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Case of Evacuation in Coastal Villages of Mahuva
Villages Kathpar and Kathpar Bandar are located in Mahuva Taluka of Amreli District with a total population of about 600 households. These villages are located just one to three kilometres from the coastline. Most of the communities in these villages are fishermen, and therefore, fishery is the main occupation. There are no alternative means of livelihood either. Being on the coastline, cyclone alerts were issued in the past as well. Communities would evacuate and tie up their boats and nets. However, the cyclone never came and due to the evacuation, the people would lose their earnings from fishery for those 2 to 3 days. Therefore, there was a level of mistrust on the government and other authorities.
Ever since the alert for Cyclone Tauktae had been issued by the government, Utthan had also sent the alert through SMSs to the villages that were located 1 to 3 kilometres from the coastline. This was the first time that in association with the district and taluka officials, Utthan had sent alert to the villages through their SHGs and village volunteers, to help the communities trust the information.
Due to their long-standing association and relations with the village, they had assumed that the people will trust the alert and evacuate on time. Yet, by the time the cyclone arrived, people had not evacuated. It was only after the effects of the cyclone started and heavy winds gushed across the villages, that people realized the truth in the alert. Half way through the arrival of the cyclone in those two villages of Mahuva, people were made to evacuate. Knowing the history of mistrust by the people in these villages, the government and Utthan were prepared for untimely evacuation of these people. Evacuation vehicles had been kept on standby which would immediately evacuate people as soon as they were ready to leave. Due to the delay in evacuation, these households were not able to gather their important documents, belongings, etc. When they returned to their villages after a few days, there was massive destruction from the cyclone. Houses had been blown off and belonging had also been burnt or taken away by rain and water. Boats and nets had also been damaged. Some of the households also owned small pieces of land which they cultivated for personal use. Cyclone had left the farm lands completely destroyed. Since there has been such massive destruction in both villages, Utthan had to provide full support to those 600 households- tarpoline sheets, food and water, cooking utensils, etc., – for the first week after the cyclone.
