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Effects and resilience to natural disasters in rural India

people in our area prefer to migrate for work outside in cases of drought or any family emergency. Earlier people
feared going outside for work, but now people do not want to stay in trouble but prefer to migrate and earn to
maintain their families.” (FGD participant, Nuapada)
Social capital was a key factor in the community response to cyclones and floods in Jagatsinghpur. Communities
often took the first initiative to help, through family and community groups, with the government subsequently providing
support. After the super cyclone in 1999, participants said that the community itself was the first to provide immediate help
or shelter, and the government stepped in thereafter and offered support through rescue and relief activities. According to
participants, there was a strong sense of community feeling during floods. People carried sticks and torchlights to rescue
others onto river embankments and other areas. They also said that people ate rice left soggy after floods and green coconut
to cope with food shortages in the immediate aftermath of cyclones or floods. Similar to Nuapada and Sundargarh, people
in Jagatsinghpur skipped meals, and food was distributed equally among family members (particularly among children
and elderly persons) during the aftermath of natural disasters.
After the 1999 super cyclone, community preparedness for cyclones was scaled up. Participants said that mechanisms
to save human lives and cattle were given priority. People became proactive in taking preventive measures, such as storing
flattened rice, jaggery, biscuits, potatoes and other vegetables, stoves and kerosene, and drinking water. When floodwater
increased beyond a danger line, people moved to a higher place (e.g., stable pucca houses of neighbors, or public buildings such
as multipurpose cyclone rehabilitation centers (MCRCs) and/or schools) with dry foods. Many villagers have built pucca houses
with raised foundations. In their houses, they built a shelf (plank) for keeping important documents safe. The platforms of tube
wells were raised, and toilets were built higher off the ground. Preservation of coastal mangroves to protect villages from the
effects of cyclones was emphasized, and people grew plants locally that could shield homes from strong winds. Community
members kept themselves updated and informed about impending cyclones and floods through television and newspapers.
“ We have built a semi pucca (cement wall and thatched roof) house now. We have also planted acacia, eucalyptus,
casuarina near the house to shield ourselves from the wind. We purchased TV and newspaper in our home to know
disaster-related information. We also raised the foundation of our house for protection from water, and constructed
high-rise tube well in the house for drinking water. In addition, we keep polythene and rope in our home, store
kerosene, keep important documents in a box for safety, store food from August onward because of the prevalence of
cyclone, particularly in October and November.” (Unmarried female, 20 years, IDI)
For livelihoods and food security, participants reported that some people grew alternate crops such as black gram,
some switched to cultivating white shrimp rather than tiger prawns, and others took up alternative occupations such as
setting up cloth and eatery shops in Jagatsinghpur. In Nuapada and Sundargarh, people took up daily wage work and the
sale of forest products as the survival mechanism from natural disasters.

3.3.2. Government measures, schemes, and policies
As noted by the state meteorological official, some of the strategies the government used to help people during cyclones
and floods included early weather information and updates on natural disasters, communicated to the special relief
commissioner, and the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA). The district collector and organizations
such as National Disaster Response Force, Central Industrial Security Force, the Airport Authority, and hospitals were
informed about the weather through text messaging. Regular weather updates were provided to the print and electronic
media. Warnings were disseminated through a digital cyclone detection center. According to a key stakeholder with
OSDMA, the preparedness of the district emergency officer, is crucial to coping with any disaster. Before a disaster, the
district emergency office organizes a preparatory meeting with all the government departments. Rescue, operation, and
first aid teams are formed. Most participants in Jagatsinghpur said that the establishment of MCRCs, in the wake of the
destruction wrought by the super cyclone in 1999, has been useful for providing shelter to people during natural disasters.
“ During Phailin in 2013 and Hudhud in 2014, people had Indira Awas, cyclone rehabilitation center, and
school buildings, so people stayed according to their convenience after they heard about the cyclone in the mike
announcement. Due to the fear of super cyclone in 1999, people stayed in safe places and also stored dried food
like flatten rice, biscuits with them. Because we knew of the difficulties encountered during super cyclone.” (FGD
participant, Jagatsinghpur)
Government participants explained that the Shelter Management Committee carried out a vulnerability assessment
exercise to map people in the community, to prioritize rescue and evacuation operations during disasters. Provision of
pucca houses under the Indira Awas Yojana to below poverty line families was considered beneficial for people; however,
the amount provided under different compensation schemes was found to be insufficient. According to the government
participants, the state government in Odisha had introduced policies and adaptive measures to address challenges posed by

10 International Journal of Population Studies | 2020, Volume 6, Issue 1