Ockhi Cyclone Dec-2017 Report English

Prof. Dr. K. Vareethiah, an expert in coastal disaster management, shared with the
inquest team the extent of the search and rescue operations. He said,
“The search and rescue operations were not adequate and should have been
done at same place and same time in a coordinated manner. After the
cyclone, the boats would have been scattered as it got drifted away. People
who went to the sea keep coming, which proves that the search operations
were incomplete or inadequate. The type of vessels used for mid-sea fishing
are ones which will not sink even in strong winds as they have heavy
containers at their bottom which will maintain its balance. The missing boats
can be located as it would have drifted and even if it had been broken, the
pieces would be floating. Hence, there should be combing operations in five
places –
1) Between the west coast and Lakshadweep islands along the path of the
cyclone from a sub-marine using radar to check the submerged parts or
boats.
2) To the west of Lakshadweep islands, between Equator and to the south of
Pakistan
3) South-west of Maldives in the Indian Ocean
4) Between Maldives and Sri Lanka & Cape Comorin and Equator
5) In the uninhabited islands in Lakshadweep and Maldives.
Unless this is done, the government should not declare the missing persons
as dead. Defence Minister, Mrs. Nirmla Sitharaman, in the Parliament claimed
that 400 persons are still missing, but only for four recovered bodies, the DNA
matched with their family members. When no bodies have been recovered,
they cannot be declared dead.”
There were comparisons between the search and rescue operations undertaken
after Cyclone Ockhi with that of the Malaysian Airline flight, MH-370, which
disappeared in March 2015. There was international collaboration in the combing
operations and the search area extended from international waters to the territorial
waters of many countries. Even India had contributed to the rescue and relief
measures. Fisherfolk and the community raised several questions as to why no such
combing operations were not carried out by the Indian Government for its own
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