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With Odisha facing the worst cyclone in 20 years, is Mumbai really safe?
Credits: Outlook India
What Is It?
In his recent tweets, critically acclaimed author Amitav Ghosh has raised concerns over Mumbai’s ability to handle a possible cyclone hit as Cyclone Fani gets stronger in Odisha with thousands being evacuated already.
Houston wasn’t evacuated because it wd have been a ‘nightmare’ to move 6.5 miln. Imagine evacuating Mumbai or Chennai, esp w/o proper plans.
— Amitav Ghosh (@GhoshAmitav) August 28, 2017
He warns of South Mumbai’s vulnerable state and given the rapid climate change, the concerns are valid.
S Mumbai esp is facing greater cyclone risk because of climate change. Evacuation & other resiliency plans urgently needed, to save lives.
— Amitav Ghosh (@GhoshAmitav) August 28, 2017
How will the second most populated city in the world be evacuated if a cyclone of this stature hits it? Is Mumbai even prepared for such a possibility? These are some of the important questions Ghosh wants us to think about.
What’s More?
“… the impact of a Category 4 or 5 cyclone will be very different from anything that Mumbai has experienced in living memory…the winds of the cyclone will spare neither low or high; if anything the blast will be felt most keenly by those at higher elevations,” says the author which is indeed a cause for concern.
Credits: Newsroompost
We certainly hope the disaster does not worsen and efforts to secure our city and its people are in motion.