Bhubaneswar: As Cyclone Arnab approaches with increasing intensity, the Odisha government has issued a strict warning against circulation of false, misleading and speculative weather forecasts and warnings.
In an advisory dated October 26, the office of Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) stated that authorities have observed some individuals and self-proclaimed weather experts are disseminating speculative cyclone tracks, landfall locations, timelines and impact assessments without adequate scientific validation or reference to official forecasts issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The state government has viewed circulation of such misleading and false material through social media, digital platforms and certain media channels with serious concern, as these could have serious consequences, including unnecessary public panic, disruption of normal economic activities and a loss of confidence in official disaster management arrangements.
The advisory emphasised that only official data from authorised bodies should be trusted.
It highlighted that speculative cyclone warnings could prompt farmers to harvest standing crops prematurely, resulting in avoidable agricultural losses and financial hardship.
Rumours about impending severe weather could encourage panic buying and hoarding of essential commodities, potentially creating artificial shortages and driving up prices.
The government warned that conflicting and misleading information could undermine coordinated disaster preparedness, evacuation and emergency response operations undertaken by the state government and district administrations.
Emphasising the importance of scientific accuracy, the SRC said the IMD was the designated national agency responsible for issuing authoritative weather forecasts, cyclone bulletins and severe weather warnings.
The advisory also referred to provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, concerning false disaster warnings and obstruction of official functions.
Section 54 of the Act provides for punishment for making or circulating a false alarm or warning regarding a disaster, or its severity or magnitude, that leads to panic. Upon conviction, the provision prescribes imprisonment for a term that may extend to one year or a fine.
The government also referred to Section 51, which deals with obstruction of authorised officers in the discharge of their functions and failure to comply with lawful directions issued by competent authorities, subject to the applicable statutory requirements and penalties.
The SRC said appropriate legal action would be taken in accordance with the law, against individuals or entities found deliberately circulating false disaster warnings, creating public panic or obstructing disaster management operations.
Print, electronic and digital media organisations have been advised to exercise due diligence while reporting cyclone-related developments, clearly attribute forecasts to authoritative sources and avoid presenting speculative predictions as confirmed warnings.
Social media users and digital content creators operating YouTube channels, Facebook pages, WhatsApp groups and other platforms have been cautioned against generating or circulating fabricated cyclone tracks, misleading landfall predictions, exaggerated impact assessments and false disaster alerts likely to cause public panic.
