The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) lauded India's Meteorological Department for providing "pinpoint" information that helped authorities to minimize loss of life due to cyclone Fani. UNDRR is the focal point of the international body for disaster management.
"A huge effort has been made to reduce the possibility of a loss of life," said Denis McClean, UNDRR spokesperson. Meanwhile, the death toll in Odisha climbed to 12 persons, with four fresh casualties from Mayurbhanj district. Restoration-and-relief work has been launched across 10,000 villages and urban areas.
The Centre has been focusing on zero causality policy in cyclone preparedness. When the cyclonic storm Phaili (categorized as Extremely Severe) hit the coastline along the Bay of Bengal in 2013, it was able to keep casualty figures low at 45.
"The almost pinpoint accuracy of the early warnings from the Indian Meteorological Department allowed authorities to conduct a well-targeted evacuation plan," said McClean.
On Saturday, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik conducted an aerial survey of the affected areas in Odisha. Puri and Khurda districts are the worst-affected in the state; Bhubaneswar was hit by high-velocity winds of around 140 kmph.
Vice Admiral Karambir Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, made an urgent Disaster Assessment and onsite review in the wee hours of Saturday after Fani struck the naval base INS Chilka. "The Flag Officer took an on-ground stock during his approximately one-hour long visit," said a Navy spokesperson. "The Admiral was happy to take note of the various relief operations and medical assistance rendered by the unit to neighbouring villages. He also expressed confidence that the base would make an early comeback to normalcy, and shared that naval ships were already at sea off Puri to render any humanitarian and disaster relief assistance necessary."
After the landfall, Fani passed through West Bengal before entering Bangladesh. It weakened in the neighbouring state and flight operations at Kolkata airport resumed at 9.57 am, train services on the Sealdah and Howrah sections are also getting back to normal. The Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) resumed its routine operation at Haldia and Kolkata docks.
"There was not much damage in the state," said state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who cancelled her election programmes and stayed put at Kharagpur in West Midnapore district to monitor the situation. "At least 850 mud houses in the districts were partially damaged while 12 were completely destroyed," she said.
— With agency inputs
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