Most tropical cyclones originating in Bay of Bengal hit Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Maximum number of tropical cyclones originating in the Bay of Bengal affect the Indian coast with Odisha frequently bearing the brunt of the natural phenomenon resulting in huge loss of life and property, an eminent scientist said on Tuesday.

Records show that of the total number of tropical cyclones which originated in the Bay of Bengal between 1891 and 1994, 58 per cent had hit the Indian coast while 15.5 per cent had headed towards Bangladesh, Prof. Uma Charan Mohanty, Distinguished Professor at the Centre for Climate Smart Agriculture (CCSA) run by Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Deemed to be University (SOA) here, said.

Prof. Mohanty said that 7.5 per cent of the tropical cyclones hit Myanmar while one per cent affected Sri Lanka. Around 18 per cent of the cyclonic storms got dissipated over the sea.

He was delivering a lecture on ‘Tropical Cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and Objective Methods for Prediction of Track and Intensity’ organised by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) to mark its 150th anniversary which was hosted by SOA. The Odisha chapter of Indian Meteorological Society (IMS) also supported the event.

The IMD was set up as one of the first scientific departments of the country on January 15, 1875 and a year-long celebration is underway to mark its 150th anniversary.

Prof. Mohanty, a former Professor at Centre for Atmospheric Sciences, IIT-Delhi and IIT-Bhubaneswar, said as per records, Odisha was hit by the more than 100 tropical cyclones between 1901 and 2005 while Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu experienced lesser number of cyclones.

The Bay of Bengal generated more number of tropical cyclones compared to the Arabian Sea, he said.

The talk, delivered in hybrid mode, was also attended by Dr. M. Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences. Dr. Mrutyunjaya Mohapatra, Director General of IMD, welcomed the participants. SOA Vice-Chancellor Prof. Pradipta Kumar Nanda also addressed the gathering which was attended by Dr (Ms.) Manorama Mohanty, Head of IMD State Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar.

Meteorologists and scientists from IMD as well as professors, faculty members and researchers from SOA were present.

Prof. Mohanty said cyclones arising from Bay of Bengal, which accounted for only five per cent of the total number of such storms in the world, were of relatively moderate intensity compared to cyclones occurring in other basins. But those hitting the Indian coast caused a higher number of deaths and inflicted greater economic loss in comparison to cyclones elsewhere in the world, he said.

In last 300 years, Bay of Bengal accounted for about 73 per cent of such tropical cyclones which killed more than 5000 people. The most devastating cyclone was ‘Bhola’ which hit Bangladesh in 1970 killing more than three lakh people, he said.

The large stretch of low-lying deltaic region in the cyclone prone east coast of India having a large number of river systems and shallow bathymetry was responsible for high storm surges leading to the high casualty figure, Prof. Mohanty said adding the 1999 super cyclone had killed 10,000 people in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district.

Pointing out that the global frequency of most destructive tropical cyclones had increased since the 1970s, he said the number of Category four and five cyclones had been showing significant increase.

Prof. Mohanty said the IMD had achieved remarkable success in forecasting tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea in the last 17 years providing timely information to the administration and public about approaching storms. It had been made possible because of the enhanced observation, improved high-resolution modeling, increase in computational resources, interaction among operational, research and academic communities and international collaboration.

He pointed out that a comprehensive disaster management system aimed at achieving zero casualty had been yielding results. It comprised of impact-based forecast and warning, objective prediction system, effective administrative and evacuation measures, development of infrastructure and awareness building which greatly helped in reducing fatalities.

The active participation of media, increase in communication facilities and involvement of social activists had also contributed towards reduction of casualties, he said. Odisha became the first state in the country to set up the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) in 1999 which prompted the central government to establish the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in 2005, he said.

In Odisha, the construction of large number of cyclone shelters in the coastal belt, construction of concrete village roads, healthcare facilities and timely large scale evacuation of people from vulnerable areas to safe places had been primarily responsible for the reduction of human and livestock casualties, Prof. Mohanty said.Steps initiated after the devastating 1999 super cyclone in Odisha had ensured that there were minimal loss of lives and damage to infrastructure, he said.