Data shows decline in cyclones over Bay of Bengal, increase in storms over Arabian Sea: Centre
Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
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.
Most of such cyclones are making landfall over the coasts of Oman, Yemen, etc, therefore the threat to Gujarat and Maharashtra coasts remains same, he told the Lower House.
Studies show a decreasing trend in the frequency of formation of cyclonic Storms over the eastern side (the Bay of Bengal) and an increasing trend over the western side (the Arabian Sea), Vardhan said quoting data during 1965 and 2020 and scientific investigations on frequency and impacts of cyclones over the North Indian Ocean region. On average, out of five cyclones developing in the North Indian Ocean region comprising the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, about three to four make a landfall, causing loss of life and property. Low lying coastal belts of West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry are more prone to the impact of these systems, he said.
As per data, in 2020, four of the five cyclones in the region made a landfall over the Indian coast, killing as many as 113 persons; in 2019 two out of eight made the landfall taking the toll of 105 persons, and in 2018 three of the seven cyclones made it to the land, killing 131 persons. In 2017, none of the three cyclones made the landfall, while in 2016, only one of the four traveled to the mainland, killing six persons. Though the very Severe Cyclone ‘Ockhi’ in 2017 did not cross the coast, it claimed the lives of more than 200 fishermen out in the sea.
Although studies showed a decreasing trend in the frequency of formation of cyclonic storms over the Bay of Bengal, the region still remains prone to ‘Extremely Severe Cyclones’ or storms of higher intensity.
“There is no significant trend in the frequency of Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storms (ESCS),” he said.
The minister said that improvement in the early warning skill by the IMD and response actions by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has helped bring down the number of deaths due to cyclones significantly.
Still, there is a huge loss to property, he said. “Greater vulnerability to tropical cyclone damage all over the world is mainly due to socio-economic and demographic factors. Improvements in warning systems and preparedness in disaster management remain critical to mitigate the loss of lives and, to some extent, loss of property. Some of the studies have highlighted the importance of land-use planning, development of coastal districts and insurance measures, in addition to the development of a vigilant disaster management system,” he added.
The Centre has also initiated the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) to address cyclone risks in the country. Its main objective is to reduce the vulnerability of coastal communities to cyclone and other hydro-meteorological hazards through improved early warning dissemination systems and enhanced capacity of local communities to respond to disasters, the minister said.
