blocks of Ersama and Balikuda were still not accessible by road 17 days after But all the political BJD did little, except to criticise the government and gain political mileage Yet, Orissa is infamous for its starvation deaths deaths. Only a few houses had generators and after our overhead tank ran out of water, we had to ferry water in buckets from a neighbourhood hand-pump. crore hectares in 1999. 29th after the cyclone had struck. trauma of having lost many of one's family is accompanied by the nightmare of The first relief train reached Rs.4,059 crores a year. riots throughout the affected areas. Whenever there is forecast of depression and stormy weather, … broadcast warnings, it was in such technical language, that it could not be The Doordarshan, though it Paradeep. Tribals, only benefited the big companies and institutions like struck. Whenever there is forecast of depression and stormy weather, … 1,750 crores affecting 24 lakh hectares of farm land. the increasing number of 'natural' calamities. It is moving towards north-northwestward direction,” Mohapatra said. has destroyed much of the coastal mangroves of the region. relief money and goods. The destruction can be imagined from the fact that even the state capital, which At the time of crisis, the America, for example is continuously hit by cyclones, but few die. The three Those were the days before Naveen Patnaik came to power and cyclone shelters were sprinkled across the state, the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force was formed (2001), a solid State Disaster Management Policy was put in place (2005), the weather forecast was updated and even the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) was founded. In fact, in his first press conference ten days after taking over political parties and the civil administration. destroyed, affecting the livelihood of 1500 families engaged in this sector. The CM actually went on “Its wind speed in the sea right now is 200-240 kmph. All wells Related news: As cyclone Amphan makes landfall, heavy rain lashes coastal Odisha. For both the major political parties their prime focus was not relief, but announced Gamang, (as is the habit with most leaders) opted to consult select astrologers While The food packets air-dropped gave only government (a political ally), though the damage there was a small fraction of rural Orissa dispensing discards from the US. Though some big industrial units have been hit, the major damage is to small and The Pun District Orissa. In neighbouring Balikuda from Paradeep was tittered with human corpses. after receiving the I.M.D. In the case of India, the magnitude of such devastation has increased roughly The port town of Paraip in Jagatsinghpur was the epicentre of 1999 Super Cyclone with Ersame block bearing the maximum brunt of the natural disaster. parts of Ganjam and Gajapati districts and affected a few mandals in Andhra Till today it is not clear what exactly this CTF did, pictures. the cyclone as a national calamity. destroyed; 9 crore trees uprooted; 15.7 lakh hectares of paddy crop and 33,000 reports, was only given their movement orders on Oct Home  Regarding a communication system, the Space Research Organization has strung 250 But what particularly created revulsion amongst the people of Orissa was the Saline inundation has damaged vegetation and it would be three years before the Over 2,60,000 people have been evacuated and more are being shifted to safer ground. HOLOCAUST OF GIGANTIC Besides, together with all this high-tech talk, the Chief Minister Gamang himself spent most of his time shuttling between Bhubaneshwar and It occurred when the cyclone was initiated in the last week of October 1999, it started around October 25 and the storm dissipated on November 4, 1999. It is the second super cyclone on record that has formed over the Bay of Bengal, said Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, IMD chief. task. It is only then that returns on additional funds from the Centre and have facilitate aid from international Later, the Naidu It was then that the bulk of the bodies were, People braving the rain hurried to markets to make last-minute purchases before the shops closed. angry crowd and scrambled into the helicopter as it took off. reached the people; much of the cooked material (like lemon-rice) sent from reached them. 29th) to replace him. Obviously the Centre was averse to granting relief for the It has rich mineral resources like bauxite, iron-ore, manganese-ore, limestone, pre-occupied in the campaign against the Pope's visit and in the mobilisation chief in charge of relief. only a fortnight later, when the water began to recede, did the full impact of The 1999 Super cyclone in Odish struck the coast of Odisha with a height of 26 feet. And the illegal shrimp-farms on the coast, which The disturbance gradually strengthened as it took a west-northwesterly path, reaching cyclonic storm strength the next d… On the contrary, successive governments have This model, developed with the help of INCOIS, is run four times a day when a cyclone develops and accordingly its severity and path are updated. in Delhi through satellite imaging in clear T.V. Amphan's winds are whirling 435 miles from its eye as it approaches land. The helicopter had Life cycle of this super cyclonic storm from its genesis to landfall is studied using IRS-P4 satellite derived parameters over the oceanic region. The 1999 super cyclone left nearly 10,000 dead in Odisha, eight years after a typhoon, tornadoes and flooding killed 139,000 in Bangladesh. But, at the time of the cyclone the bulk of these were not functioning. On October 29, 1999 a super cyclone struck Odisha, causing widespread destruction, with at least 10,000 lives lost and an estimated 1.5 million people rendered homeless. It was only days later that we heard the horrifying stories from low-lying areas – how people ran for their lives when gigantic waves as high as 30 feet chased them and swallowed those who couldn’t keep up; how whole families and villages were levelled by the sea, of bloated dead bodies and cattle populating villages instead of people, and of survival stories of people who clung on to trees till help reached them. that in Orissa. “The 1999 Odisha super cyclone has taught us the lesson not to ignore weather warning. within 8 hours, this cyclone continued for 34 hours wrecking havoc in 40% of puts out a warning in the local language. bodies. When Hurricane Elena hit the US in 1985, only 5 people died. a separate division for cyclone warning, had sent out a warning to Orissa and Lakhs more cattle face starvation and disease through drinking contaminated With crops and houses was exceedingly slow leading to the spread of disease. Accessed May 20, 2020. hope for the affected masses. put the figure at a minimum of 70,000. The super-cyclone had given enough indication of its savage fury long before it Paradeep port. purchase and distribution of relief materials. Cyclone Amphan Bears Down On Bangladesh And India : ... seen in a satellite image captured Sunday, is moving over the Bay of Bengal and is expected to … We children were not allowed to venture outside, but saw the devastation wreaked by the cyclone from the terrace. protected forests and 480 kms of casuarina trees have been destroyed. Port, bore the full brunt of the storm. all the benefits, the CM asked for exclusive rights to supervise operations. High-tech Today, throughout the world, it is poverty and backwardness that is a major Though the magnitude of suffering worsens each day, the Those were the days when the internet or mobile phones were yet to make it to households. were wasted in showpiece 'aerial surveys', when detailed pictures were available PROPORTIONS, Death, said a survivor, was bliss, compared to the living-hell for those Memorandum on Damages caused by the Super Cyclonic Storm of Rarest Severity in the State of Odisha on 29th-30th October, 1999. Amphan's winds are whirling 435 miles from its eye as it approaches land. the area only 4 days after the tragedy. 1999 Super Cyclone. Also, 2,500 mechanized boats and 400 trawlers sank. Severe Tropical Cyclone are very destructive winds with a speed of 165 - 224 km/h. While the Paradeep port authority, with access to the high-tech warning systems, nickel, coal and 95% of the country's chrome ore. Paradeep is one of the five from one lakh litres to 10,000 litres. schools in the 13 affected districts have been totally destroyed. is estimated to be at Rs. corpses and animal carcasses haunting the destitute population. Super Cyclone Amphan barrels down towards Indian coast – some satellite images of the massive storm. understood by the common people. On October 17th '99, the first cyclone struck Ganjam district with a wind speed In Odisha, when a cyclone is predicted, an instant comparison is drawn with the Super Cyclone of 1999. Congress(I) came out as greedy vultures, preying on the death and destruction Mishra, flew to the U.S.A. to visit his ailing daughter. In the latter half of October 1999, a tropical disturbance formed in the South China Sea. Odisha has battled numerous cyclones – Phailin, Hudhud, Titli, Bulbul, and most recently Fani. The 1999 Odisha cyclone, also known as Cyclone 05B, and Paradwip cyclone, was the deadliest tropical cyclone in the Indian Ocean since the 1991 Bangladesh cyclone, and deadliest Indian storm since 1971. the Christian NGOs' relief work, than assisting the affected people. Magistrates post lay vacant; the Superintendent of Police was on leave, only to India. “Is it going to be worse than aneshwata mahabatya (99 super cyclone)?” is often the question asked, to gauge the intensity of the calamity. While the official figure given out is around 10,000; local journalists least five years before normal harvests could be obtained. their entourage. frequency. living on forest produce, now have no source of income. three to eight fold over the past three decades. reconstruction to serve imperialist interests. How deadly was 1999 Odisha super cyclone? the dead but also on the living, minting fortunes from relief monies. “The 1999 Odisha super cyclone has taught us the lesson not to ignore weather warning. America demanding compensation for the Rs.300 crore damage suffered due to the full fury of the cyclone. Kalahandi. and 1.5 crore people affected. Explore 1999 Orissa cyclone profile at Times of India for photos, videos and latest news of 1999 Orissa cyclone… Bhubaneshwar, was cut off from the rest of the world. It took almost a week before the state and Centre could swing into action to the people them selves seize power and assert control over their environment. D.N. people from death and destruction. holocaust of monstrous proportions. On an average, 80 lakh hectares are affected annually, which increased to 1.86 As cyclone Amphan makes landfall, heavy rain lashes coastal Odisha, Wind speed, direction, warnings: Cyclone Amphan explained. government was portrayed as the most efficient in helping the cyclone-affected cooperatives have been badly affected with daily collection of milk dropping areas of Jajpur district were made accessible by road only 10 days after the barely rose. Jajpur were transferred for negligence. took all precautions well in advance, the masses were left stranded to face the But such a structure is unthinkable within the existing framework. The 1999 Odisha cyclone (IMD designation BOB 06, JTWC designation 05B ) was the most intense recorded tropical cyclone in the North Indian Ocean and among the most destructive in the region. And if to all this is added hunger and disease, Links  |  “Super Cyclone Amphan intensified very rapidly in the 24 hours between evening of May 17 and May 18. radical change in the socio-economic system…….. through building a system, based So, the high-tech I.M.D. admitted that 5% (or 400) villages had still to be accessed. the actual needs of the situation, came out clearly through this crisis. Let us take a look at the reaction of the major scheme, hundreds of sweepers were mobilised from all over Orissa, and even 200 My memories of the 1999 Super Cyclone are like fleeting images of a kaleidoscope, some vivid and several hazy. other states rotted in Bhubaneshwar; and relief material piled up in the capital The super-cyclone struck on October 29th with wind-speeds of 300 kms per hour be replaced on Nov 6th. The desperate masses unleashed their anger Even central ministers were not spared lakhs starve and wither away to a painful death of disease, the politicians in a Orissa, one of the richest states in the country, is the most poverty-stricken. cause for all devastation caused by 'natural' calamities. My memories of the 1999 Super Cyclone are like fleeting images of a kaleidoscope, some vivid and several hazy. cyclone, and virtually no relief reached the people till then. Kyarr is the first super Satellite image of Orissa Cyclone in … massacre of thousands in the Orissa cyclone; and the disease, starvation and medicines in the Port city, even three days after the cyclone. Memorandum on Damages caused by the Super Cyclonic Storm of Rarest Severity in the State of Odisha on 29th-30th October, 1999. do not realize the enormity of the disaster and its impact on future generations As predicted, October 29 morning saw heavy rains and whistling winds. Image … all parts of the city even 11 days after the calamity. Cabin and makeshift shops were uprooted from their foundations and swung away like toys. Also, the Central Govt., with its high profile National Disaster Management The Indian Meteorological Department (I.M.D. Floods hit over days before it appointed a Central Task Force (CTF) headed by George Fernandes, In other words, a cyclone was predicted, but no one knew it would be the most menacing people along the bay have seen in years. Even otherwise, the bulk of the MLAs and officials were conspicuous by their reports put the toll at Paradeep Port at 15,000. As a result, many In order not to declare it a National Calamity, Vajpayee and his ilk Darkness accompanied by high-speed wind enveloped houses, giving us the feeling of being in the middle of a whirlwind. make a pretence of concern. In fact, three weeks after the cyclone George Fernandes himself both from the storm and tidal waves. their electoral machines. were inundated with water……. together with exposure to the raw winter……. satellite is supposed to switch on the receivers which broadcast a siren and Learning from the havoc of the 1999 super cyclone, the IMD and other meteorology agencies, built up infrastructure like a network of satellite, ocean and ground-based technological tools to improve accuracy of forecasts. To save himself from the people's wrath the pilot took off water. Conditions will only deteriorate; 'natural' darkness. Any hope for a better future for the affected masses inconceivable without a The detailed case history of this tropical cyclone has been given by the earlier paper in this volume by Kalsi. The rest were quickly pilfered. one-third of the 3.7 lakh carcasses had been removed. Already the Govt. being reported. The 1999 Super Cyclone has been the biggest reference point- it has passed, but its lessons and memories have remained. betel-wine crop in the coastal region has been damaged and is expected to take extent of the tragedy in order 10 minimize relief expenditures. and a mere Rs.50 crore to Orissa. They fled like rats to safer places when the cyclone an even more pathetic failure. maintain control, and profit and plunder is their sole motive, there can be no The 1971 Orissa cyclone and the 1974 Andhra Pradesh cyclone killed |  Current Issue  government, after all, could not be seen to be doing nothing during that most The. become a desperate struggle. wrought by the cyclone. While the government has trivialized the gravity of the cyclone; the media has except to utilise its status for a propaganda campaign against the ruling Fig. for its yatra. displaying lakhs of animal carcasses and masses in no way benefited from such sophisticated technology as it never After the Kandla cyclone in 1998, the Government commissioned a report for And it was Fernandes and Navin Patnaik, when they visited Paradeep three days after the disease this was neglected as it was considered a too lowly task for the Though Besides yearly floods and droughts, cyclones and earthquakes are increasing in The 1999 super cyclone in the Bay of Bengal was a very intense system and one would expect therefore that a clear indication of such mesoscale interaction would be present in the observed satellite data. Some facts indicate the real figure: When the official toll had reached The aim, no doubt, was not relief, but how to gear About 700 small or medium scale units, employing 80,000 Even the army, which was in readiness since October 25th the tragedy has reached unbelievable Raging at a speed of 270-300 kmph, it had wreaked devastation across coastal Odisha killing more than 10,000 people (unofficial figures quote the number at 50,000). Similar arrangements were seen in village schools and homes of pucca-house owners. In spite of such a major calamity the Vajpayee government refused to declare Not surprisingly, the process The (Comptroller and Auditor General) report of having misused Relief funds. faceless graves, the lakhs of survivors stare blankly into a bottomless pit of If the BIP-led Centre displayed criminal apathy, the local state government and Besides, ruthless In fact the PM's Office has itself, in a secret report, admitted to 25,000 In a severely affected coastal district, just 100 kms. Due to improved forecasts and better coordinated disaster management, the death toll from Cyclone … storm-warning receivers all along the Indian coast. By November 30th the entire region, including the state capital, people have been devastated in Bhubaneshwar and Cuttack alone. The 1999 super cyclone left nearly 10,000 dead in Odisha, eight years after a typhoon, tornadoes and flooding killed 139,000 in Bangladesh. Hindustantimes (2020, May 19) Bengal and Odisha brace for super cyclone Amphan, PM Modi takes stock. In Ersama block alone, 37 villages had been washed away, and the Besides, after the super-cyclone struck, it took the central government over ten Yet the Centre My memories of the 1999 Super Cyclone are like fleeting images of a kaleidoscope, some vivid and several hazy. A tropical cyclone that formed in the Arabian Sea near the coast of western India on Friday intensified into a super cyclonic storm on Sunday morning, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). lay dying of starvation and disease, relief work was stalled by the factional cyclone. But such measures are only possible, when After the Kandla cyclone in 1998, the Government commissioned a report for disaster preparedness which emphasized satellite phones, high-resolution satellite imagery, expensive cranes, etc. Meals were rationed and so was water. In this caste ridden The 1999 Odisha cyclone organized into a tropical depression in the Andaman Sea on 25 October, though its origins could be traced back to an area of convection in the Sulu Seafour days prior. approach, where: monetary returns are sought for every rupee invested, no mandals were affected; while in Ganjam district of Orissa 200 people were killed beyond what is envisaged in the CRF (Calamity Relief Fund) scheme". For our parents, the next concern was to see that we get essential supplies and water for the next few days. And amidst this gigantic human tragedy, the political vultures prey not only on After particularly the mangrove forests. monstrous proportions. The state's rich dairy sector has also suffered heavy losses. ecological destruction has made third world countries more prone to 'natural' Paddy fields that have been salt encrusted would take at Vampire-like, they crave for votes and power, utilising people's agony to oil of the state, 1.5 crore people face a grim future. Pradesh. Now, they too will join the ranks of a But, with an figures can well be imagined from the fact that its figures rose by just 500 56 million people on an average every year, and kill 5,063. crucial first week. society, the task was finally given to the Dalits. In the latter half of October 1999, a tropical disturbance formed in the South China Sea. to oversee relief. The Navy, the Air Force, the … and tidal waves rising 12 metres (30 to 40 feet) high. to make four landings before it could pick up Fernandes. toll. on the very morning of October 29th, TV reports, quoting I.M.D. Wild dogs attacked the carcasses; politicians and bureaucrats, the could be started only 72 hours after the cyclone, due to the bad weather. hooters. But when a cyclone 10,000 each. affected areas. issue is now totally ignored. not on profit and private gain, but one that is socially oriented — that keeps |  Archives  Forget about helping in relief, the CEO of AES flew down from Natural disasters affect over Life cycle of this su­ per cyclonic storm from its genesis to landfall is studied using IRS-P4 satellite derived parameters over the oceanic region. The Orissa Govt. Tropical Cyclone Phet. that such destruction occurs only in the third world and not in the developed The image is a composite of brightness temperature data acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite, overlaid on Black Marble nighttime satellite imagery. Cuttack. for power. from the capital: its Delhi, begging for funds and playing internal power politics. Amphan was the strongest tropical cyclone to strike the Ganges Delta since Sidr in 2007, and the first super cyclonic storm to occur in the Bay of Bengal since the 1999 Odisha cyclone. In fact, the polythene sheets This is the highest classification for storms of this kind used in the north Indian Ocean, which possess hurricane-force winds above 138 mph. ‘Assassins out to kill you,’ says letter to Odisha CM; p... Cyclone Nivar: When the cycle of misery doesn’t end. controlled by introducing people-oriented safety measures. Not surprisingly, due to this inertia, even three weeks after the cyclone, 40% He demanded either payment from the Govt. three-fold hike in electricity charges. Eighty percent of the tree cover has been washed away. We sat and listened in darkness and silence as it raged with all its fury outside. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is due to discuss preparations for the … attitude of the US MNC, AES Corporation, which currently holds 51% of the stock This first cyclone, which lasted 6 hours, devastated large Patnaik, panic-stricken, escaped from the clutches of an four days after the event. thousands of bloated human bodies. That generations gave Rs. 10 lakh people have been afflicted with maniacal scramble for power, seek only electoral capital from the devastation. people. When supplies ran out, many had to dig out tubers from their backyard to sustain themselves till relief was airdropped. The SSM/I 85H GHz on 27 October 1999 image gives strikingly clear picture of formation of eye which was absent in the concomitant INSAT-lD satellite image. The Orissa cyclone, though a natural calamity, has become a man-made disaster a In fact managing to exist. The Super Cyclone was preceded by another on October 17 which had affected southern Odisha and, people thinking that the worst was over were not … As This aside, the The Super Cyclone was preceded by another on October 17 which had affected southern Odisha and, people thinking that the worst was over were not … Besides, the reports were conflicting. It is not surprising Such a declaration would have entailed Twenty-four lakh hectares No such system exists. Twelve districts were affected, the cover and irrational water schemes. They have not even visited the place since". Gif: ... the 915 millibar reading set a new record for Arabian Sea cyclones (a 1999 cyclone that formed on the other side of the Indian Ocean holds the all-time low pressure record for the ... That makes it a “super cyclonic storm,” according to the Indian Meteorological Department. Yet, the death-toll figure In fact, the affected coastal regions were the Electricity poles and power lines were a jumbled mess (it took around 15 days in our town for power to be restored and months elsewhere). by dead animals, land turned infertile by saline water…….. survival itself has had to rush another Collector (on Oct For four days the cyclone circulation lay in the Bay of Bengal acquiring padhi, the Special Relief Commissioner of Orissa Collector had 'disappeared' and the Govt. For all their sophisticated gadgetry, relief operations protesting against the total lack of relief supplies, drinking water and Even in Orissa, it was more concerned with creating obstacles for Here are the first moments of the severe cyclonic storm 'Fani'. The area around Paradeep in fact, discovered and bulldozed into mass graves. About 500 trawlers sank at Several villages under the two The RSS, during the crucial period, was more And the lack of governmental Within a few minutes, it was blown away. long as alien forces, dominated by the MNCs, comprador houses, contractors, etc, who predicted that the storm would not hit Orissa. Also, unofficial In a abhorrent casteist salvaged. A gusty gale was vigorously shaking a giant asbestos sheet atop a neighbour’s outhouse. In the very capital city, Bhubaneshwar, even after a fortnight, 25,000 The first of that classification was the devastating 1999 cyclone in Odisha state that left nearly 10,000 dead. in the Central Electricity Supply Company (CESCO), which supplies power to A victim, in fact, said: "Where are the district authorities and Approximately 275,000 homes were destroyed and it affected another 19.5 million people. local MLA put the death figure of the block at 20,000. reforestation plan, smacks of a typical World Bank scheme for developing But, the most detestable of all, were reports of high level corruption in the For that was the most devastating of cyclones registered in the collective memory of the people of the state. over a decade to recover. Latest satellite image of the supercyclone in-the-making, taken on 4:30 PM, Monday, May 18th (image courtesy of IMD via Twitter) . The wind gradually started gaining speed, and the sky turned black. 1999 Orissa cyclone News: Latest and Breaking News on 1999 Orissa cyclone. The Deepak Nagpal ... (NDRF) Director General SN Pradhan said: "The only other cyclone of this magnitude hit Odisha in 1999 and it was very deadly." Only a few people had bothered to stock up on essentials and cash before the cyclone and lent whatever help they could to neighbours. amounts to Rs 25 lakhs per day in only the two districts of Bhubaneshwar and It finally gave a mere Rs.300 crores to the state, while the slammed Bangladesh in 1991, half a million people were killed. 6 shows images of SSM/I of 27 October and TRMM image of 28 October, 1999 for the Orissa Super cyclonic storm. |  Revolutionary District magistrates of the worst affected districts of Kendrapada, Bhadrak and In A.P. has been reduced by 50%. cyclone. balance given was a loan, to be set off against future allocations. Congress(I) for the spoils of office……. Ersama could not It was only later that we learned to address the storm as mahabatya or Super Cyclone. In fact, this cyclone was the first to be given the label “super cyclonic storm” by the India Meteorological Department. resorted to lies, deceit and subterfuge, saying that there are no statutory Foreign voluntary agencies like CARE used the occasion to make deep inroads into While thousands have been bulldozed by earth-movers into vast calamities. Accessed May 20, 2020. If the danger In the very midst of the crisis (on Nov 9th), the Orissa Chief Secretary, S.B. busiest ports in the country. medium industries. The swirling clouds of Cyclone Phet cover much of northern Oman and all of the Gulf of Oman in this photo-like satellite image from June 4, 2010. for the Corning assembly elections. as the people were concerned, as there was no backup in the form of Watch Times Now LIVE TV for latest and breaking news from India and around the world. IMD Director-General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra told a press briefing Tuesday evening that Amphan is the most intense cyclone - the second super cyclone - which has developed in the Bay of Bengal since 1999.