Speaking on the state government’s disaster management perspective during Ockhi, a significant weather event last year, Ratnoo on Wednesday said, “The lessons learnt from the cyclone include registering of fishermen and providing lifesaving gadgets for fishing vessels,” and added that the process is ongoing to ascertain the number of missing fishermen, which has been pegged to approximately 199. 

“We are exploring satellite-based apps, which will ensure that those fishing in the deep seas could be contacted. Other options like short wave radios are also being explored.” 

Also present at the seminar, S Balachandran, director, Area Cyclone Warning Centre, said, “2017 saw a -9 percent deficit of rain in the state, compared to a deficit of -62 percent in 2016. 

In addition, there were five synoptic scale systems developing, including depressions and cyclone Ockhi too. However, most of these systems moved north of the Bay of Bengal, which meant that only the coastal regions got rains and the interior regions didn’t get much. Western parts are in deficit.” 

Responding to allegations that IMD didn’t issue early warning to the fishermen, Balachandran added, “On 29 November, we issued a warning of a depression formation and warned the fishermen not to venture into the sea. We used the word cyclone only later, but the warning to not venture out was given in advance.” He added that there was no way to reach many deep-sea vessels which went to sea a month before the cyclone. 

“In addition, Ockhi was unprecedented, as it formed very close to the shore and intensified quickly. There is no system which can predict a month in advance,”  Balachandran said.