Unreliable weather warnings could have lowered the risk perception among artisanal fishermen, accounting for the high death toll in Cyclone Ockhi, according to fishermen and disaster management experts.
Routine warnings issued by the India Meteorology Department about strong winds or heavy rain have become the subject of ridicule among fishermen who find little or no use in the information.
The warnings which typically read ‘Strong winds from easterly direction, speed occasionally reaching 45-55 kmph, are likely along and off the Kerala coast’ or ‘Rain or thundershower is most likely to occur at many places in Kerala and at a few places in Lakshadweep’ are issued almost on a daily basis during the monsoon season.
The generalised information is promptly ignored by the fishermen for the lack of specificity.
“None of us would be able to go out to sea at all, if the warnings were heeded,” says Anto Elias, Secretary, KSMTF. “The Met Department regularly issues such warnings but they failed us when so many lives could have been saved during Cyclone Ockhi.”
Disaster management experts feel that the IMD should switch over to a high-precision warning system that would be taken seriously by fisherfolk.
“A warning about an extreme weather event should convey the time and place of possible occurrence with some degree of accuracy without leaving room for inference. It is also important to have a simple and efficient dissemination system covering coastal communities and fishermen at sea,” says an official.
Marine code
Experts point out that the International Marine Code mandates the use of a raised flag and beacon at fishing harbours and ports to warn fishers against venturing out to sea during extreme weather events like cyclones or storm surges. “Kerala has no such mechanism in place,” says the official.
A recent study conducted by the University of Sussex and the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority among coastal communities in Thiruvananthapuram revealed that economic pressures were forcing artisanal fishers to go on longer forays into deeper waters even in bad weather without adequate planning.
The research showed that it is difficult to reach fishermen with effective weather and risk information.
IMD unreliable
The study found that the fishers considered weather warnings issued by the IMD unreliable.
It stressed the need for very clear and concise risk communication through FM radio, voice messages on mobile phones and loudspeakers installed at harbours.
