NCRMP: A saviour against cyclones

India is highly vulnerable to natural calamities especially cyclones. In the past decades, many lives have been lost and properties worth billions of dollars perished. Government of India, in order to tackle the disaster, initiated a lifesaving project National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) which focuses on importance of preparedness, in order to reduce the vulnerability of coastal communities

India has a long history of devastating cyclones, categorising it as one of the worst affected regions in the world. It has a long coastline of 7,516 km, which is exposed to nearly 10 per cent of the world’s tropical cyclones. Majority of cyclones in India have their genesis over the Bay of Bengal and usually strike the East coast of India.
According to United Nations estimates, across the world cyclones have triggered an average 11,000 deaths per year over the last two decades. The worst and the deadliest cyclone India ever witnessed was ‘Great Orissa Cyclone of 1999’. This cyclone killed 9,000-10,000 people when it made its landfall on October 19, 1999, with 155 mph winds and a storm surge of 26 feet. The storm was classified as a ‘Super Cyclonic Storm’ that affected the North Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal.
In 2010, after a gap of ten years the south-eastern part of India was hit by two ‘severe’ cyclones within a gap of a few months; The first being ‘Cyclone Laila’ which entered along the coast of the Bay of Bengal. Sixty-Five people died in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in India and in Sri Lanka. The cost of damage was estimated to be USD 117.49 million.

National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP)
In 2010, the Government of India initiated the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) to help Odisha and Andhra Pradesh respond better to cyclones. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) implemented the Project in coordination with State Governments and the National Institute for Disaster Management (NIDM).
The NCRMP-I was initiated in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh at a cost of 1,499 crores. Mitigation measures were taken in coastal areas, such as multi-purpose cyclone shelters for disaster-affected poor and needy people. A network of roads and bridges was laid for people to easily escape before any cyclone made a landfall and early warning dissemination systems were also introduced. These measures helped to reduce cyclonic risks. The results were visible when cyclone ‘Phailin’ struck Odisha and Andhra Pradesh in 2013. Only two people died in Odisha and 10 in Andhra Pradesh. When the cyclone ‘Hudhud’ in 2014 struck these two states, loss suffered in terms of human and animal lives was minimal. However, the total loss of 26,000 crore was reported due to ‘Phailin’ and 21,000 crore due to ‘Hudhud’. These cyclones caused immense damage to the electrical infrastructure that fell flat on the ground. Agricultural and horticultural lands were flooded and roofs of houses were blown away. Properties of railways, airports, steel plants and ports were damaged significantly. Therefore, the Government of India decided to further initiate mitigation and risk reduction measures to tackle such losses. Mechanisms of taking electrical infrastructure underground, assisting people to have cemented roofs resistant to wind speed of up to 300 km per hour and many more such steps were undertaken. Government also initiated some compulsory measures for buildings, raising of coastal shelter belts of trees to protect coastal agriculture and horticulture from strong winds; conserving and planting of mangroves for protection from coastal erosion were made part of the NCRMP-I. 835 crore was additionally allocated for
the purpose.
NCRMP-II with all the components of Phase I with an outlay of `2,400 crore was initiated in 2015 and is under implementation in Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and West Bengal. Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are covered with the support of the World Bank.
In spite of these measures, the losses sustained due to subsequent cyclones have been huge. Due to Cyclone ‘Gaja’ that struck Tamil Nadu in 2018, the death toll touched 45. About 1.20 lakh houses were damaged and 88,000 hectares of agricultural land were affected.

The Government of India initiated the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) to help Odisha and Andhra Pradesh respond better to cyclones. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) implemented the Project in coordination with State Governments and the National Institute for Disaster Management (NIDM)

Cyclone ‘Fani’ : A success story
However, this year NCRMP proved relatively successful. Fani, a rare summer cyclone in the Bay of Bengal hit eastern India on May 3, 2019. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), it was one of the toughest cyclones to have hit India in the last 20 years. However, the most affected state, Odisha, was successful in keeping the loss of life and numbers of affected people to a minimum. Odisha’s disaster management has established itself as one of the most effective disaster resilience stories in India in recent times. NCRMP and forecasting by IMD has worked as a successful disaster risk reduction strategy in Odisha.
Thirteen days before cyclone ‘Fani’ hit the Odisha coast, IMD gave an early warning that the low pressure in the Bay of Bengal and the Equatorial Indian Ocean could swell into a massive storm. It gave ample time to the state to start preparing for the impending disaster.
Odisha’s preparedness and measures can be taken as one of the greatest examples. As IMD forecasted and alerted the citizens of Odisha at an early stage, necessary evacuation and preparedness measures were taken on time, which led to a minimal loss of life and infrastructure. On June 11, IMD alerted Gujarat to deal with Cyclone ‘Vayu’. More than 3 lakh people were evacuated on time. Fortunately this cyclone changed its course and not much damage was done to the coastal areas of Gujarat.
If we compare the preparedness from the year 1999 to 2019, India has shown a rapid progress in its response to the threat of cyclones. NCRMP projects have had a major positive impact on the community as a whole. It has helped them to be better prepared to face the challenges of cyclones and to reduce their adverse effect on the community. However, it is always important that policies and technology must be constantly updated. Learning from other cyclone prone countries is necessary. NCRMP itself has integrated its learning lessons from Bangladesh. In 2007, Bangladesh was prepared for the cyclone at the early stage by building a robust Early Warning Dissemination System (EWDS) benefiting 1.5 million people. Effective disaster preparedness can considerably reduce the deaths and overall impact of such events. Moreover, because the developing world frequently has to deal with cyclones, India is getting better at preparing for them and reducing risk. Early warning systems and reinforced shelters can help protect lives during a cyclone; they cannot stop the damage to crops, homes and infrastructure, such as roads. Economic and livelihood losses remain high but preparedness will help to rebuild it within a
short period.