DC Edit | Bravo India for averting Biparjoy toll

India has successfully averted any human tragedy in Gujarat, after disaster management personnel evacuated over one lakh people ahead of the arrival of Cyclone Biparjoy. This is the first cyclone of such magnitude hitting India this year, as the previous one, Cyclone Mocha, did not make a landfall in India, hitting instead the neighbouring nation of Myanmar between May 11 and 14.

Though Cyclone Biparjoy, which lashed the Kutch-Saurashtra region, left a trail of destruction damaging 5,120 electricity poles and rendering 4,600 villages without power, no loss of human life was reported, which is an exemplary feat in itself. It stands testimony to our national resolve to use technology and people to protect citizens.

While power supply has been restored in 3,580 villages, more than 1,000 others are still without electricity as on Friday. Nearly 600 trees were uprooted and traffic movement on three state highways came to a standstill after winds gathered destructive speeds up to 140 kmph.

For years, Gujarat has borne the brunt of natural disasters as cyclones have become a regular and deadly menace along the coast of the northern Indian Ocean. More than 4,000 people died in India when a cyclone hit Gujarat in 1998. Over the years, cyclones have become more deadly as surface temperatures in the Arabian Sea got warmer by 1.2 to 1.4 degrees Celsius.

The role of the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) is crucial to this effort, though it was backed by several other agencies as well as volunteers. In a swift action, the NDRF sent 18 dedicated teams, equipped with poles, tree cutters and inflatable boats to Gujarat to undertake rescue and relief operations.

The NDRF is a specialised force set up in 2007 after a slew of natural disasters battered the country. Since its inception, it has saved over 1.48 lakh lives and evacuated more than seven lakh stranded people from disaster-hit areas within the country and abroad.

The NDRF and other government agencies have learnt the art of minimising the loss of human lives. Compared to 1998, Gujarat lost 150 lives when it was hit by Cyclone Tauktae in 2021. And now, they have, in fact, bettered the record. No lives have been lost due to Cyclone Biparjoy so far.

Let us celebrate this achievement but focus on ensuring that people in the region soon resume normal activities.