We can’t avoid natural
disasters, can we? Unable to do anything, knowing and able to judge the havoc
which can be caused, we just sit protected in our rooms. But what about the
poor people, who don’t have good strong houses? I saw two natural disasters in
my life of 27yrs and both were cyclones. One in the year 1999, when cyclone had
hit the coastal belt of Orissa. The speed was around 120 to 140 kmph. It lasted
for an hour and killed so many people, rendered many homeless. Actually it was
a surprise for the people. They didn’t expect it be such huge and the worst
thing was they didn’t have the idea of what a cyclone is and what it can do.
They just thought it is going to be raining all night and the wind will travel
faster. The cyclone hit around 11pm and the next morning, all the electric
poles, big trees, small houses had fallen. We didn’t have electricity for about
a month. Thank god we were not attached to many electronic goods during that
time.Each one helping the needy. Faith in humanity was restored.
Again a cyclone nick
named as Pilian hit Orissa in the mid of October. This time, IMD had predicted
its intensity and timing perfectly. I don’t know if they got lucky or the
lesson of 1999 had taught them well. They evacuated nearly 200000 people to
safer places. The speed this time was expected to be 200 to 240 kmph and was
expected to be huge. It was compared to the bigger cyclones which had caused
havoc in other parts of the world. That is the reason; deaths were very low
this time. It was near to 100. In terms of havoc, electric poles were twisted,
bent and had fallen. Huge trees which were very old fell, few big trees fell on
nearby houses and shops. But the bigger problem was the third party people, who
hiked the prices of vegetables and other groceries, as everyone was hoarding it
for 2-3 days. The potatoes price increased from 10rs in the morning to 40rs by
5pm.There were long queues at petrol bunks, and if we wanted to buy from any
other vendor, it was 10rs extra. After the cyclone, the people who made lot of
money were the ones renting generators, they charged about 1000rs per hour and
the generators from small to big, all were in demand and ran 24 by 7 at some or
the other house. The funniest and money minting business was mobile charging. I
guess reliance opened a stall for charging mobiles and chaged 20rs per hour.
Each extension board was connected to many other extensions. Shows us how we
were dependent on mobile phones. Thanks to Bsnl for taking the lines
underground, unlike last time, we atleast had landline connectivity this time. But
I had my fun, as I wanted to experience the cyclone and have a feel of the
energy it had. Went to my terrace and stood on that wall and was sure not to
drift and would have fallen in a safer location. The intensity of the wind was
tremendous so as the shunting from my mother. Anyways the havoc has ended and I
don’t wish to see any natural disaster again in my life!!! Very few snaps the
next morning.
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| Few trees inclined due to the winds |
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| Many trees had fallen across the city on cables and houses |
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| the bent and twisted electric pole. |
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| Few fallen trees |
