Politics of cyclone evacuation: successful handling of Fani in Odisha, India

Purpose This paper explores the nature of politics involved in handling tropical cyclone “Fani” that struck Odisha on 3rd May 2019. The state government’s effort in evacuating one and a half million people in 24 h prior to the cyclone’s landfall was widely appreciated for minimizing the human death toll. The paper examines how public evacuation was carried out in the landfall region and the nature of meteorological warning services provided, in particular intensity forecasts. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a social constructivist framework to examine the evacuation in the midst of a general election in 2019. It follows a qualitative approach and draws from the fieldwork carried out in Puri district, where 17 focused group discussions (FGDs) and 17 personal interviews (PIs) were conducted in 16 villages and one Urban Local Body (ULB). Findings The management strategy hinged on an aggregation of evacuee numbers from different parts of the state instead of focusing on the region most vulnerable to the storm surge. This approach was effective because the intensity of a tropical cyclone is measured meteorologically through wind speed, without integrating the phenomenon of storm surge – the cause of most deaths in deadly cyclonic storms. A large evacuee figure in this context served two purpose – it shielded authorities from the scrutiny of performance on related fronts such as relief and rehabilitation and helped create a perception in the event of high casualties, maximum efforts were made. Research limitations/implications Primary data was collected from specific areas of Puri district, which by no means was representative of the entire district. The role of media that plays an important role in the framing and politicization of disasters, was also not explored. Originality/value This effort adds a different dimension to the growing body of literature on “disaster politics.” It focuses on evacuation from a social constructivist perspective, highlighting the use of evacuation figures by the agencies to showcase efforts and as protection from critical scrutiny of their overall performance.