Amphan preventive measures taken before arrival
Amphan preventive measures taken before arrival
Preventive measures taken for cyclone amphan 2020 over West Bengal and Odisha
We should be grateful to technology for the help we get in our day to day life. It not only makes our life easier but aids us in staying protected from disastrous situations. The cyclone ‘amphan’ is one such example that we have experienced lately. Not only was the meteorological department able to get information on its whereabouts beforehand; but it was able to issue warnings to the citizens. The most significant advantage was that preventive measures were taken to curb the devastating effects of the approaching super cyclone. The weather department measured the intensity of the cyclone and issued warnings to the respective states to be prepared to face the natural disaster. About 38.9 million people’s lives were at stake according to sources. Immediate attention was needed in removing those people from their residences and keeping them at safer places. Thus, began the evacuation process by order of the state governments.
It was on the 17th of May, 2020 that pregnant women and the elderly were relocated, following this those people living in low lying areas were removed. Based on the reports of the NDRF, 500,000 individuals in all were moved from their permanent homes to safer places. In Odisha, temporary shelters were set up. Now, because the issue of the pandemic was co-occurring, quarantine and health centres were also to be put up at the fastest pace possible. So a total of 403 makeshift shelters were set up, of which 104 were dedicated to the health issues. One major challenge at this point of time was the social distancing. As a result, only one-third of the capacity of a shelter could be utilised. The direct impact of this was on the holding capacity of a shelter, and the consequent increase in the number of these makeshift shelters. In West Bengal, the CM ordered for the primary schools and other empty public buildings to be used to keep the evacuees. Combining both forms of shelters, a total of about 1704 shelters in Odisha and 2000 in West Bengal were recorded.
To get a hold of the situation, the disaster management teams along with NDRF, SDRF and coastal forces were instantly deployed in West Bengal. In Odisha, the ODRAF was deployed along with the already mentioned teams of workers. The other task on the work list for Odisha was to protect their Rabi crops in the mandis. West Bengal too did not lag behind in providing amenities for the citizens who were evacuated. To tighten the preventive measures, a control room, mainly to keep an eye on the situation continuously, was set up at the State Secretariat.
As it was very clear that the supply of electricity was going to be deeply affected, the State Power Department in West Bengal had designed a contingency plan. This was to maintain uninterrupted power supply without any hindrance.
It was a crucial time for warning announcements to be made. The fishermen were given strict instructions against venturing into the sea. Announcement on mikes and loudspeakers was a common practice during the time in the state, to spread awareness among the people. For places that had access to radio and television, the news was broadcast informing the people about the coming catastrophe. This was done to prepare them for the sudden change that was about to take place in their lives.
Despite it being just the two states along with Bangladesh that were to be majorly affected by amphan, the centre did not fail to attach importance to it at a national level. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) was activated with immediate effect to issue guidelines which the states could follow to reduce the risk.
Staying calm and not trusting on rumours, instead closely following the weather forecasts was one among the safety measures suggested by the national team. Keeping the important documents in waterproof containers to avoid their loss or damage was another important advice. Arranging small kits containing the essential things were part of this preventive advisory measure too. People were instructed to keep their domesticated animals unbound, to reduce their mortality rate. Most importantly to closely watch the weather update.
It was an exemplary sight as to how the two states fought the situation bravely while the central government stood by as a constant support to ensure that things were under control as much as possible. The preventive measures taken for cyclone amphan 2020 over West Bengal and Odisha helped the people tremendously.
© Arked
Preventive measures taken for cyclone amphan 2020 over West Bengal and Odisha
We should be grateful to technology for the help we get in our day to day life. It not only makes our life easier but aids us in staying protected from disastrous situations. The cyclone ‘amphan’ is one such example that we have experienced lately. Not only was the meteorological department able to get information on its whereabouts beforehand; but it was able to issue warnings to the citizens. The most significant advantage was that preventive measures were taken to curb the devastating effects of the approaching super cyclone. The weather department measured the intensity of the cyclone and issued warnings to the respective states to be prepared to face the natural disaster. About 38.9 million people’s lives were at stake according to sources. Immediate attention was needed in removing those people from their residences and keeping them at safer places. Thus, began the evacuation process by order of the state governments.
It was on the 17th of May, 2020 that pregnant women and the elderly were relocated, following this those people living in low lying areas were removed. Based on the reports of the NDRF, 500,000 individuals in all were moved from their permanent homes to safer places. In Odisha, temporary shelters were set up. Now, because the issue of the pandemic was co-occurring, quarantine and health centres were also to be put up at the fastest pace possible. So a total of 403 makeshift shelters were set up, of which 104 were dedicated to the health issues. One major challenge at this point of time was the social distancing. As a result, only one-third of the capacity of a shelter could be utilised. The direct impact of this was on the holding capacity of a shelter, and the consequent increase in the number of these makeshift shelters. In West Bengal, the CM ordered for the primary schools and other empty public buildings to be used to keep the evacuees. Combining both forms of shelters, a total of about 1704 shelters in Odisha and 2000 in West Bengal were recorded.
To get a hold of the situation, the disaster management teams along with NDRF, SDRF and coastal forces were instantly deployed in West Bengal. In Odisha, the ODRAF was deployed along with the already mentioned teams of workers. The other task on the work list for Odisha was to protect their Rabi crops in the mandis. West Bengal too did not lag behind in providing amenities for the citizens who were evacuated. To tighten the preventive measures, a control room, mainly to keep an eye on the situation continuously, was set up at the State Secretariat.
As it was very clear that the supply of electricity was going to be deeply affected, the State Power Department in West Bengal had designed a contingency plan. This was to maintain uninterrupted power supply without any hindrance.
It was a crucial time for warning announcements to be made. The fishermen were given strict instructions against venturing into the sea. Announcement on mikes and loudspeakers was a common practice during the time in the state, to spread awareness among the people. For places that had access to radio and television, the news was broadcast informing the people about the coming catastrophe. This was done to prepare them for the sudden change that was about to take place in their lives.
Despite it being just the two states along with Bangladesh that were to be majorly affected by amphan, the centre did not fail to attach importance to it at a national level. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) was activated with immediate effect to issue guidelines which the states could follow to reduce the risk.
Staying calm and not trusting on rumours, instead closely following the weather forecasts was one among the safety measures suggested by the national team. Keeping the important documents in waterproof containers to avoid their loss or damage was another important advice. Arranging small kits containing the essential things were part of this preventive advisory measure too. People were instructed to keep their domesticated animals unbound, to reduce their mortality rate. Most importantly to closely watch the weather update.
It was an exemplary sight as to how the two states fought the situation bravely while the central government stood by as a constant support to ensure that things were under control as much as possible. The preventive measures taken for cyclone amphan 2020 over West Bengal and Odisha helped the people tremendously.
© Arked