6 months ago
3
When Cyclone Montha struck the eastbound coast connected October 28, 2025, it repeated a grim signifier acquainted to Odisha and its neighbours—flattening fields, flooding villages, and sending thousands into shelters. Making landfall betwixt Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam adjacent Kakinada successful Andhra Pradesh with winds of 100-110 kmph, the tempest swept inland done confederate Odisha’s Ganjam, Rayagada and Koraput districts and parts of Telangana earlier weakening into a depression.
Early reports suggest extended harvest and horticultural losses crossed the region. The swift evacuation of thousands erstwhile again demonstrated Odisha’s preparedness, but the greater situation present lies ahead—protecting livelihoods aft the storm.
Odisha’s vulnerability to tropical cyclones is structural, not accidental. Its 575-kilometre coastline lies successful 1 of the world’s six astir cyclone-prone regions. Over the past century, astir 260 cyclones person struck the State—from the catastrophic 1999 super-cyclone to Phailin successful 2013, Titli successful 2018, Fani successful 2019, and Yaas successful 2021.
Editorial | Relief, rehabilitation: On India’s eastbound seashore and cyclones
Phailin unsocial caused losses of astir ₹9,000 crore, with agriculture and livestock contributing much than a 4th of that amount. Counting fatalities unsocial frankincense misses the larger and much enduring costs of these disasters.
The contiguous economical daze is swift and devastating. Montha’s demolition volition mean acute income losses for marginal farmers, cash-flow crises for traders, and nutrient proviso disruptions successful adjacent towns. After Cyclone Fani, a UNDP-led appraisal estimated astir ₹3,000 crore successful harm to agriculture, livestock and fisheries, and astir 7 crore mislaid agrarian moving days—roughly ₹2,700 crore successful mislaid wages. The economical symptom lingers agelong aft the tempest dissipates. Farmers inactive request to repay loans, bargain seeds and fertilisers, and reconstruct irrigation earlier the adjacent play begins. Fishers indispensable regenerate nets, boats and iceboxes good earlier immoderate security assertion materialises.
Beyond these disposable effects, the secondary slowdown is often much destructive. In storm-hit districts, informal businesses stay closed for months, recognition tightens, and banks turn risk-averse. Public spending is diverted from improvement projects to reconstruction, delaying advancement successful health, acquisition and infrastructure. Economists estimation that large cyclones tin shave respective percent points disconnected Odisha’s gross State Domestic Product successful affected years.
Over the past 2 decades, Odisha has transformed catastrophe management. The Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) has expanded cyclone shelters, strengthened aboriginal warnings, and institutionalised wide evacuations. The results are remarkable: the 1999 super-cyclone killed astir 10,000 people; Phailin less than 50; and Yaas successful 2021 lone two. Yet this advancement successful redeeming lives has not been matched by livelihood recovery. Reconstruction inactive prioritises disposable infrastructure specified arsenic roads, lodging and power.
Ecological pressures deepen the crisis. Storm surges and saltwater intrusion degrade fertile soils and wetlands, undermining the earthy superior of smallholders and fishers. Rising seas prolong saline flooding, reducing yields and pushing farmers toward little profitable crops oregon migration. These shifts transportation societal costs—disrupted schooling, household separation, and weakening agrarian communities.
Odisha’s adjacent signifier of resilience indispensable prioritise livelihoods alongside lives. Crop and fishery security requires faster, simpler claims truthful producers tin replant oregon rebuild quickly. Emergency recognition and little indebtedness moratoria tin avert distress sales. Expanding MGNREGS for rebuilding embankments and ponds tin inject currency and reconstruct assets.
Equally captious is nature-based protection. Mangroves, wetlands and tidal buffers tin chopped question vigor by up to 90%, offering some ecological and livelihood security. Odisha’s UN-backed mangrove restoration and climate-smart aquaculture, from mud-crab farming to atom intensification, amusement however adaptation tin prolong incomes.
Financial systems indispensable besides adapt. A premix of contingency funds, determination security pools, flexible cardinal transfers, and partnerships should transmission resources straight to smallholders and coastal communities.
The writer teaches economics astatine ICFAI School of Social Sciences, IFHE. Views expressed are personal.
