operations. These were successfully used in
managing cyclone Phailin in 2013 (a storm five times the size of hurricane Katrina),
cyclone Hudhud in 2014 and cyclone Fani.
2. Accuracy of early warning systems
The India Meteorological Department has built an effective service to predict accurate
timings of cyclone formation in the Bay of Bengal and when it will make landfall along
India’s coastline. This early warning system enables the state to be disaster ready and
minimise loss of lives. It’s then crucial that people follow the protocols in place when the
warnings come in.
3. Clear communication plan
Roughly 2.6m text messages were sent to locals in clear language before cyclone Fani
hit, keeping those potentially affected alert. Regular press briefings were made by
officials to update people of the approaching cyclone. People were repeatedly advised
over all forms of media not to panic and given clear “do and don’ts”. This helped in the
record evacuation of 1.2m people to safe buildings.
4. Effective co-ordination of groups
Preparations to fight the onslaught of Fani involved a number of government agencies,
as well as local community groups and volunteers working together. The government’s
disaster response forces were pre-positioned in vulnerable locations, food packets for
air-dropping were made ready for air force helicopters to drop to people. Senior state
officials and police officers were sent to the affected districts to co-ordinate efforts of
various agencies.

 Home
 › Currentaffairs

Cyclone Fani: Odisha teaches the world how to


prepare for disasters
By Manoj Dora & Arabinda Kumar Padhee | The Conversation | Last Updated at May
15 2019 10:53 IST


A view of the destruction caused by Cyclone Fani after its landfall, in Puri, Friday, May
3, 2019. Photo: PTI

Fani, a rare summer cyclone in the Bay of Bengal, hit eastern India on May 3. It is one
of the strongest cyclones to have hit India in the last 20 years, according to the Indian
government’s meteorological department. Storm surges and powerful winds reaching
125mph blew off roofs, damaged power lines and uprooted countless trees.

But the worst-affected state, Odisha, has been successful in keeping the loss of life and
numbers of affected people to a minimum. This is the result of a very effective strategy
of disaster preparation and quick responding.

The United Nations office for Disaster Risk Deduction (UNISDR) and other
organisations have hailed government and volunteer efforts that have ensured the
levels of destruction have been kept to a minimum. According to official estimates, 64
people lost their lives due to the devastating cyclone Fani. But considering the power of
the cyclone, it is remarkable that more lives have not been lost.

To put the death toll in perspective, the 1999 Odisha cyclone (which had 155mph
winds) killed 9,658 people and caused US$2.5 billion in damages in the state. It was
this super cyclone in 1999 that led the state to become better prepared for future
cyclones.

The government’s “zero casualty” policy for natural disasters and the near accuracy of the
India meteorological department’s early warning system have helped reduce the possibility of
deaths from cyclone Fani. A record 1.2m people (equal to the population of Mauritius) were
evacuated in less than 48 hours, and almost 7,000 kitchens, catering to 9,000 shelters, were
made functional overnight. This mammoth exercise involved more than 45,000 volunteers.

The statistics are striking when compared to the impact of recent big weather events
around the world. When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017 with wind speeds of
175mph, it caused a death toll of 2,975. The same year, Hurricane Harvey struck Texas
with winds of 130mph and caused devastating flooding. There was US$125 billion in
damage and at least 68 direct storm-related deaths reported in Texas. Most recently,
cyclone Idai hit Mozambique on March 14 and ripped through Madagascar, Malawi
and Zimbabwe, with more than 1,000 people feared dead.
So the Indian state of Odisha’s ability to put such an effective disaster management
plan in place and save thousands of lives is a template that the world can learn from.
This, after all, is a state where the average income is less than US$5 a day. We identify
four key takeaways from Odisha.

1. Build a relief infrastructure

Until 1999, Odisha didn’t have a well laid out plan for disaster management. Two
months after the cyclone hit, the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority was set
up and plans put in place. Around 900 cyclone shelters have been built in vulnerable
pockets of the state, with systems in place for the evacuation of hundreds of thousands
of people. By 2001, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force was also set up to conduct
rescue operations and distribute relief.

There is a clear command and control structure for disaster relief and there are clear
protocols in place for carrying out relief operations. These were successfully used in
managing cyclone Phailin in 2013 (a storm five times the size of hurricane Katrina),
cyclone Hudhud in 2014 and cyclone Fani.

2. Accuracy of early warning systems

The India Meteorological Department has built an effective service to predict accurate
timings of cyclone formation in the Bay of Bengal and when it will make landfall along
India’s coastline. This early warning system enables the state to be disaster ready and
minimise loss of lives. It’s then crucial that people follow the protocols in place when
the warnings come in.

3. Clear communication plan

Roughly 2.6m text messages were sent to locals in clear language before cyclone Fani
hit, keeping those potentially affected alert. Regular press briefings were made by
officials to update people of the approaching cyclone. People were repeatedly advised
over all forms of media not to panic and given clear “do and don’ts”. This helped in the
record evacuation of 1.2m people to safe buildings.

4. Effective co-ordination of groups

Preparations to fight the onslaught of Fani involved a number of government agencies,


as well as local community groups and volunteers working together. The government’s
disaster response forces were pre-positioned in vulnerable locations, food packets for
air-dropping were made ready for air force helicopters to drop to people. Senior state
officials and police officers were sent to the affected districts to co-ordinate efforts of
various agencies.

Cyclone Fani has, however, left a fury of damage to properties and public
infrastructure. The post-cyclone recovery will be a daunting challenge to the
administration in Odisha, demanding a lot of resources. In the aftermath of the 1999
super cyclone, the state relied on a number of community-based groups and volunteers
to help rebuild communities. The same goes for today, but they are in a much better
position thanks to the disaster preparedness and risk mitigation followed before the
storm hit.

It has been so long since Fani hit, and we haven’t been able to rebuild the house,
yet,” says Tulasi Deuri, 40, while trying to restore the broken parts of her
dwelling’s roof. Her youngest son hands her a rope while holding on to the
bamboo ladder, as they get back to work. When cyclone Fani made landfall in the
neighbouring district in May this year, Deuri’s thatched ceiling was blown away
instantly. The house was a single room that served as the bedroom, kitchen and
sleeping space for a family of five.

Fani has left people of Odisha in severe distress and has rendered millions,
jobless. Fani made landfall in Puri and has turned coastal Odisha into what looks
like a war-ravaged zone. One of the most devastating storms in India’s and
Odisha’s history, Fani dealt the coast a catastrophic blow with almost 64
fatalities.

Over a million trees, hundreds of miles of power lines, and innumerable homes
and schools have completely been destroyed. The Odisha government has
assessed the extent of damages to be tentatively around Rs 12,000 crore, in
a preliminary report to a visiting inter-ministerial team.

The state’s energy department bore the brunt of Rs 1,159 core while the losses in
the Panchayati Raj and the Drinking Water departments stand at Rs 587 crore.
Poultry casualties have hit 34.52 lakh, and more than 53 lakh birds have been
affected. Meanwhile, the costs from crop damage have been pegged at Rs 150
crore.

Odisha’s Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has further requested the centre for the
granting of a special category state (SCS) status to Odisha. Post the cyclone, the
government’s numero uno task has been to restore normalcy in the affected
areas.

While Bhubaneswar has successfully restored electricity and water in all the
urban areas, Puri still has a long way to go. As Fani’s first victim, winds more
than 230 kmph pummelled the infrastructure, uprooted trees which had been
standing tall for a 100 years and whipped tin roofs from the shanties, taking 39
lives and leaving the rest in uncertainty about the way forward in life.

Nayakpatna Crafts village resident Bhagaban Subudhi, a woodcarving artist who


received a Kamala Award for Contribution to Craft and the UNESCO Award for
Excellence in Handicrafts in 2008, has been stripped off his roof and livelihood
post the cyclone.

He’s not alone. Just a kilometre away, Raghurajpur – another heritage crafts
village, too, has been destroyed. Kasturba industrial co-operative society which is
a manufacturer of handicrafts goods at Madhipur, near Puri, has lost nearly 6
lakh worth of material.

Odisha’s tourism industry comes to a halt

Meanwhile, Puri’s beachfront has been wiped off bringing the tourism industry
to a standstill with a per day loss of Rs 2 crore. Even though the full damage is yet
to be determined and has been deemed incalculable in the short-term, it is clear
that travel brands will suffer from a quite dramatic fallout this year – especially
smaller tour operators and local, family-run businesses that depend on tourist
traffic – despite a tourism advisory issued by Odisha Tourism that says that Puri
will be open to tourists post the first week of June. Hoteliers want the same and
with the Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra approaching in July, they have begun the
restoration work at war-footing.
Rebuilding the tourism industry in the hardest-hit areas is just one of the
massive challenges which the Odisha Government faces. The immediate priority
for them is to restore power and ensure relief in Puri. A cash amount of Rs 2000
has been given to 94.62% of families affected in Puri, Khordha, Jagatsinghpur,
Cuttack, Kendrapada and BMC while 93.36% of them have received 50 kg rice as
per the latest report by Special Relief Commissioner, Odisha.

e-paper New

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Cyclone Fani: Indian Navy launches rescue and rehabilitation effort in


Odisha
3 min read . 05 May 2019PTI

 Eastern Naval Command is undertaking a three-pronged rescue and rehabilitation effort centred
around Puri
 The Naval Officer-in-Charge (Odisha) is centrally coordinating distribution of these relief materials
Topics
Cyclone Fani

New Delhi: In the aftermath of the devastation caused by severe cyclone 'Fani', the
Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy has launched a massive rescue
and rehabilitation effort in Odisha.
Two Maritime Recce sorties were undertaken by the Dornier aircraft of the Navy
revealing widespread destruction localised around the temple town of Puri, according
to an official statement.
The Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command personally
undertook aerial survey of the cyclone affected area Saturday morning and visited INS
Chilka to review the relief efforts, it said

The 'extremely severe' cyclonic storm, which made landfall at Puri on Friday,
unleashed copious rain and windstorm that gusted up to 200 kmph, blowing away
thatched roofs of houses, swamping towns and villages, before weakening and
entering West Bengal, officials said.
Based on the aerial surveys, the Eastern Naval Command is undertaking a three-
pronged rescue and rehabilitation effort centred around Puri and its suburbs in
coordination with the state government and the district administration.

Relief and rehabilitation 'bricks' and 'pallets' (Naval parlance for containerised relief
stores) comprising food material, essential medical supplies, clothing items,
disinfectants, repair material, chain saws for removing damaged trees, torches and
batteries, etc have been sent to the INS Chilka, a naval establishment at Odisha,
closest to Puri," it said.
The Naval Officer-in-Charge (Odisha) is centrally coordinating distribution of these
relief materials and a community kitchen is being planned to be set up.
Simultaneously, three eastern fleet ships are undertaking rescue and rehabilitation
efforts.
Indian Navy ships Ranvijay, Kadmatt and Airavat with three helicopters are presently
operating off Puri and coordinating aerial survey and immediate response through
their integral helicopters.
As the first responders, helicopters from the ships have been able to provide
immediate support. In order to coordinate the relief efforts, the Eastern Naval
Command has pre-positioned Liaison teams in the cyclone affected areas around Puri,
who in turn are directing the rescue and relief efforts being undertaken by the ships,
the statement added.
"With the likely opening of the Bhubaneswar airport today, Chetak and UH3H
helicopters are being positioned there by the Navy to launch rescue efforts and air-
dropping of relief material to the inaccessible and remote areas.

HOMELATESTTRENDINGMY READS
Cyclone Fani: Indian Navy launches rescue and rehabilitation effort in
Odisha
3 min read . 05 May 2019PTI

 Eastern Naval Command is undertaking a three-pronged rescue and rehabilitation effort centred
around Puri
 The Naval Officer-in-Charge (Odisha) is centrally coordinating distribution of these relief materials
Topics
Cyclone Fani

New Delhi: In the aftermath of the devastation caused by severe cyclone 'Fani', the
Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy has launched a massive rescue
and rehabilitation effort in Odisha.
Two Maritime Recce sorties were undertaken by the Dornier aircraft of the Navy
revealing widespread destruction localised around the temple town of Puri, according
to an official statement.
The Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command personally
undertook aerial survey of the cyclone affected area Saturday morning and visited INS
Chilka to review the relief efforts, it said.
The 'extremely severe' cyclonic storm, which made landfall at Puri on Friday,
unleashed copious rain and windstorm that gusted up to 200 kmph, blowing away
thatched roofs of houses, swamping towns and villages, before weakening and
entering West Bengal, officials said.
Based on the aerial surveys, the Eastern Naval Command is undertaking a three-
pronged rescue and rehabilitation effort centred around Puri and its suburbs in
coordination with the state government and the district administration.
ONGC restores operations off east coast after cyclone Fani makes landfall
"Relief and rehabilitation 'bricks' and 'pallets' (Naval parlance for containerised relief
stores) comprising food material, essential medical supplies, clothing items,
disinfectants, repair material, chain saws for removing damaged trees, torches and
batteries, etc have been sent to the INS Chilka, a naval establishment at Odisha,
closest to Puri," it said.
The Naval Officer-in-Charge (Odisha) is centrally coordinating distribution of these
relief materials and a community kitchen is being planned to be set up.
Simultaneously, three eastern fleet ships are undertaking rescue and rehabilitation
efforts.
Indian Navy ships Ranvijay, Kadmatt and Airavat with three helicopters are presently
operating off Puri and coordinating aerial survey and immediate response through
their integral helicopters.
As the first responders, helicopters from the ships have been able to provide
immediate support. In order to coordinate the relief efforts, the Eastern Naval
Command has pre-positioned Liaison teams in the cyclone affected areas around Puri,
who in turn are directing the rescue and relief efforts being undertaken by the ships,
the statement added.
"With the likely opening of the Bhubaneswar airport today, Chetak and UH3H
helicopters are being positioned there by the Navy to launch rescue efforts and air-
dropping of relief material to the inaccessible and remote areas.
"The deployment of the helicopters at Bhubaneswar would enable aerial rescue of
stranded personnel to safer areas as well as access to areas without road connectivity,"
it said.
The statement said in order to sustain the rescue and relief work over the next few
days, the Eastern Naval Command has additional ships with standby relief material.
The death toll due to the calamity, which stood at eight on Friday, mounted to 12 with
four fresh casualties reported from Odisha's Mayurbhanj district, the officials said,
adding that detailed information from many areas was still awaited

Vice Admiral Karambir Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval


Command made an urgent Disaster Assesment and On site Review in the wee hours
of 04 May 19, post striking of Extremely Severe Cyclone ‘FANI’ at Indian Naval
Base, INS Chilka, the premier training establishment of the Indian Navy, said Navy
spokesperson Captain D K Sharma
"The Flag Officer took an on ground stock of the situation and damage to the assets,
men and material during his approximately one-hour long visit to the location. The
Admiral commended the Staff for their proactive preparatory activities to mitigate
effects of the cyclone. He was happy to take note of the various Relief Operations and
Medical Assistance being rendered by the unit to the neighbouring villages such as
Gadadwar, Amritpur, Kharibandh and Athrawati," he said .
Singh also expressed confidence that the Naval Base would make an early come back
to normalcy in the next few days.

Vice Admiral Karambir Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval


Command made an urgent Disaster Assesment and On site Review in the wee hours
of 04 May 19, post striking of Extremely Severe Cyclone ‘FANI’ at Indian Naval
Base, INS Chilka, the premier training establishment of the Indian Navy, said Navy
spokesperson Captain D K Sharma
"The Flag Officer took an on ground stock of the situation and damage to the assets,
men and material during his approximately one-hour long visit to the location. The
Admiral commended the Staff for their proactive preparatory activities to mitigate
effects of the cyclone. He was happy to take note of the various Relief Operations and
Medical Assistance being rendered by the unit to the neighbouring villages such as
Gadadwar, Amritpur, Kharibandh and Athrawati," he said .
Singh also expressed confidence that the Naval Base would make an early come back
to normalcy in the next few days.

A cyclone named Fani is a massive cyclonic formation over the south of Bay of Bengal which is
expected to make landfall in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. Do you know the low-pressure
belt of cyclone forms in Sri Lanka and then from there it turns north-west towards the southern Indian
states. According to Mahesh Palawat, who works at Skymet Weather, this cyclone may cause hot winds
from northeast and are expected to blow over Mumbai and adjoining areas in Maharashtra. Also, dust
storms may likely to occur in Rajasthan as an impact; heat wave in Madhya Pradesh could follow.

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