Cyclone Fani: Chilika continues to suffer
- Shruti Sundar Ray
- Jan 20, 2020
- 4 min read
Eight months after the extremely severe cyclonic storm Fani made landfall at the Puri coast of Odisha, the Chilika ecosystem is yet to recover, with economic consequences for the communities dependent on it
The Chilika lake, the largest brakish water lagoon in India, which was the worst-affected during the cyclone Fani that hit the Odisha coast in May 2019 remains afflicted by increased salinity, loss of shelterbelt trees and solid waste accumulation.
The sustained impact of the cyclone on fisheries and coastal ecosystem-dependent livelihoods such as coconut harvesting is still felt in many parts of the Puri district including the Krushnaprasad and Brahmagiri blocks, where Fani made landfall eight months ago.
Cyclone Fani, a high-end Category-4 major hurricane, was the strongest tropical cyclone to strike Odisha since the 1999 super cyclone, with windspeeds of over 185 kilometres per hour. Many parts of the Chilika lake were well within the cyclone landfall zone.
The major lasting impact of the cyclone Fani has been the near destruction of fisheries in the Chilika lake and adjoining sectors of the Bay of Bengal. “There simply are no fish,” says Lakhmi Pahan, a marginal fisherwoman from Satapada Bhoisahi in Krushnaprasad Block of Puri district, who has been catching fish with her bare hands for over three decades. Her earnings from fishing have dropped from ₹ 200-300 a day to less than ₹ 20 a day, after Fani.
“In Chilika, there is intermixing of fresh and saline water. The correct balance has to be maintained for the fish to survive,” says Paresh Kumar Jally, spokesperson for Chilika Matsyajibi Mahasangha (Chilika Fishermen Association) and local leader for Communist Party of India (Marxist) from Balabhadrapur, near Satapada in Krushnaprasad block. Storm surges due to successive cyclones, especially cyclone Fani, have increased the salinity of Chilika, effectively bringing the Bay of Bengal closer to Chilika. “Chilika is shrinking,” says Jally.
According to the ‘Cyclone Fani: Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment’ document produced by the collaborative efforts of the Government of Odisha, the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority, the United Nations agencies, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank (DLNA Report), four new inlets from the Bay of Bengal to the Chilika Lake, in addition to the existing two functional inlets, were opened as a result of the storm surge triggered by the severe cyclonic storm.
Rabindra Behera, fishing tradesperson from Arakhakuda, one of the functional mouths from the sea, says, “The catch in Chilika has dropped after Fani. Our fishermen go further into the sea but still return empty-handed.” The months from November to February are supposed to be the peak season for fishing yields but this year, the profitability of fishermen has fallen. “Where fishermen were earning upto ₹ 10,000 a day, they now earn only ₹ 200,” he adds.
Fishing is not the only occupation hit by Fani. As per the DLNA report, around 7.9 lakh trees were damages in plantation areas. The report finds that although mangrove areas withstood the cyclone relatively well, tree shelterbelts including casuarinas and cashew trees were severely damaged. Bijay Kumar Behera from Arakhakuda, whose primary occupation is fishing, says, “I had one acre of land where I grew cashew trees for some extra income. That was all destroyed during Fani.”
Coconut trees, a ubiquitous site in Puri – especially in the blocks surrounding Chilika lake – prior to Fani, also suffered severe damage and were uprooted in large numbers in the cyclonic storm. “We lost more than 80 coconut trees,” says Rabindranath Das, from Bidyadharpur village of Satyabadi block, who used to earn over ₹ 10,000 thrice a year by harvesting coconuts.
The loss of coconut trees has also had a significant impact on the coconut tree climbing communities, who have traditionally hailed from the Scheduled Castes. “It was hard work but we used to do it. They don’t call us to collect coconuts from the trees anymore,” says Lilly Bhoi from Bidyadharpur whose husband is a coconut climber.
Apart from the loss of tree cover and the increased salinity in the Chilika, another major problem that has plagued the district since the cyclone Fani is that of non-biodegradable waste management. Municipal waste, especially plastic waste, was transported via wind and washed ashore on to various chokepoints on the banks of the Chilika lake, as a result of the cyclonic storm. Although the Government of Odisha has undertaken various waste management projects, some such waste yards along the coast are yet to be cleared.
“We need a special administrative policy for Chilika,” insists Jally, who has been petitioning the Chilika Development Authority and the State Legislative Assembly for policy changes to address the problems faced by communities dependent on the Chilika lake for their livelihood, especially fishermen.
An assessment survey as part of the DLNA Report has indicated that the salinity level of Chilika is maintained at the same level as compared to Pre-Fani, due to merging of sea inlets. But ground reports present a different picture.
“Honestly, we do not have a strategy yet,” acknowledges Balwant Singh, District Collector for Puri district, speaking of the challenges of long-term salinity management in the Chilika lake, especially in the aftermath of cyclone Fani.
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