Extremely severe cyclonic storm Tauktae, which hit southern Gujarat’s Saurashtra coast on
May 17, brought heavy rain to all seven states and Union Territories on India’s western coast.Thousands of uprooted trees damaged residences, vehicles and essential infrastructure such as electricity lines. Around 1,50,000 people had to be
evacuated in Gujarat. At least 90 people
The damage has drawn into sharp focus the need for adequate disaster mitigation infrastructure like shelters, all-weather roads and embankments in light of increasing cyclonic storms on the west coast. Installation of this infrastructure, however, has not kept pace in this region, official data show.
Phase-II of the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project, being implemented since January 2015 by the National Disaster Management Agency and state governments, covers all the west coast states –Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala – and the eastern state of West Bengal. None of the west coast states
Read more about India s western states lack critical infrastructure for cyclone management on Business Standard. States lag in installing saline embankments and underground cabling to ensure continued supply of services.
More Cyclones Batter India's West Coast But States Slow To Build Critical Infrastructure indiaspend.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from indiaspend.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Coastal strip of responsibility extends upto 75 km from the coast line.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) has developed state of art tools for cyclone warning services, and has demonstrated its capability to provide early warning for Cyclones with high precision and has earned accolades globally and nationally for very effective state of art early warning system for monitoring and prediction of cyclones. The cyclone forecast accuracy has significantly improved in recent years as has been demonstrated during cyclones Phailin (2013), Hudhud (2014), Vardah (2016), Titli (2018), Fani& Bulbul (2019) and Amphan, Nisarga&Nivar (2020). During recent years, the loss of life due to cyclone has been drastically reduced being limited to double digit figures.
1241 People carry an elderly man who was injured as strong winds and waves hit the shoreline ahead of the landfall of Cyclone Vayu in Veraval, Gujarat, on June 13, 2019. PTI
Vibha Sharma
New Delhi, March 15
While the number of cyclones forming on the Bay of Bengal side of the Indian subcontinent is decreasing, those on the Arabian Sea are showing an increasing trend and likewise the number of those making a landfall, Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan said.
Harsh Vardhan recently told Lok Sanja that the increase in frequency over the Arabian Sea has not posed a corresponding increase in the coastal vulnerability along the west coast.