Cyclone Fani: UN lauds Indian government’s ‘zero casualty’ policy

Cyclone Fani of 175-kmph speed hit the coastal town Puri on May 3 at around 8.00 a.m. Most of the areas have been flooded due to the heavy rains and the landfall caused damage in the town but there were less casualties caused by the natural calamity. All thanks to the Odisha government. On Thursday over 11 lakh people from low-lying areas in 15 districts were evacuated.

As reported by IANS, according to the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (ODRR), the Indian government’s “zero casualty” policy for cyclones and the pinpoint accuracy of the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) early warning system have helped reduce the possibility of deaths from cyclone Fani.

Denis McClean, a spokesperson for the ODRR said at a UN news briefing in Geneva, “They seem to have done a very good job in terms of minimising the possibility for loss of life.”

“The almost pinpoint accuracy of the warnings, the early warnings from the IMD, allows them to conduct a very well targeted evacuation plan which resulted in 1.1 million people mainly moving to about 900 cyclone shelters.”

McClean further said, “India’s policy of minimising fatalities from cyclones has been proven by past performances as in cyclone Phailin in 2013, when “famously the casualty rate was kept to as low as 45 despite the intensity of the storm.”

On Saturday morning, less than 10 deaths were reported from the cyclone that made landfall in Odisha on May 3. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik said, “A record of 1.2 million people were evacuated in 24 hours, 3.2 lakh from Ganjam, 1.3 lakh from Puri & almost 7000 kitchens catering to 9000 shelters were made functional overnight. This mammoth exercise involved more than 45,000 volunteers.”

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik: A record of 1.2 million people were evacuated in 24 hours, 3.2 lakh from Ganjam, 1.3 lakh from Puri & almost 7000 kitchens catering to 9000 shelters were made functional overnight. This mammoth exercise involved more than 45,000 volunteers. #FaniCyclone pic.twitter.com/pACgyfCEq2

— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2019

For more updates on Cyclone Fani, stay tuned to our space.

Also Read: Cyclone Fani Makes Landfall In Odisha; Video Shows Fury Of Fani