Odisha's FANI evacuation work to be shown on National Geographic channel

Bhubaneswar: Lauded by many international agencies, including the UN, for its effective management of the extremely severe cyclonic storm FANI, people will on Friday witness how Odisha government saved lives of citizens by undertaking massive evacuation work within a record time.

The documentary titled "Mega Cyclone Fani: Rescuing a Million" will premiere on September 27 at 9pm on National Geographic Channel and Hotstar, an official release issued by the channel said.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said, "cyclone FANI was the rarest of rare summer cyclones in two decades to hit the eastern coast of India. True to its name FANI wreaked havoc in Odisha inflicting colossal and unprecedented losses. Yet, the state geared up and met the devastating cyclone - saving precious lives and getting back on its feet in record time.

"Having learnt a hard lesson after the super cyclone of 1999 Odishas disaster preparedness has been unmatched. Our efforts, I understand, have set a global benchmark for evacuation and disaster preparedness. I hope the lessons we learnt from FANI will provide a basis to safeguard lives and minimise the impact of such extreme weather occurrences."

From gripping accounts of tracking the path of the storm by 'Cyclone Man' Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Odisha's Special Relief Commissioner and the chief minister, the film takes viewers behind-the-scenes of the meticulous evacuation plan.

"Odisha government's extremely effective disaster management system is a success story of years of preparedness. It is also a testament to the power of individuals including evacuees, volunteers, officials who worked tirelessly to move around so many lives to safety. We are delighted to bring this success story to our viewers with our upcoming film Mega Cyclone Fani," a National Geographic spokesperson said.

The cyclone FANI that made landfall in Odisha's Puri coast on May 3, 2019, had left 64 people dead and caused extensive damage and affected lives of over 1.65 crore people in the 14 coastal districts.

A damage assessment report issued by the state government had estimated a total loss of Rs 24,176 crore due to the natural calamity.

Apart from human casualties, the cyclone had damaged 5,56,000 houses and huts, killed 6,281 cattle, 148,663 hectares of cropland affected and 6,416 boats and 8,828 nets were destroyed.