Lok Sabha Question No. 3406 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-01-01
Subject: Effect of Cyclone Gaja
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: PR. SENTHILNATHAN, V. SATHYABAMA, R.K. BHARATHI MOHAN, R. VANAROJA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3406

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  1 ST  JANUARY, 2019

## EFFECT OF CYCLONE GAJA

3406.  SHRI PR. SENTHIL NATHAN: SHRIMATI V. SATHYA BAMA: SHRI BHARATHI MOHAN R.K.: SHRIMATI VANAROJA R.:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Union  Government  has  received  the  report  from  the  central  team regarding the damages caused by Cyclone Gaja in Tamil Nadu and recommended allocation of funds to farmers of Tamil Nadu for the crop losses and damage in the aftermath of the cyclone;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  concrete  efforts  to  provide  a  permanent solution  with  the  latest  State-of-art  technological  and  financial  support  to  farmers  of  Tamil Nadu to combat the wrath of cyclones which affects the State every year; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof and the Governments stand on this?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF  STATE IN THE  MINISTRY OF  AGRICULTURE AND  FARMERS  WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंालय म राय मंी ( SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

- (a):        Yes,  Madam.  The  report  of  the  central  team  recommending  allocation  of  funds  to farmers  of  Tamil  Nadu  in  the  aftermath  of  Cyclone  Gaja  has  been  received  by  the Government.
- (b) & (c):    India Meteorological Department (IMD) has developed mechanisms/technology for early warning on cyclones so as to enable disaster managers to minimise loss of life and damage to property.

IMD  continuously  expands  its  infrastructure  for  meteorological  observations,  data exchange,  monitoring  &  analysis,  forecasting  and  warning  services  using  contemporary technology. IMD uses a suite of quality observations from Satellites, Radars and conventional  &  automatic  weather  stations  for  monitoring  of  cyclones  developing  over  the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea.

IMD has one of  the  best  forecasting  systems  for  predicting  tropical  cyclones  using high resolution advanced mathematical models for predicting tropical cyclones crossing both west and east coast of India and associated adverse weather over India. Ministry of Earth Sciences  (MoES)  has  adapted  global  models  from  USA  and  UK  under  the  bilateral cooperation for forecasting of cyclones.

IMD has a very effective Decision Support System for analysing various observations at  a  single  platform  and  predicting  track  and  intensity  of  cyclones  as  well  as  the  adverse weather  like  heavy  rain  and  wind.  IMD  also  utilises  storm  surge  and  coastal  inundation models and wave models output from Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad for issuing storm surge warning. IMD has defined Standard Operating System for monitoring & forecasting the cyclones and issue of warning services.

The Cyclone Warning Division (CWD) at India Meteorological Department (IMD), New Delhi  acts  as  a  Regional  Specialised  Meteorological  Centre  for  monitoring,  predicting  and issuing  warning  services  on  tropical  cyclones  developing  over  north  Indian  Ocean.  It  also carries  out  research  on  track,  intensity,  landfall  and  adverse  weather  associated  with cyclones like heavy rainfall, gale wind and storm surge monitoring and prediction. IMD has three  Area  Cyclone  Warning  Centres  at  Chennai,  Kolkata  &  Mumbai  and  four  Cyclone Warning  Centres  at  Ahmedabad,  Bhubaneswar,  Thiruvananthapuram  and  Visakhapatnam for carrying out operational warning activities at state level and to carry out related research & development activities.

Financial assistance to farmers in the event of natural calamities, including cyclones, is provided from the National Disaster Response Fund.

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