CYCLONE JAWAD

• Recently, Cyclone Jawad has hit the east coast of India particularly the State of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
• Although the cyclone weakened and didn’t cause much damage, it highlighted that India’s cyclone management approach was largely based on evacuation.
• Thus, India’s cyclone management must incorporate Mitigation and Preparedness measures. Mitigation means measures taken prior to the impact of a disaster to minimize its effects.

Important points:

• Cyclones are rapid inward air circulation around a low-pressure area. The air circulates in an anticlockwise direction in the Northern hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern hemisphere.
• Cyclones are usually accompanied by violent storms and bad weather.
• The word Cyclone is derived from the Greek word Cyclos meaning the coils of a snake.
• It was coined by Henry Piddington because the tropical storms in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea appear like coiled serpents of the sea.
• Too little attention being given to key disaster response functions other than evacuation.
• The current threat from Cyclone Jawad, which comes at a time when crops in most parts are nearing harvest.
• There was distress selling and premature harvesting because of the cyclone.

Mitigation

• Hazard mapping for cyclones represents the results of cyclone hazard assessment on a map, showing the frequency/probability of occurrences of various intensities or durations.
• Policies should be in place to regulate land use and enforcement of building codes.
• Vulnerable areas should be kept for parks, grazing grounds or flood diversion instead of human settlements.
• Some examples of general good construction practice include:
• Constructing buildings on stilts or on earthen mounds.
• Buildings should be wind and water resistant.
• Buildings storing food supplies should be protected against the winds and water.
• Cyclone Shelters are necessary for areas vulnerable to recurrent cyclones.
• The construction of cyclone shelters requires substantial funding, therefore, generally linked to support from government or external donors.
• For construction of cyclone shelters, the most appropriate sites should be selected, using the Geographical Information System.
• Flooding will result from a cyclonic storm. Storm surges will flood the coastal areas. Heavy rains will bring in flash floods.
• Embankments along the rivers, sea walls along the coasts may keep water away from the flood plains.
• Water flow can be regulated through construction of reservoirs, check dams and alternate drainage channels/routes.

Color Coding of Cyclones:

• It is a weather warning that is issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to alert people ahead of natural hazards.
• The four colors used by IMD are Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red.

SOURCE: THE HINDU,THE ECONOMIC TIMES,MINT