Cyclone Yaas Destroys Hundreds Of Thousands Of Homes In India
Decimated houses, uprooted trees, seawater-filled extensive swathes of fertile agricultural land, and immeasurable ecological destruction — the Yaas cyclone left a long trail of devastation on India’s east coast on May 26. The cyclone and the subsequent strong wind and continuous rainfall severely hit the Indian eastern coastal states of West Bengal and Odisha. At least four people lost their lives. More than 300,000 homes were destroyed, and more than 10 million people were affected in the coastal areas of both states as sea waters rose and breached the embankments. Cyclone Yaas hit the country in less than two weeks after Cyclone Tauktae wreaked havoc on the western coast. “These are signs that climate change is for real,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, Center for Science and Environment. “It is evident that there is an overall rise in temperature and sea surface temperature. They are rising pretty rapidly, and this contributes to the extreme weather hazards.” She said that over time the intensity and frequency of cyclonic storms have increased in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. “This (climate change) will have a social burden on the economy. Decarbonizing should be the priority, not only for India but for all countries. It (decarbonizing) is needed to maintain a balance in the temperature,” Roychowdhury said. Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal, said at least 900,000 people were evacuated from the state’s coastal regions, and around 14,000 relief camps are operational, with clothes and food materials. West Bengal has incurred a loss of around INR 15,000 crore ($2 billion) as per initial reports, according to Banerjee. “The cyclone that whiplashed the country’s eastern coasts damaged 134 embankments,” Banerjee said in a press conference. “We will conduct field surveys to ascertain the actual damage to the embankments, government buildings, and other structures. The district magistrates will file a comprehensive report on this. It will take us at least 72 hours to get a clear picture.” The cyclone will be Banerjee’s first big test as the chief minister in her second term that she secured earlier this month. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the cyclone-affected areas in the two states on May 28. The landfall happened between the north of Dhamra coast in Odisha’s Bhadrak district and Bahanga coast in Balasore district with an estimated wind speed up to 135 kilometers per hour to 150 kilometers per hour (84 miles per hour to 93 miles per hour).