Coastal Orissa, ravaged by the cyclone of '99, is today a model of rehabilitation.


Eight years ago, Orissa was a symbol of devastation and despair. Decades of floods, droughts and other natural disasters had already brought the state to its knees. In October 1999, a supercyclone—of the most severe level, category 5—shredded its coastal districts, leaving more than 10,000 dead, two million houses destroyed and 1.89 crore people affected. Those who thought Orissa would never be able to recover from that body blow didn't obviously realise that extreme tragedy can be transformative. For, not only did the state get back on its feet, it used the rush of relief funds to raise itself higher, becoming a textbook example of how to leverage a disaster for the common weal.
       
Amid the destruction, the supercyclone also created a resolve— to do things differently. It's writ large in the spanking-new coastal infrastructure.   

Amidst everything it destroyed, the supercyclone created one thing: the resolve, from then on, to do things differently.

Crucially, the reconstruction effort did more than just build homes for the homeless or restore the ravaged coastal areas to their former condition. "Though the supercyclone
inflicted terrible damage, today we're all much better off," says Naba Kumar Mishra, project manager of Varrat, an ngo in Kendrapara district. "Apart from house-building grants, funds were allocated for infrastructure, healthcare facilities, schools and colleges. There were massive initiatives by the government and other bodies to improve livelihoods."

The figures speak for themselves. Practically every family that lost their home received money to construct a concrete house. Some 221 healthcare units were built or restored along with nearly a thousand km of road, 500 agro-service centres, 2,555 lift-irrigation facilities, 8,890 primary schools and 1,149 high school buildings. "In a way, the supercyclone was a blessing in disguise for people of Orissa," says Bijaya Kumar Patnaik, a senior IAS officer in the state. "A lot of infrastructure has been created, and many income-generating schemes launched which have led to higher earnings."


The state's masterstroke was the formation of the Orissa State Disaster Mitigation Authority (OSDMA). The semi-autonomous agency has constructed 160 cyclone shelters, and plans to set up 320 more along the 480 km long coastline. Designed by experts from iit, Kharagpur, these massive concrete shelters stand on stilts and can withstand 300 kmph winds or a 15-foot tsunami surge. In safe weather, they are used as schools and community halls. During a cyclone, they will provide refuge for up to 3,000 people, along with stocks of food, emergency equipments and medicines.

"We've trained people from each coastal village in rescue operations and first aid. They form the backbone of the shelters and we hold refresher courses for them once in three months," OSDMA MD Nikunja K. Sundaray told Outlook. In addition, the agency has drawn on personnel from the state armed police to form the Orissa Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), which has platoon-strength units stationed in five coastal locations. Four hundred communication posts, equipped with VHF sets and satellite phones, are strung out along the coast to provide early warnings.

The agency proved its mettle on September 13, when a tsunami warning sounded in the early evening. "Within a few minutes, people in all the coastal districts were alerted," Sundaray said. "And within two hours, we had evacuated lakhs of people to safer places, including the cyclone shelters." In fact, the UNDP was so impressed that it is now studying their response mechanism as a model for other countries. On its own initiative, the OSDMA is offering disaster management consultancy to other states.

Orissa received thousands of crores of rupees in aid after the cyclone.Amazingly, not a single allegation of corruption or irregularities in distribution of relief has surfaced. Baijayant (Jay) Panda, the BJD MP, recalls that immediately after coming to power in early 2000, CM Naveen Patnaik drew up guidelines to ensure that "relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction had to be efficient and transparent, without any bias and corruption," and that all such projects were strictly monitored. "We've evolved a set of clear benchmarks and 'best practices' that are now being emulated by other states," he told Outlook. Even Opposition leaders in Orissa concede the remarkable achievements of the government's relief and rehab efforts, which have shown that a gust of ill wind can be harnessed to blow some good.