Today, when Odisha is observing Disaster Preparedness Day by remembering that fateful night of the 1999 Super Cyclone, it’s important to take stock of where the state stands in dealing with disasters. Over the years, a growing population together with depletion of green coverage and shelter belts have only increased its vulnerability.
Located in one of the six most cyclone-prone areas of the world, Odisha has often witnessed cyclones and storm surges leading to destruction along its densely-populated coastline. In the last century, out of the 1,019 cyclonic disturbances in the Indian subcontinent, 890 were along the eastern coast, of which 260 cyclonic disturbances had their landfall along the Odisha coast.
The major cyclones that have hit the state in the last two-and-half decades are the 1999 Super Cyclone, Phailin in 2013, Titli in 2018 and Fani in 2019.
The device that was supposed to record the wind speed was destroyed when the 1999 Super Cyclone hit Odisha Coast. Experts believe wind speed was 300 km per hour during landfall. The Super Cyclone paralysed the state, as it affected around 18 million people, left about 10,000 dead, and destroyed infrastructure and communications. Imagine the state didn’t have a cutter then to clear the road from fallen trees, and the process took almost a fortnight with help from neighbouring states.
A child who was born on that fateful night has now seen more cyclones than those born in seventies in their 25 years. Since then, Odisha has scripted chapters of multi-level institutions, or set new benchmarks in Disaster Management. What was not possible in late nineties became possible in dealing similar situations during Phailin, Hudhud, Titli, Fani, Dana etc. within two decades. Not just in timely reaching out with resources, equipment, medicines, foods etc. but also achieving Mission Zero Casualty, that is, no loss of human life.
Post the 1999 Super Cyclone, the perception of looking at disaster-destruction angle was shifted — that Odisha must learn to live with it, and invest in future risk reduction. The result — disasters were looked at as an opportunity to correct itself and move on with development. This was the time when Odisha became the first state in India to set up a disaster management agency, the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA), which was set up well before the establishment of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in 2005.
The state government and OSDMA planned and prepared for natural disasters with unwavering commitment. They identified safe buildings, constructed new shelters, charted evacuation routes, established evacuation protocols and strengthened coastal embankments.
Most importantly, volunteer teams were set up, regular mock drills were conducted every year in coastal districts. Masons, town planners, architects, engineers etc. were further trained about building safety, and more staff were trained about dealing with disasters-like situations and disaster management integrated with school curriculum. As a result, communities came to respect and act according to the state’s instructions at times of emergency.
Learning from the 1999 Super Cyclone, Odisha government enhanced early warning systems down to the ‘last kilometres’, undertook construction of over 800 multipurpose cyclone shelters, over 1,000 kilometres of evacuation roads and access bridges, in addition to strengthening of embankments. During non-emergency periods, the cyclone shelters constructed are used for multiple purposes, including schools and community centres.
In 2013, over a decade after the Super Cyclone, the state’s disaster risk-reduction investment was put on test during Cyclone Phailin. In one of the most successful disaster management efforts in the world, Odisha evacuated over 1 million people in less than 48 hours.
Similarly, 20 years after 1999 Super Cyclone, a summer cyclone named Fani made landfall in Puri. Again, prior to landfall, Odisha government effectively evacuated about 1.2 million people to safer places as part of its preparedness towards Zero Casualty.
When the Super Cyclone touched the Odisha coast two-and-half decades ago, the state could do little to reach the site with relief and rescue teams. Yes, Odisha today doesn’t depend much on its neighbouring states, rather the state now has special manpower Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) to deal with disasters, not only within the state but they also go to other parts of India in times of crisis.
The state that didn’t have a cutter to clear fallen trees, now not only has cutters for clearing trees within 24 hours of a crisis but also for concrete, steel, iron etc. along with bots, power backup lights at the state level as well as local level along with a line of volunteers.
The Kalinga Stadium, which used to be the central hanger for relief materials as well as for other activities related to disaster response, is now a world-class venue. When I look back, I participated in parade as school student at this ground, played inside the stadium, was a volunteer post Super Cyclone response, then as urban planner advocated how this part of Bhubaneswar could become a Sports City, and why not this site be presented to the world as Kalinga Valley Global Sports Village?
Well, with time, Kalinga Stadium hosted Champions Trophy hockey, Asian Athletics Championship, Men’s World Hockey League, Men’s Hockey World Cup, etc. became the centre for nurturing Olympians. Interestingly, 72 hours prior to the landfall of Cyclone Dana 100 km away, Kalinga Stadium was busy staging a football match to send a message about the state’s resilience in Disaster Management.
Today, relief materials don’t need a warehouse in state capitals. Every district, panchayat etc. are equipped before disaster strikes due to precise scientific evidence from India Meteorological Department (IMD). Kalinga Stadium is no more just a warehouses of relief material, rather Odisha is a model in many ways for Disaster Management and the site is now a top-class sports arena.
Years of planning and preparation dramatically reduced the death toll from the very severe cyclonic storm Phailin, which was stronger than Hurricane Katrina upon landfall. Even though the government that institutionalised Disaster Management lost the Assembly election in 2024, successive governments followed policies framed by the previous administration in dealing with cyclones.
Odisha is constantly learning from its own experiences, along with raising its own bar for cyclone risk mitigation and exploring more sophisticated technological interventions while ensuring they are accessible to and owned by local communities as far as possible. Over the years, Odisha has stood as the lighthouse for states as well as international communities on dealing with community-based disaster management. Its institutional mechanism is so equipped that it gets activated with issues of warning to ensure Zero Casualty on ground, a mechanism so strong that locals say that the cyclone is fearful of touching them, rather every year a cyclone visits their coast as if on an annual pilgrimage.
It was all possible with determined leadership who could foresee disaster as an opportunity to rebuild Odisha and erase the identity of being poorest and dependent state into a cash-surplus state. The 1999 Super Cyclone no more represents a fear factor but that disaster made Odisha set a global benchmark and identity of good governance in disaster management.
