In the last 50 years (1970-2019), as many as 117 cyclones hit India and claimed over 40,000 lives, according to a study on extreme weather events. However, the study stated that the mortality rate due to tropical cyclones has come down significantly over the past 10 years.
A total of 7,063 extreme weather events killed 1,41,308 people during the 50-year period in the country, which included 40,358 (or 28 per cent) due to cyclones and 65,130 (a little over 46 per cent) due to floods, the study said.
The research paper published earlier this year has been authored by M Rajeevan, Secretary of Ministry of Earth Sciences, along with scientists Kamaljit Ray, S S Ray, R K Giri and A P Dimri. Kamaljit Ray is the lead author of the paper.
The study assumes significance against the backdrop of the back-to-back severe cyclones, Tauktae and Yaas, hitting India's western and eastern coasts respectively, leaving a trail of destruction.
The study stated that the number of deaths due to cyclones has come down significantly in the last two decades, whose latter years have witnessed much improvement in the IMD's weather forecast abilities.
In 1971, the study said, four tropical cyclones developed in the Bay of Bengal within a period of about six weeks. Of these, the most destructive one struck the Odisha coast. About 10,000 people were reported to have lost their lives, and more than one million rendered homeless, it said.
In 1977, two tropical cyclones developed over the Bay of Bengal during November 9-20, out of which the second one (Chirala cyclone) which was a very severe tropical cyclone with a wind speed of the order of 200 kilometres per hour along with tidal waves 5 metres high, hit coastal Andhra Pradesh, the study said.
The estimated mortalities were around 10,000 and total damage to infrastructure and crops was more than USD 25 million. The decade from 1970-1980 alone recorded over 20,000 mortalities due to cyclones.
“Overall, the analysis showed that the mortality rate associated with tropical cyclones decreased by almost 88 per cent in the last decade (2010–2019) in comparison to the earlier decade (2000–2009) despite the significant increasing trend of severe tropical cyclones during the post-monsoon season over Bay of Bengal,” the paper stated.
India Meteorological Department Director General Mrutunjay Mohapatra said the reason for declining fatalities during cyclones over the years was due to improvement in IMD's forecast abilities. Earlier, storm surge was the major reason behind fatalities, but now deaths are caused mostly by the collapse of a tree or a house now, he said.