Caution thrown to winds?

Thiruvananthapuram: The failure of State agencies to alert the public on the imminent cyclone has given rise to complaints, especially from fishers who say a timely warning would have prevented the 150-0dd men in boats, being stranded at sea since Thursday morning. State Disaster Management Authority chief Shekhar Kuriakose said a cyclone warning was issued by IMD only in its 12 pm bulletin on Thursday and hence the authority could not have anticipated the development on its own.

However, IMD sources said the trough of pressure and low pressure formations consecutively had been issued in bulletins since Tuesday. Bulletins, besides being available on the IMD website, are transmitted to different State agencies, which are expected to convey the impact of the bulletin information to sections concerned and launch precautionary measures. Sources said the official failure to alert fishermen cannot be explained away with technical jargon. 

The Fisheries Department and the Marine Enforcement wing are directly responsible for warning fishermen, especially when such developments are the least anticipated. Fishers are themselves capable of sensing seasonal dangers but they would be totally clueless about sudden cyclones such as Ockhi.  There has also been delay in alerting the Navy and getting a copter to launch a search during the day. Even the Navy and Coastguard vessels had set out for Thiruvananthapuram only late afternoon and had to encounter rough seas to reach the destination and identify stranded motorized craft.