Standing up to Fani

Odisha did a sterling job in disaster management

On October 29, 1999, Odisha went out of contact with the rest of the world for an entire day because of Super Cyclone, which killed nearly 10,000 people. It ranks among the worst natural disasters in the country and a hapless state government only watched as the cyclone ripped its coast. The state was also found wanting on post-cyclone relief measures and there were riots as people starved. Two decades later, all that is distant memory. When Cyclone Fani wreaked havoc in at least 12 districts, bringing life to a standstill in half the coastal state on Friday, the Odisha