IAF C 130J sent to Philippines on a Humanitarian Aid Mission

Government of India on 14 November 2013 dispatched relief package that includes medicines, hygiene and chemicals, tentage, blankets, tarpaulins and ready to eat meals to Hurricane ravaged Philippines by an Indian Air Force C-130J aircraft to Mactan. 
The relief package will helped the people of Philippines to meet the urgent needs at the time of trouble like life-saving medical care, food supplies and construction of temporary shelters in this hour of need. A similar aid was provided to Philippines by India in 2006. 

The Problem of Philippines 
Super Typhoon Haiyan of category-5 struck Philippines on 8 November 2013 and left behind more than 10000 people dead. It also affected about 4 million people. This was one of the most powerful typhoons to hit Philippines. It pushed winds up to 300 kilometers an hour.

India lost $591m to disasters

India stands at 46 out of 195 nations, says UN report

India stands 46th among the 195 countries which were assessed for global climate change risk. The rankings were released on Tuesday at the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) in Warsaw.

According to this global report, India has suffered losses to the tune of $591.28 millions in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP) in 2012 alone due to climate change problems.

The report highlights that all the top 10 worst affected countries were the least developed countries. The top three were island nation Haiti, the Philippines and Pakistan.

The index was calculated based on the impacts of weather-related loss events from 1993 to 2012 in all countries. For example, losses in tragedies like the tsunami and cylone Thane that affected Puducherry and the recent Uttarakhand flash floods have been computed using the adjusted value.

PPP is a mathematical formula, which economists use to create parity between two currencies to make them compared.

In simple terms, purchasing power parity could be called as adjusted value.

Releasing the report, Sonke Kreft and David Eckstein said, “This index is an analysis based on one of the most reliable data sets available on the impacts of extreme weather events and associated socio economic data. More than 5,30,000 people have died as a direct result of almost 15,000 extreme weather events.” They mentioned that many developing countries are already taking measures in preparation for climate related disasters, promoting as well as implementing adaptation.

Inmates escape from Tacloban A PHILIPPINE general says that inmates have escaped from a provincial jail in the typhoon-hit city of Tacloban after breaking down a jail wal

UN launches appeal for $301 mn to help relief efforts in typhoon-hit Philippines

The UN has launched an appeal for 301 million dollar to help relief efforts in typhoon-hit areas of the Philippines. At least 10,000 people are feared to have been killed by Typhoon Haiyan, which struck the central Philippines on Friday. The UN says more than 11 million people are believed to have been affected by the storm and some 673,000 displaced. Several countries have deployed ships to help the relief effort, but bad weather is hampering aid distribution.

India to send 15 tonnes of relief material to Philippines

India will send 15 tonnes of relief material to the Philippines, where nearly 10,000 people have died after super typhoon Haiyan ravaged the country, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said Tuesday.

A plane carrying the relief material which includes, tarpaulin sheets, tents, cooked food, biscuits, medicines and milk powder will be leaving for the Philippines Tuesday night, Khurshid told reporters here.

A ship would also be sent later with water treatment equipment, he said.

Super typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines last week. An estimated 10,000 people in the central Philippine province of Leyte might have died.

India Signed Financing and Project Agreements with World Bank for Disaster Management

The Union Government of India, the Government of Tamil Nadu and the Government of Puducherry signed the Financing and Project Agreements for World Bank assistance (IDA assistance) of 236 million US Dollar with the World Bank on 11 November 2013. The agreements were signed for Tamil Nadu-Puducherry Coastal Disaster Risk Reduction Project (CDRRP). The function took place at North Block, New Delhi.

Major Highlights of the Agreements

• The Financing Agreement was signed by Nilaya Mitash, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs on behalf of Government of India and Onno Ruhl, Country Director, World Bank on behalf of the World Bank.
• The Project Agreement was signed by Gagandeep Singh Bedi, Secretary, Revenue Department, Government of Tamil Nadu on behalf of Government of Tamil Nadu and Deepak Kumar, Project Director, Project Implementing Agency, Government of Puducherry on behalf of Government of Puducherry.
• The objective of the Project is to increase the resilience of coastal communities in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, to a range of hydro-meteorological and geophysical hazards along with improving project implementation entities’ capacity to respond promptly and effectively to an eligible crisis or emergency. 
• The Project will have five components, which are- (i) Vulnerability Reduction; (ii) Sustainable Fisheries; (iii) Capacity building in Disaster Risk Management; (iv) Implementation Support; and (v) Contingency Emergency Response.

Expected Results of the Project

• The Project is expected to result in (i) increased community resilience and preparedness in coastal areas; (ii) improved multi-hazard resilient coastal infrastructure; (iii) enhanced performance of and livelihood opportunities from fisheries with increased safety at sea; (iv) increased institutional capacity for risk mitigation and response at the state level.
• The primary beneficiaries of the project would be approximately 150 coastal villages that would benefit from the risk mitigation infrastructures.
• Further, the project would enable a local reform process, which will ensure an improved performance in the marine fisheries sector, characterised by a sustainable flow of social and economic benefits to coastal fisheries communities and a healthy marine environment.
• Over 17000 families are expected to benefit from the construction of in-situ permanent multi-hazard resilient houses.
• Through a disaster management curriculum development for schools and training institutions, the project has the potential to benefit a large community of school children and trainees. 
• It is Specific Investment Loan for a period of 5 years. The implementing agencies are Government of Tamil Nadu and Government of Puducherry. 

Typhoon Haiyan Made a Landfall in Northern Vietnam with Reduced Intensity

Typhoon Haiyan made a landfall in northern Vietnam, close to the China border on 10 November 2013. It is the super typhoon which killed thousands of people in Philippines. 

The super typhoon destroyed large number of towns across Philippines and killed over 10000 people, according to the Philippines’ authorities. This was declared as the deadliest recorded natural disaster of Philippines. The United States, in the meanwhile, declared military help to Philippines. 

It is important to note that the Philippines had earlier endured a range of natural disasters such as deadly typhoons, volcano eruptions, earthquakes and other similar disasters. Philippines is situated along the typhoon belt and also the Ring of Fire, a vast Pacific Ocean region where a range of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions take place. 

Until Typhoon Haiyan, the deadliest natural disaster was in the year 1976 when the tsunami of magnitude 7.9 had erupted and devastated the Moro Gulf on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao.

Philippines typhoon kills a hundred: 8,00,000 displaced

Typhoon Haiyan in Philippines has killed more than 100 and left 800,000 people displaced. Typhoon Haiyan tore through the eastern and central Philippines on November 9, 2013. It is one of the strongest to hit the Philippines, which is battered by at least 20 cyclones every year. It was stronger than Typhoon Bopha that left more than 1,800 people dead or missing in the southern region of Mindanao in 2012. According to the Meteorologists Haiyan is the largest typhoon in the world since Typhoon Tip in October 1979, which killed nearly 100 people in Japan and Guam. It is unofficially the strongest land falling tropical cyclone in recorded history. According to the national weather bureau, Haiyan was packing maximum winds of 95 km and gusts of up to 275 kph when it hit and went “island-hopping” in the Philippines. The other weather organisations placed its maximum winds at 315 kph and gusts at 380 kph. The storm weakened after making six landfalls in the eastern and central Philippines, with its maximum winds easing to 175 kph and gusts to 210 kph, the weather bureau said. It was expected to be out of the Philippines on November 9, afternoon. Typhoon: A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops in the western part of the Pacific Ocean between 180° and 100°E. This region is referred to as the Northwest Pacific Basin. For organizational purposes, the northern Pacific Ocean is divided into three regions: the eastern (North America to 140°W), central (140°W to 180°), and western (180° to 100°E). The Regional Specialized Meteorological Center (RSMC) for tropical cyclone forecasts is in Japan, with other tropical cyclone warning centers for the northwest Pacific in Honolulu (the Joint Typhoon Warning Center), the Philippines, and Hong Kong. While the RSMC names each system, the main name list itself is coordinated amongst 18 countries that have territories threatened by typhoons each year. The Philippines uses their own naming list for systems which approach the country. For instance a typhoon is called Yolanda Philippines.

What: Typhoon Haiyan kills a hundred people and 800,000 left displaced When: November 8, 2013

PM asks NDMA to improve country’s disaster management capabilities

The Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has asked National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to improve country's disaster management capabilities to respond effectively to the natural calamities. Addressing the fifth meeting of NDMA in New Delhi on 28.10.2013, the Prime Minister said that Disaster Risk Reduction strategies need to be mainstreamed into the developmental programmes and policies.

He said , this is an area on which the NDMA and the key Ministries of the Central Government should lay greater stress. He said every rupee spent on disaster preparedness is a saving of expenditure on post disaster relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction measures.

Expressing satisfaction on NDMA's role in rehabilitation works in cyclone hit states of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh Dr Singh said that early warning systems and response mechanisms should be strengthened further to minimize the negative impact of disasters. He said, in this context, NDMA`s efforts to strengthen community preparedness for disaster events and its engagement in activities related to disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness need to be continued with greater intensity.

Philippines needs USD 46.8 million for quake victims: UN

The United Nations Friday appealed for USD 46.8 million in international aid for the hundreds of thousands now living in tents after a big earthquake in the disaster-prone Philippines.

A 7.1-magnitude quake last week flattened homes, schools, clinics and other vital infrastructure killing more than 200 people.

But a further 35,000 families need emergency shelter while more than 300,000 residents of Bohol island require assistance for basic needs like water, sanitation, food, and health services for six months, UN resident humanitarian coordinator Luizha Carvalho said.

"At this moment, the Philippines is the one (country) that really stands alone with the highest of needs and the highest requirements," Carvalho told a news conference.

She said she hoped donors would still give money despite a series of recent natural and man-made disasters that also required international assistance, such as a destructive typhoon in December last year and guerrilla attacks that destroyed parts of the southern city of Zamboanga last month.

"We have a very interesting pattern of several events that are happening almost simultaneously and we still hope for the generosity of the donors," Carvalho said.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the Philippines asked donor governments and aid groups to give more on top of those already providing for survivors of Typhoon Bopha and the Zamboanga conflict.

The October 15 quake left 201 dead, along with 54,000 houses destroyed on Bohol and nearby central islands.

World Food Programme representative Praveen Agrawal said many quake survivors were still living under makeshift tents that would not stand up to heavy rain.

Carvalho said UN aid agencies had only raised USD 43 million for victims of Typhoon Bopha, far short of the USD 76 million it originally sought to help rebuild lives after a storm that left nearly 2,000 people dead or missing in the south.

Powerful Typhoon Wipha caused destruction in Japan

Wipha: A power typhoon which hit Japan

A powerful typhoon Wipha on 16 October 2013 caused landslides and flooding on Izu Oshima Island, South of Tokyo. The storm brought strong winds and record rainfall - 122mm (4.8 inches) in one hour to Izu Oshima Island, which lies some 120km (75 miles) south of Tokyo. It caused damage to property and human lives.

Wipha is the equivalent of a category 3 hurricane. Wipha is the 12th typhoon and 26th named storm of the west Pacific typhoon season. It was the strongest storm to impact the region since Typhoon Tokage in October, 2004.

Severe Cyclonic Storm Phailin Affected Indian States; Disaster Management Saved Lives

Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Phailin affected Indian states of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal as well as Thailand, Myanmar and Nepal on 12 October 2013. 

On 10 October 2013, the Phailin was equivalent to a category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale (SSHWS). On 11 October 2013, it became equal to the category 5 hurricane on the SSHWS. Cyclonic Storm Phailin made its landfall near Gopalpur in Odisha coast and subsequently weakened. It was last noted on 14 October 2013.

Role of Union Government of India and the State Governments in Disaster Management

The Union Government of India along with the State Governments of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh took the precautionary measures in order to mitigate the disaster. The Armed Forces were put on high alert and the teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were deployed in order to carry out the rescue and relief operations. The Indian Air Force (IAF) deployed 24 aircraft, including Ilyushin-76, C-130J Super Hercules and the Antonv-32, along with 18 helicopters.

What are cyclones?

The cyclone is an area of closed, circular fluid motion which rotates in the same direction as the Earth. Its primary characteristic is inward spiraling winds which rotate in the anti-clockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise direction in the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth.

How are tropical cyclones formed?

Cyclone Phailin was a tropical cyclone. The tropical cyclones form only on the warm ocean waters near the equator. For the formation of the cyclone, warm and moist air over the ocean rises in the upward direction from near the surface. 

When the air moves in the upward direction and away from ocean surface, less air is left near the surface. Therefore, when the warm air rises upward, it leads to an area of lower air pressure below. The air from the surrounding areas which have higher air pressure pushes it into the low pressure area. The new cooler air from the surrounding areas that have higher air pressure, push into the low pressure area. The new cooler air eventually becomes warm, moist and then rises upwards, which continues the cyclone.

Tropical Cyclones Intensity Scale

Category	Sustained Winds
Super Cyclonic Storm	>222 km/h
Very Severe Cyclonic Storm	118-221 km/h
Severe Cyclonic Storm	88-117 km/h
Cyclonic Storm	62-87 km/h
Deep Depression	52-61 km/h
Depression	<51 km/h

Cyclone Phailin, India's fiercest storm

Cyclone Phailin was the fiercest storm of India in 14 years. It hit the coastline of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha states and flooded farmland. Properties worth crores were damaged during the cyclone, but efficient disaster management, which is the first of its kind in India, gripped the death toll to just 23. 

Cyclones and Environmental Issues

Impact of global warming- induced sea level rise due to thermal expansion is more pronounced in the Bay of Bengal due to the shallowness of the waters. The entire coastal ecosystem in general and the eastern coast in particular are highly vulnerable due to flat and low terrain, high population density, over exploitation of natural resources, high rate of environmental degradation on account of pollution and non-sustainable development.

Although cyclones affect the entire coast of India, the East Coast is more prone compared to the West Coast. There are 13 Coastal States and UTs in India, with about 84 coastal districts affected by tropical cyclones. Four States (Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal) and one UT (Puducherry) on the East Coast and one State (Gujarat) on the West Coast are the States that are more vulnerable to cyclone disasters.

Typhoon Nari created Havoc in Philippines

Nari: The Typhoon which hit hard the northern part of Philippines
Typhoon Nari hit hard the northern part of Philippines on 13 October 2013. The government issued a storm warning for the east of the region. Typhoon Nari is the 19th storm to hit the disaster-prone country.  More than 43000 people displaced by the storm. The Philippines are hit by some 20 typhoons each year.
A tropical disturbance formed in the Philippine sea from an area of convection. The PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration) upgraded it into a tropical depression and named it Santi. It gradually intensified into a Tropical Storm, gaining the international name Nari 9 October 2013. Nari continued to intensify, and reached Category 3 status on 11 October as it moved west towards the Philippines and made landfall in Dingalan, Aurora.

Cyclone Phailin 'may be worse than Katrina' that hit US in 2005

The weather office may be underestimating the severity of a cyclone which is hurtling towards the east coast, a meteorologist warned on Friday, adding that it could be worse than Hurricane Katrina which devastated parts of the United States in 2005.

Cyclone Phailin is forecast to hit the coast between Kalingapatnam inAndhra Pradesh and Paradip in Odisha late on Saturday with a maximum wind speed of 220kmph (135mph), the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its latest bulletin.
However, both London-based Tropical Storm and the US navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Centre forecast winds reaching 315kmph (195mph) on landfall, classifying Phailin as a Category 5 storm — the most powerful .
Hurricane Katrina hit the US Gulf coast on August 29, 2005, killing more than 1,800 people, driving 2.16 million from their homes and causing $75 billion of damage.

Some experts have compared Phailin with a super cyclone in 1999 that killed 10,000 people when it battered the coast of Odisha with wind speeds reaching 300kmph (185mph).

Millions affected

"Up to 6.1 million people can be affected by wind speeds of cyclone strength or above. In addition, 47,000 people are living in coastal areas below 5 metres above sea level and can be affected by storm surge," the GDACS website said.

Cyclonic Storm Phailin hit the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Phailin:The cyclonic storm hit the Andaman and Nicobar islands

The cyclonic storm Phailin in the second week of October 2013 hit the Andaman and Nicobar islands and moved northwestwards early this morning and presently lay centred about 800 km South East of Paradip in Odisha. It is expected to reach the coast of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh in the next 48 to 72 hours. The system will intensify into a severe cyclonic storm during the next 12 hours. Fishermen have been asked not to venture into sea and those gone deep inside the sea have been asked to return to the coast.

Meanwhile the Odisha government has issued a high alert and cancelled the Dusshera holidays of employees in 14 districts.  It has been decided to deploy Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force teams in the 14 districts. The State government has also asked all the cyclone-prone district authorities to stock up food and relief materials at cyclone shelters.

Floods that killed 15,000 lives in city 105 yrs ago

On World Tourism Day today, it is apt to remember how city fought back a massive calamity

Many of the present generation Hyderabad is will be surprised to know that Musi river, which passes through the city, had claimed nearly 15,000 lives and rendered 80,000 homeless in one single night 105 years ago.An equally ignored fact by the governments is that Musi flood, which occurred on September 28, 1908, in a way symbolized the resurgence of modern city. On the occasion of the World Tourism Day.

Typhoon Usagi hit Shanwei City in China

Typhoon Usagi killed several people after crashing ashore in southern China on 23 September 2013. Earlier, Usagi made landfall near Shanwei city in Guangdong province northeast of Hong Kong on 22 September 2013. Approximately, 226000 people were relocated due to the storm and more than 7100 houses collapsed or were badly damaged.The typhoon cost the province 529.5 million US dollars in direct economic losses.

Usagi had previously killed two people in the Philippines and unleashed landslides and power outages across southern Taiwan at the weekend as it ploughed through the Luzon Strait with ferocious winds and heavy downpours.

It was the strongest typhoon to strike Hong Kong city since 1979.

On its way towards southern China, Usagi had forced the evacuation of 3,400 people in southern Taiwan. Twelve people were injured in Kinmen, a Taiwan-controlled island off China's Fujian province, after they were hit by falling trees.

33 out of 38 Bihar districts declared drought hit

The Nitish Kumar government, on Wednesday, declared 33 out of the 38 districts of the Bihar state ‘drought-hit’, thereby paving the way for offering relief packages to the affected farmers.

The decision was taken at a special cabinet meeting convened at 1, Aney Marg, official residence of chief minister Nitish Kumar, in view of a marked deficiency in rainfall and depletion in ground water levels in these districts.

The declaration of drought came about a month or so after 20 districts of the state, most of them in north Bihar, were ravaged by floods, which claimed the lives of 200 persons and affected nearly six million others.

4,120 missing post-Uttarakhand floods

Floods have been taken on June 18th 2013 Uttarakhand has released a final update on the number of people who went missing from Rudrapryag, Chamoli and Uttarkashi districts in the aftermath of the mid-June flashfloods and landslides. On Monday chief secretary Subhash Kumar gave a figure of 4,120 missing people on the basis of FIRs lodged at various police stations in the state's 13 districts and at the Dehradun-based Uttarakhand Missing Persons Cell. 
Giving a statewise break-up  1,150 from Uttar Pradesh, 86 from Andhra Pradesh missing.

Rs 3.36 cr cash recovered from Kedarnath

Only 15 states have set up Disaster Response Force: NDMA

Only 15 states have so far set up their own respective State Disaster Response Force following direction from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) earlier this year.

Only 15 states have so far set up their respective state dedicated forces meant for immediate response to disaster and also involve in community capacity building and creating awareness on the need to observe and follow safety guidelines, NDMA member K.M. Singh said in Shillong.

“We had been advocating for the setting up of the state disaster response force by all state governments to tackle emergency situations in line with the NDRF,” Mr. Singh said while addressing a conference on safe management of chemical petroleum and petrochemical industries.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma informed that the state government would soon set up the state disaster response force as mandated by the NDMA.

“You reminded me that we need to move faster and ensure that it is put in place at the earliest,” Mukul said, while apologising for the delay.

The NDMA member informed that the Centre has sanctioned the setting up of yet another battalion of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in the North East, preferably in Upper Assam.

A battalion of the NDRF in Guwahati is the only one looking after for the whole region, he said adding that one more battalion is likely to be set up in Upper Assam or Silchar wherever land is given.

Mr. Singh said the NDMA is also keen to set up at least one company of the NDRF in each of the NE states provided the governments provide land for them.

He said the country had recorded 1861 major hazardous accidents in 26 states in the country, adding that in the North East region, Meghalaya, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and Tripura have very high vulnerability to natural disasters and being located in the highly seismological active zone.

5.1 magnitude quake in China affects 52,000

Over 52,000 people have been affected by the 5.1-magnitude earthquake which hit the border of southwest China's Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, local authorities said on 29.8.2013.