As the threat of climate change grows, the nation’s strategies offer a roadmap for dealing with natural calamities more effectively

Cyclone ‘Dana’ recently made landfall on the eastern coast of India, bringing with it heavy rains, strong winds and high tidal waves. While the cyclone’s impact caused damage to infrastructure and disruptions to daily life, the nation’s response showcased advancements in disaster preparedness and resilience. The Government’s coordinated efforts, improved early warning systems, and proactive measures helped mitigate the cyclone’s impact, preventing large-scale casualties and ensuring a quicker recovery. This development marks another step forward in India’s ongoing efforts to handle natural calamities more effectively. Cyclone ‘Dana’ formed over the Bay of Bengal, following a trajectory that saw it intensifying into a severe cyclonic storm as it approached the coast. The eastern states of Odisha and West Bengal, already familiar with the threat of cyclones, were put on high alert. Cyclones are not new to India; in fact, the country has been battling such natural disasters for centuries. However, a significant shift has been seen in recent years with India’s proactive approach to cyclone management.

India’s approach to disaster management has evolved over the years. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has made significant strides in forecasting the path and intensity of cyclones. With the use of advanced satellite technology, Doppler radar systems, and numerical weather prediction models, the IMD now provides early warnings with much greater accuracy. In the case of Cyclone Dana, the IMD issued timely alerts well in advance, allowing state governments to initiate precautionary measures. Over the past decade, India has vastly improved its capacity to evacuate people from high-risk zones to safety. For Cyclone Dana, over 300,000 residents from coastal districts were moved to cyclone shelters, which had been strengthened as part of disaster preparedness programmes. Another critical component of India’s improved disaster response is the emphasis on community awareness and participation. The improvements in India’s cyclone preparedness did not happen overnight. The devastating impact of past cyclones, such as Cyclone Phailin (2013), Cyclone Fani (2019), and Cyclone Amphan (2020), served as a wake-up call for policymakers. For instance, Cyclone Phailin, which struck Odisha in 2013, caused widespread damage despite timely evacuations. The experience underscored the need for more resilient infrastructure and better early warning systems. Cyclone Fani in 2019 showed progress in the country’s disaster response, as timely evacuations of over a million people saved countless lives. With Cyclone Amphan in 2020, the Government further fine-tuned its strategies, deploying more resources to affected areas and utilising technology for real-time monitoring. These efforts demonstrated that lessons from past cyclones were being effectively incorporated into future preparedness plans.