1970 Bhola cyclone: Difference between revisions
Content deleted Content added
m Reverting possible vandalism by 119.30.35.157 to version by The Thing That Should Not Be. False positive? Report it. Thanks, ClueBot. (558696) (Bot) |
←Replaced content with 'Hi, I'm Nondinee Rani Dey (Tandra) Please Visit The Website And Tell Other (you Can Also Free Download Our photos, Videos, Real Voice, fun News E.t.c) http://am...' |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
Hi, I'm Nondinee Rani Dey (Tandra) Please Visit The Website And Tell Other (you Can Also Free Download Our photos, Videos, Real Voice, fun News E.t.c) |
|||
{{Infobox Hurricane |
|||
http://amitebasu.webs.com/ |
|||
| Name=1970 Bhola Cyclone |
|||
My Personal Cell Phone Number +8801911779110 |
|||
| Basin=NIO |
|||
| Year=1970 |
|||
| Image location=November 1970 Bhola Cyclone Repair.jpg |
|||
| Image name=The Bhola cyclone on November 11, 1970, at 0858 [[UTC]]. |
|||
| Type=tropical cyclone |
|||
| Formed= {{start-date|November 7, 1970}} |
|||
| Dissipated= {{end-date|November 13, 1970}} |
|||
| 1-min winds=112 |
|||
| 3-min winds=100 |
|||
| Pressure=966 |
|||
| Damages=86.4 |
|||
| Inflated=-1 |
|||
| Fatalities=300,000–500,000 <ref name="NOAA">{{Cite web |
|||
|url=http://www.research.noaa.gov/spotlite/2007/spot_cyclone.html |
|||
|title=NOAA Researcher’s Warning Helps Save Lives in Bangladesh |
|||
|date=December 6th, 2007 |
|||
|author=Paula Ouderm |
|||
|accessdate=2008-01-24 |
|||
|publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]}}</ref> <small>(Deadliest tropical cyclone of all time)</small> |
|||
| Areas=[[India]], [[East Pakistan]] |
|||
| Hurricane season=[[1970 North Indian Ocean cyclone season]] |
|||
}} |
|||
The '''1970 Bhola cyclone''' was a devastating [[tropical cyclone]] that struck [[East Pakistan]] (now [[Bangladesh]]) and [[India]]'s [[West Bengal]] on November 12, 1970. It was the deadliest tropical cyclone ever recorded, and one of the deadliest [[natural disaster]]s in modern times.<ref>"[http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60F16F7355F11738DDDAB0A94D9415B808BF1D3&scp=2&sq=east%20pakistaon%20cyclone%20deaths&st=cse Disaster; East Pakistan: Cyclone May Be The Worst Catastrophe of Century]" (pay article), ''The New York Times'', November 22, 1970, p. 169.</ref> Up to 500,000 people lost their lives in the storm, primarily as a result of the [[storm surge]] that flooded much of the low-lying islands of the [[Ganges Delta]]. This cyclone was the sixth cyclonic storm of the [[1970 North Indian Ocean cyclone season]], and also the season's strongest, reaching a strength equivalent to a [[Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale|Category 3 hurricane]]. |
|||
The cyclone formed over the central [[Bay of Bengal]] on November 8 and travelled north, intensifying as it did so. It reached its peak with winds of 185 [[km/h]] (115 [[mph]]) on November 12, and made landfall on the coast of East Pakistan that night. The storm surge devastated many of the offshore islands, wiping out villages and destroying crops throughout the region. In the most severely affected [[Upazilas of Bangladesh|Thana]], [[Tazumuddin Upazila|Tazumuddin]], over 45% of the population of 167,000 was killed by the storm. |
|||
The [[Pakistan]]i government was severely criticized for its handling of the relief operations following the storm, both by local political leaders in East Pakistan and in the international media. The opposition [[Awami League]] gained a [[landslide victory]] in the province, and continuing unrest between East Pakistan and the central government triggered the [[Bangladesh Liberation War]], which concluded with the creation of the country of Bangladesh. |
|||
==Meteorological history== |
|||
{{storm path|1970 Bhola cyclone track.png}} |
|||
The remnants of [[1970 Pacific typhoon season|Tropical Storm Nora]] from the Pacific, which had lasted for two days in the [[South China Sea]], moved west over the [[Malay Peninsula]] on November 5.<ref name="ATCR">{{cite web|url=http://www.usno.navy.mil/NOOC/nmfc-ph/RSS/jtwc/atcr/1970atcr/pdf/wnp/70ts.pdf|title=Western North Pacific Tropical Storms 1970|author=[[Joint Typhoon Warning Center]]|work=Annual Typhoon Report 1970|year=1970|accessdate=2007-04-15|format=PDF}}</ref><ref name="AMS">{{cite web|url=http://ams.allenpress.com/archive/1520-0477/52/6/pdf/i1520-0477-52-6-438.pdf|accessdate=2007-04-15|title=The deadliest tropical cyclone in history?|author=Frank, Neil|coauthors=Husain, S. A.|year=1971|month=June|format=PDF|publisher=[[American Meteorological Society]]|work=Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society}}</ref> The remnants of this system contributed to the development of a new depression in the central [[Bay of Bengal]] on the morning of November 8. The depression intensified as it moved slowly northward, and the [[India Meteorological Department]] upgraded it to a cyclonic storm the next day. The storm became nearly stationary that evening near 14.5° N, 87° E, but began to accelerate to the north on November 10.<ref name="IMD">{{cite web|url=http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/cd024_pdf/005ED281.pdf#page=10|title=Annual Summary — Storms & Depressions|work=India Weather Review 1970|author=[[India Meteorological Department]]|year=1970|accessdate=2007-04-15|format=PDF|pages=10–11}}</ref> |
|||
The cyclone intensified into a severe cyclonic storm on November 11 and began to turn towards the northeast as it approached the head of the bay. A clear [[eye (cyclone)|eye]] formed in the storm, and it reached its peak later that day with sustained winds of 185 [[km/h]] (115 [[mph]]) and a central pressure of 966 [[hPa]], equivalent to that of a Category 3 hurricane on the [[Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale]]. The cyclone made [[landfall (meteorology)|landfall]] on the [[East Pakistan]] coastline during the evening of November 12, around the same time as the local [[high tide]]. Once over land, the system began to weaken but was still considered a cyclonic storm on November 13 when it was about 100 km (65 miles) south-southeast of [[Agartala]]. The storm then rapidly weakened into a remnant area of low pressure over southern [[Assam]] that evening.<ref name="IMD"/> |
|||
==Preparations== |
|||
The Indian government received many ship reports from the Bay of Bengal that were giving meteorological information on the cyclone, but as [[Indo-Pakistani relations]] were generally hostile, the information was not passed on to the Pakistani government.<ref name="Lowell-Jan">{{cite news|title=Many Pakistan flood victims died needlessly|first=Jack|last=Anderson|url=http://www.thehurricanearchive.com/cache/55359264.pdf|format=PDF|work=[[Lowell Sun]]|date=1971-01-31|accessdate=2007-04-15}}</ref> A large part of the population was reportedly taken by surprise by the storm.<ref name="NYT-1">{{cite news|title=Cyclone May Be Worst Catastrophe Of The Century|first=Walter|last=Sullivan|work=[[New York Times]]|date=1970-11-22}}</ref> There were indications that the storm warning system that existed in East Pakistan was not used properly, which may have cost tens of thousands of lives.<ref name="NYT-2">{{cite news|title=East Pakistan Failed To Use Storm-Warning System|author=Staff writer|work=[[New York Times]]|date=1970-12-01}}</ref> The [[Pakistan Meteorological Department]] issued a report calling for "danger preparedness" in the coastal regions in danger during the day on November 12. As the storm neared the coast, a "great danger signal" was broadcast on Pakistan Radio. Survivors later said that this meant little to them, but that they had recognised a No. 1 warning signal as representing the greatest possible threat.<ref name="Stars-and-Stripes">{{cite news|title=The Day The Cyclone Came To East Pakistan|first=Arnold|last=Zeitlin|url=http://www.thehurricanearchive.com/cache/43254554.pdf|format=PDF|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|work=[[Stars and Stripes (newspaper)|Stars and Stripes]]|date=1970-12-11|accessdate=2007-04-15}}</ref> It is estimated that 90% of the population in the area was aware of the cyclone before it hit, but only about 1% sought refuge in fortified structures. |
|||
Following two previously [[Pre-1980 North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons#1960 East Pakistan I Cyclone|destructive cyclones]] in October 1960 which killed at least 16,000 people in East Pakistan,<ref name="MWR-1961">{{cite web|url=http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/090/mwr-090-03-0083.pdf|title=The tropical cyclone problem in East Pakistan|last=Dunn|first=Gordon|date=1961-11-28|accessdate=2007-04-15|format=PDF|work=Monthly Weather Review|publisher=[[American Meteorological Society]]}}</ref> the Pakistani government contacted the American government for assistance in developing a system to avert future disasters. Gordon Dunn, the director of the [[National Hurricane Center]] at the time, carried out a detailed study and submitted his report in 1961. However, the government did not carry out all of the recommendations Dunn had listed.<ref name="Lowell-Jan"/> |
|||
==Impact== |
|||
The coast of the Bay of Bengal is particularly vulnerable to the effects of tropical cyclones, and there have been at least six cyclones to hit the region that killed over 100,000 people in total.<ref name="AMS"/> The 1970 Bhola cyclone was not the most powerful of these, however; the [[1991 Bangladesh cyclone]] was significantly stronger when it made [[landfall (meteorology)|landfall]] in the same general area with {{convert|250|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} winds, a high-end Category 4. |
|||
The 1970 cyclone is nonetheless the deadliest [[tropical cyclone]] on record and is one of the deadliest [[natural disaster]]s in recent history. The exact [[death toll]] will never be known, but it is estimated that between 300,000 and 500,000 people lost their lives.<ref name="IWM">{{cite web|url=http://www.iwmbd.org/html/PUBS/publications/P024.PDF|title=Cyclonic Storm Surge Modelling for Design of Coastal Polder|author=Kabir, M. M.|coauthors=Saha B. C.; Hye, J. M. A.|accessdate=2007-04-15|format=PDF|publisher=[[Institute of Water Modelling]]}}</ref> A comparable number of people died as a result of the [[1976 Tangshan earthquake]] and the [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake]], but because of uncertainty in the number of deaths in all three disasters, it may never be known which one was the deadliest. |
|||
===East Pakistan=== |
|||
The meteorological station in [[Chittagong]], {{convert|95|km|mi|abbr=on}} to the east of where the storm made landfall, recorded winds of {{convert|144|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} before its [[anemometer]] was blown off at about 2200 UTC. A ship anchored in the port in the same area recorded a peak gust of {{convert|222|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} about 45 minutes later.<ref name="AMS"/> As the storm made landfall, it caused a {{convert|10|m|ft|abbr=off|adj=on}} high [[storm surge]] at the [[Ganges Delta]].<ref name="IWM"/> In the port at Chittagong, the [[storm tide]] peaked at about {{convert|4|m|ft|abbr=on}} above the average sea level, {{convert|1.2|m|ft|abbr=on}} of which was the storm surge.<ref name="AMS"/> |
|||
Pakistani radio reported that there were no survivors on the 13 islands near Chittagong. A flight over the area showed the devastation was complete throughout the southern half of Bhola Island, and the [[rice]] crops of [[Bhola Island]], [[Hatia Island]] and the nearby mainland coastline were destroyed.<ref name="NYT-3">{{cite news|title=Pakistan Death Toll 55,000; May Rise to 300,000|author=Staff writer|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|work=[[New York Times]]|date=1970-11-16}}</ref> Several seagoing vessels in the ports of Chittagong and [[Port of Mongla|Mongla]] were reported damaged, and the airports at Chittagong and [[Cox's Bazar]] were under {{convert|1|m|ft|abbr=on}} of water for several hours.<ref name="NYT-4">{{cite news|title=Thousands of retards Are Killed by Tidal Wave|author=Staff writer|work=[[New York Times]]|date=1970-11-14}}</ref> |
|||
Over 3.6 million people were directly affected by the cyclone, and the total damage from the storm was estimated at $86.4 million (1970 [[USD]], $450 million 2006 USD).<ref name="EM-DAT">{{cite web|author=EM-DAT: the International Disaster Database|year=2007|title=Disaster List for Bangladesh|publisher=Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters|accessdate=2007-04-15|url=http://www.em-dat.net/disasters/Visualisation/profiles/countryprofile.php}}</ref> The survivors claimed that approximately 85% of homes in the area were destroyed or severely damaged, with the greatest destruction occurring along the coast.<ref name="Lancet p. 9">{{cite web | url=http://www.laskerfoundation.org/awards/library/sommer/pdfs/east_bengal_cyclone_1970.pdf | title=East Bengal cyclone of November, 1970: Epidemiological approach to disaster assessment | last=Sommer | first=Alfred | coauthors=Mosley, Wiley | accessdate=2007-04-15 | format=PDF | publisher=[[The Lancet]] | date=1972-05-13 | page=9 }}</ref> Ninety percent of marine fishermen in the region suffered heavy losses, including the destruction of 9,000 offshore fishing boats. Of the 77,000 onshore fishermen, 46,000 were killed by the cyclone, and 40% of the survivors were affected severely. In total, approximately 65% of the fishing capacity of the coastal region was destroyed by the storm, in a region where about 80% of the protein consumed comes from fish. Agricultural damage was similarly severe with the loss of $63 million worth of crops and 280,000 [[cattle]].<ref name="AMS"/> Three months after the storm, 75% of the population was receiving food from relief workers, and over 150,000 relied upon aid for half of their food.<ref name="Lancet p. 11">{{cite web | url=http://www.laskerfoundation.org/awards/library/sommer/pdfs/east_bengal_cyclone_1970.pdf | title=East Bengal cyclone of November, 1970: Epidemiological approach to disaster assessment | last=Sommer | first=Alfred | coauthors=Mosley, Wiley | accessdate=2007-04-15 | format=PDF | publisher=[[The Lancet]] | date=1972-05-13 | page=11}}</ref> |
|||
===India=== |
|||
The cyclone brought widespread rain to the [[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]], with very heavy rain falling in places on November 8 and November 9. [[Port Blair]] recorded {{convert|130|mm|in|abbr=on}} of rain on November 8, and there were a number of floods on the islands. The MV ''Mahajagmitra'', a 5,500-ton freighter en route from [[Calcutta]] to [[Kuwait]], was sunk by the storm on November 12, with the loss of all 50 people on board. The ship sent out a distress signal and reported experiencing hurricane-force winds before it sank.<ref name="IMD"/><ref name="Florence-MN">{{cite news|title=Cyclone Toll Still Rising|author=Staff writer|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|work=[[Florence Morning News]]|url=http://www.thehurricanearchive.com/cache/56613933.pdf|format=PDF|date=1970-11-15|accessdate=2007-04-15}}</ref> There was also widespread rain in [[West Bengal]] and southern [[Assam]]. The rain caused damage to housing and crops in both [[India]]n states, with the worst damage occurring in the southernmost districts.<ref name="IMD"/> |
|||
===Death toll=== |
|||
{|class="sortable wikitable" align="left" |
|||
![[Upazilas of Bangladesh|Thana]] |
|||
!Pre-cyclone population |
|||
!Reported deaths |
|||
!Mortality (%) |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Kalapara Upazila|Kalapara]]||88,000||8,000||9 |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Amtali Upazila|Amtali]]||41,000||2,000||5 |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Galachipa Upazila|Galchipa]]||319,000||45,000||14 |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Char Fasson Upazila|Char Fasson]]||171,000||38,000||22 |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Lalmohan Upazila|Lalmohan]]||104,000||23,000||22 |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Tazumuddin Upazila|Tazumuddin]]||167,000||77,000||46 |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Hatiya Upazila|Hatiya]]||219,000||18,000||8 |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Ramgati Upazila|Ramgati]]||217,000||24,000||11 |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[Noakhali Sadar Upazila|Sudharam]]||35,000||6,000||17 |
|||
|- class="sortbottom" |
|||
!Total!!1,361,000!!251,000!!17.7 |
|||
|} |
|||
Two medical relief surveys were carried out by the Pakistan-[[SEATO]] Cholera Research Laboratory: the first in November and the second in February and March. The purpose of the first survey was to establish the immediate medical needs in the affected regions, and the second, more detailed, survey was designed as the basis for long-term relief and recovery planning. In the second survey, approximately 1.4% of the area's population was studied.<ref name="Lancet p. 6">{{cite web | url=http://www.laskerfoundation.org/awards/library/sommer/pdfs/east_bengal_cyclone_1970.pdf | title=East Bengal cyclone of November, 1970: Epidemiological approach to disaster assessment | last=Sommer | first=Alfred | coauthors=Mosley, Wiley | accessdate=2007-04-15 | format=PDF | publisher=[[The Lancet]] | date=1972-05-13 | page = 6}}</ref> |
|||
The first survey concluded that the surface water in most of the affected regions had a comparable salt content to that drawn from wells, except in [[Noakhali Sadar Upazila|Sudharam]], where the water was almost undrinkable with a salt content of up to 0.5%. The [[Mortality rate|mortality]] was estimated at 14.2%—equivalent to a death toll of 240,000.<ref name="Lancet p. 5">{{cite web | url=http://www.laskerfoundation.org/awards/library/sommer/pdfs/east_bengal_cyclone_1970.pdf | title=East Bengal cyclone of November, 1970: Epidemiological approach to disaster assessment | last=Sommer | first=Alfred | coauthors=Mosley, Wiley | accessdate=2007-04-15 | format=PDF | publisher=[[The Lancet]] | date=1972-05-13 | page = 5}}</ref> Cyclone-related [[morbidity]] was generally restricted to minor injuries, but a phenomenon dubbed "[[cyclone syndrome]]" was observed. This consisted of severe [[Abrasion (medical)|abrasions]] on the limbs and chest caused by survivors clinging to trees to withstand the storm surge.<ref name="Lancet p. 5"/> Initially, there were fears of an outbreak of [[cholera]] and [[typhoid fever]] in the weeks following the storm,<ref name="NYT-5">{{cite news|title=Pakistanis Fear Cholera's Spread|first=Sydney|last=Schanberg|authorlink=Sydney Schanberg|work=[[New York Times]]|date=1970-11-22}}</ref> but the survey found no evidence of an epidemic of [[cholera]], [[smallpox]] or any other disease in the region affected by the storm.<ref name="Lancet p. 5"/> |
|||
The totals from the second survey were likely a considerable underestimate as several groups were not included. The 100,000 migrant workers who were collecting the rice harvest, families who were completely wiped out by the storm and those who had migrated out of the region in the three months were not included, and by excluding these groups, the risk of hearsay and exaggeration was reduced.<ref name="Lancet p. 6"/> The survey concluded that the overall death toll was, at minimum, 224,000. The worst effects were felt in [[Tazumuddin Upazila|Tazumuddin]], where the mortality was 46.3%, corresponding to approximately 77,000 deaths in that [[Upazila|Thana]] alone. The mean mortality throughout the affected region was 16.5%.<ref name="Lancet p. 7">{{cite web | url=http://www.laskerfoundation.org/awards/library/sommer/pdfs/east_bengal_cyclone_1970.pdf | title=East Bengal cyclone of November, 1970: Epidemiological approach to disaster assessment | last=Sommer | first=Alfred | coauthors=Mosley, Wiley | accessdate=2007-04-15 | format=PDF | publisher=[[The Lancet]] | date=1972-05-13 | page=7}}</ref> |
|||
The results showed that the highest survival rate was for adult males aged 15–49, while more than half the deaths were children under ten, who only formed a third of the pre-cyclone population. This suggests that the young, old and sick were selectively lost in the cyclone and its surge. In the months after the storm, the mortality of the middle-aged was lower in the cyclone area than in the [[scientific control|control]] region, near [[Dhaka]]. This reflected the elimination of the less healthy individuals during the storm.<ref name="Lancet p. 7-8">{{cite web | url=http://www.laskerfoundation.org/awards/library/sommer/pdfs/east_bengal_cyclone_1970.pdf | title=East Bengal cyclone of November, 1970: Epidemiological approach to disaster assessment | last=Sommer | first=Alfred | coauthors=Mosley, Wiley | accessdate=2007-04-15 | format=PDF | publisher=[[The Lancet]] | date=1972-05-13 | pages=7–8}}</ref> |
|||
==Aftermath== |
|||
===Government response=== |
|||
{{Quote box|align=right|width=40%|quote=There have been mistakes, there have been delays, but by and large I'm very satisfied that everything is being done and will be done.|source=[[Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan]]<ref name="NYT-6"/>}} |
|||
The day after the storm struck the coast, three Pakistani gunboats and a hospital ship carrying medical personnel and supplies left [[Chittagong]] for the islands of [[Hatia]], [[Sandwip]] and [[Kutubdia]].<ref name="NYT-4"/> Teams from the Pakistani army reached many of the stricken areas in the two days following the landfall of the cyclone.<ref name="NYT-7">{{cite news|title=Toll In Pakistan Is Put At 16,000, Expected To Rise|author=Staff Writer|work=[[New York Times]]|date=1970-11-15}}</ref> [[Pakistan]]i President [[Yahya Khan]] returned from a state visit to China and overflew the disaster area on November 16. The president ordered "no effort to be spared" to relieve the victims.<ref name="Stars-and-Stripes"/> He also ordered that all flags should be flown at [[half-mast]] and announced a day of national mourning on November 21, a week after the cyclone struck land.<ref name="NYT-8">{{cite news|title=Pakistan Now Puts Official Death Toll In Storm at 150,000|author=Staff writer|publisher=[[Reuters]]|work=[[New York Times]]|date=1970-11-19}}</ref> |
|||
In the ten days following the cyclone, one military transport aircraft and three crop-dusting aircraft were assigned to relief work by the Pakistani government.<ref name="NYT-9">{{cite news|title=Foreign Relief Spurred|first=Sydney|last=Schanberg|authorlink=Sydney Schanberg|work=[[New York Times]]|date=1970-11-22}}</ref> The Pakistani government said it was unable to transfer military helicopters from West Pakistan as the Indian government did not grant clearance to cross the intervening Indian territory, a charge the Indian government denied.<ref name="NYT-5"/> By November 24, the Pakistani government had allocated a further $116 million to finance relief operations in the disaster area.<ref name="NYT-10">{{cite news|title=East Pakistani Leaders Assail Yahya on Cyclone Relief|author=Staff writer|publisher=[[Reuters]]|work=[[New York Times]]|date=1970-11-23}}</ref> Yahya Khan arrived in [[Dhaka]] to take charge of the relief operations on November 24. The governor of East Pakistan, Vice Admiral Asham, denied charges that the armed forces had not acted quickly enough and said supplies were reaching all parts of the disaster area except for some small pockets.<ref name="NYT-11">{{cite news|title=Yahya Directing Disaster Relief|author=Staff writer|publisher=[[United Press International]]|work=[[New York Times]]|date=1970-11-24}}</ref> |
|||
A week after the cyclone's landfall, President Khan conceded that his government had made "slips" and "mistakes" in its handling of the relief efforts. He said there was a lack of understanding of the magnitude of the disaster. He also said that the general election slated for December 7 would take place on time, although eight or nine of the worst affected districts might experience delays, denying rumours that the election would be postponed.<ref name="NYT-6">{{cite news|title=Yahya Condedes 'Slips' In Relief|first=Sydney|last=Schanberg|authorlink=Sydney Schanberg|work=[[New York Times]]|date=1970-11-22}}</ref> |
|||
As the conflict between East and West Pakistan developed in March, the Dhaka offices of the two government organisations directly involved in relief efforts were closed for at least two weeks, first by a [[general strike]] and then by a ban on government work in East Pakistan by the [[Awami League]]. Relief work continued in the field, but the long-term planning was curtailed.<ref name="NYT-12">{{cite news|title=Pakistanis Crisis Virtually Halts Rehabilitation Work In Cyclone Region|first=Tillman|last=Durdin|work=[[New York Times]]|date=1971-03-11}}</ref> |
|||
===Criticism of government response=== |
|||
{{Quote box|align=right|quote=We have a large army, but it is left to the [[Royal Marines|British Marines]] to bury our dead.|source=[[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]]<ref name="LOC">{{cite web|url=http://www.country-studies.com/bangladesh/emerging-discontent,-1966-70.html|title= |
|||
Emerging Discontent, 1966-70|accessdate=2007-04-15|author=[[Library of Congress]]|work=Bangladesh Country Study}}</ref>}} |
|||
Political leaders in East Pakistan were deeply critical of the central government's initial response to the disaster. A statement released by eleven political leaders in [[East Pakistan]] ten days after the cyclone hit charged the government with "gross neglect, callous indifference and utter indifference". They also accused the president of playing down the news coverage.<ref name="NYT-10"/> On November 19, students held a march in Dhaka in protest of the speed of the government response<ref name="NYT-13">{{cite news|title=Copter Shortage Balks Cyclone Aid|author=Staff writer|work=[[New York Times]]|date=1970-11-18}}</ref>, and [[Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani]] addressed a rally of 50,000 people on November 24, when he accused the president of inefficiency and demanded his resignation. The president's political opponents accused him of bungling the efforts and some demanded his resignation.<ref name="NYT-11"/> |
|||
The [[Pakistan Red Crescent]] began to operate independently of the government as the result of a dispute that arose after the Red Crescent took possession of 20 rafts donated by the [[British Red Cross]].<ref name="Charleston-DM">{{cite news|title=Disputes Snarl Cyclone Relief|author=Staff Writer|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|work=[[Charleston Daily Mail]]|url=http://www.thehurricanearchive.com/cache/39704983.pdf|format=PDF|date=1970-11-23|accessdate=2007-04-15}}</ref> A pesticide company had to wait two days before it received permission for two of its [[crop duster]]s, which were already in the country, to carry out supply drops in the affected regions. The Pakistani only deployed a single helicopter to relief operations, with Yahya Khan later stating that there was no point deploying any helicopters from West Pakistan as they were unable to carry supplies.<ref name="Stars-and-Stripes"/> |
|||
A reporter for the ''[[Pakistan Observer]]'' spent a week in the worst hit areas in early January and saw none of the tents supplied by relief agencies being used to house survivors and commented that the grants for building new houses were insufficient. The ''Pakistan Observer'' regularly carried front page stories with headlines like "No Relief Coordination", whilst publishing government statements saying "Relief operations are going smoothly." In January, the coldest period of the year in East Pakistan, the National Relief and Rehabilitation Committee, headed by the editor of [[The Daily Ittefaq|Ittefaq]], said thousands of survivors from the storm were "passing their days under [the] open sky". A spokesman said families who were made homeless by the cyclone were receiving up to 250 rupees ($55 1971 [[USD]], $279 2007 USD) to rebuild, but that resources were scarce and he feared the survivors would "eat the cash".<ref name="Long-Beach">{{cite news|title=Pakistan Cyclone Relief Still Jumbled and Inadequate|first=Arnold|last=Zeitlin|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|work=[[Long Beach Press-Telegram]]|url=http://www.thehurricanearchive.com/Viewer.aspx?img=49506332&firstvisit=true&src=search¤tResult=0¤tPage=0|format=PDF|date=1971-01-13 |accessdate=2007-04-15}}</ref> |
|||
===Political consequences=== |
|||
[[Image:Flag of Bangladesh (1971).svg|200px|thumb|The first [[Flag of Bangladesh|flag]] of [[Bangladesh]]]] |
|||
The [[Awami League]], the largest political party in East Pakistan, headed by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, swept to a landslide victory in the national elections in December 1970, partially as a result of dissatisfaction over the failures of the relief efforts of the national government. The elections for nine national assembly and eighteen provincial assembly seats had to be postponed until January 18 as a result of the storm.<ref name="Story-Pak">{{cite web|url=http://www.storyofpakistan.com/articletext.asp?artid=A140&Pg=2|accessdate=2007-04-15|title=General Elections 1970|author=Jin Technologies|date=2003-06-01}}</ref> |
|||
The government's handling of the relief efforts helped exacerbate the bitterness felt in East Pakistan, swelling the resistance movement there. Funds only slowly got through, and transport was slow in bringing supplies to the devastated regions. As tensions increased in March, foreign personnel evacuated because of fears of violence.<ref name="NYT-12"/> The situation deteriorated further and developed into the [[Bangladesh Liberation War]] in March. This conflict widened into the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]] in December and concluded with the creation of [[Bangladesh]]. This is one of the first times that a natural event helped to trigger a civil war.<ref name="USAID">{{cite web|url=http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/humanitarian_assistance/disaster_assistance/publications/ofda_cjanalysis_02_21-2005.pdf|accessdate=2007-04-15|format=PDF|date=2005-02-21|title=A Critical Juncture Analysis, 1964-2003|last=Olson|first=Richard|publisher=[[USAID]]}}</ref> |
|||
===International response=== |
|||
[[India]] became one of the first nations to offer aid to Pakistan, despite the generally poor [[Indo-Pakistani relations|relations]] between the two countries, and by the end of November had pledged $1.3 million (1970 [[USD]], $6.9 million 2007 USD) of assistance for the relief efforts.<ref name="NYT-14">{{cite news|title=Pakistan Storm Relief a Vast Problem|first=Richard|last=Halloran|work=[[New York Times]]|date=1970-11-29}}</ref> The Pakistani government refused to allow the Indians to send supplies into East Pakistan by air, forcing them to be transported slowly by road instead.<ref name="NYT-15">{{cite news|title=People Still Dying Because Of Inadequate Relief Job|first=Sydney|last=Schanberg|authorlink=Sydney Schanberg|work=[[New York Times]]|date=1970-11-29}}</ref> The Indian government also said that the Pakistanis refused an offer of military aircraft, helicopters and boats from [[West Bengal]] to assist in the relief operation.<ref name="NYT-16">{{cite news|title=Pakistan Leader Visits Survivors|first=Sydney|last=Schanberg|authorlink=Sydney Schanberg|work=[[New York Times]]|date=1970-11-25}}</ref> |
|||
[[US President]] [[Richard Nixon]] allocated a $10 million (1970 USD, $53 million 2007 USD) grant to provide food and other essential relief to the survivors of the storm, and the U.S. ambassador to Pakistan pledged that he would "assist the East Pakistan government in every way feasible."<ref name="Yuma-Sun">{{cite news|title=Official E. Pakistan Death Toll 148,116|first=Arnold|last=Zeitlin|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|work=[[Yuma Daily Sun]]|url=http://www.thehurricanearchive.com/cache/50108954.pdf|format=PDF|date=1970-11-20|accessdate=2007-04-15}}</ref> The American government also sent a number of blankets, tents and other supplies. Six helicopters, two helicopters at an aid mission in [[Nepal]] and four from the United States, were sent to East Pakistan.<ref name="NYT-17">{{cite news|title=Nixon Pledges $10-Million Aid For Storm Victims in Pakistan|first=James|last=Naughton|work=[[New York Times]]|date=1970-11-17}}</ref> Some 200,000 tons of wheat were shipped from the [[United States]] to the stricken region.<ref name="Long-Beach"/> By the end of November, there were 38 helicopters operating in the disaster area, ten of which were British and ten American. The Americans had provided about 50 small boats and the British 70 for supply distribution.<ref name="NYT-14"/> |
|||
[[CARE (relief)|CARE]] halted aid shipments to the country the week after the cyclone hit, because of unwillingness to let the Pakistani government handle distribution.<ref name="Charleston-DM"/> However, by January, they had reached an agreement to construct 24,000 cement brick houses at a cost of about $1.2 million (1971 USD, $6.1 million 2007 USD).<ref name="Long-Beach"/> American concerns about delays by the Pakistani government in determining how the relief should be used meant that $7.5 million (1970 USD, $39.7 million 2007 USD) of relief granted by the [[US Congress]] had not been handed over in March. Much of the money was earmarked to be spent on constructing cyclone shelters and rebuilding housing.<ref name="NYT-12"/> The American [[Peace Corps]] offered to send volunteers but were rebuffed by the Pakistani government.<ref name="NYT-14"/> |
|||
A [[Royal Navy]] [[task force]], centred on ''[[HMS Intrepid (L11)|HMS Intrepid]]'' and ''[[HMS Triumph (R16)|HMS Triumph]]'', left [[Singapore]] for the Bay of Bengal to assist with the relief efforts. They carried eight helicopters and eight landing craft, as well as rescue teams and supplies.<ref name="Yuma-Sun"/> Fifty soldiers and two helicopters were flown in ahead of the ships to survey the disaster area and bring relief work.<ref name="NYT-18">{{cite news|title=U.S. and British Helicopters Arrive to Aid Cyclone Area|author=Staff writer|publisher=[[Reuters]]|work=[[New York Times]]|date=1970-11-20}}</ref> The British task force arrived off the Pakistan coast on November 24, and the 650 troops aboard the ships immediately began using [[landing craft]] to deliver supplies to offshore islands.<ref name="NYT-11"/> An appeal by the British [[Disasters Emergency Committee]] raised about £1.5 million (1970 [[Pound sterling|GBP]], £33 million 2005 GBP) for disaster relief in East Pakistan.<ref name="NYT-14"/><ref name="DEC">{{cite web|title=DEC Appeals and Evaluations|url=http://www.dec.org.uk/index.cfm/asset_id,905/index.html|accessdate=2007-04-15|author=[[Disasters Emergency Committee]]}}</ref> |
|||
The [[Canada|Canadian]] government pledged $2 million of assistance. [[France]] and [[West Germany]] sent both helicopters and various supplies worth $1.3 million.<ref name="NYT-14"/><ref name="NYT-18"/> [[Pope Paul VI]] announced that he would visit Dhaka during a visit to the Far East and urged people to pray for the victims of the disaster.<ref name="NYT-19">{{cite news|title=Pope to Visit Pakistan|author=Staff writer|work=[[New York Times]]|date=1970-11-22}}</ref> The Vatican later contributed $100,000 to the relief efforts.<ref name="NYT-14"/> By the start of 1971, four [[Soviet]] helicopters were still operating in the region transporting essential supplies to hard-hit areas. The Soviet aircraft, which had drawn criticism from [[Bengali people|Bengalis]], replaced the British and American helicopters that had operated immediately after the cyclone.<ref name="Long-Beach"/> |
|||
The government of Singapore sent a military medical mission to East Pakistan which arrived at Chittagong on December 1. They were then deployed to [[Sandwip]] where they treated nearly 27,000 people and carried out a [[smallpox]] vaccination effort. The mission returned to Singapore on December 22, after bringing about $50,000 worth of medical supplies and 15 tons of food for the victims of the storm.<ref name="MINDEF">{{cite web|url=http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/about_us/history/birth_of_saf/v03n11_history.html|title=Medical Mission to East Pakistan|accessdate=2007-04-15|author=Choy Choi Kee|publisher=[[MINDEF]]|date=1999-11-07}}</ref> The [[Japan]]ese cabinet approved a total of $1.65 million of relief funds in December. The Japanese government had previously drawn criticism for only donating a small amount to relief work.<ref name="NYT-20">{{cite news|title=Tokyo Increases Aid|author=Staff writer|work=[[New York Times]]|date=1970-12-02}}</ref> The first shipment of [[China|Chinese]] supplies to East Pakistan was a planeload of 500,000 doses of cholera vaccine, which was not necessary as the country had adequate stocks.<ref name="NYT-15"/> The Chinese government sent $1.2 million in cash to Pakistan.<ref name="NYT-14"/> [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi]] declared that the disaster was also an [[Iran]]ian one and responded by sending two planeloads of supplies within a few days of the cyclone striking.<ref name="NYT-13"/> Many smaller, poorer Asian nations sent nominal amounts of aid.<ref name="NYT-14"/> |
|||
The [[United Nations]] donated $2.1 million in food and cash, whilst [[UNICEF]] began a drive to raise a further million.<ref name="NYT-14"/> UNICEF helped to re-establish water supplies in the wake of the storm, repairing over 11,000 wells in the months following the storm.<ref name="UNICEF">{{cite web|url=http://www.unicef.org/publications/files/1946-2006_Sixty_Years_for_Children.pdf#page=12|title=Sixty Years For Children|format=PDF|author=[[UNICEF]]|accessdate=2007-04-15}}</ref> [[UN Secretary-General]] [[U Thant]] made appeals for aid for the victims of the cyclone and the civil war in August, in two separate relief programs. He said only about $4 million had been contributed towards immediate needs, well short of the target of $29.2 million.<ref name="NYT-21">{{cite news|title=Thant Again Asks Aid To Pakistanis|first=Sam Pope|last=Brewer|work=[[New York Times]]|date=1971-08-13}}</ref> By the end of November, the [[League of Red Cross Societies]] had collected $3.5 million to supply aid to the victims of the disaster.<ref name="NYT-14"/> |
|||
The [[World Bank]] estimated that it would cost $185 million to reconstruct the area devastated by the storm. The bank drew up a comprehensive recovery plan for the Pakistani government. The plan included restoring housing, water supplies and infrastructure to their pre-storm state. It was designed to combine with a much larger ongoing flood-control and development program.<ref name="NYT-22">{{cite news|title=World Bank Offers Plan to Reconstruct East Pakistan|author=Staff writer|work=[[New York Times]]|date=1970-12-02}}</ref> The Bank provided $25 million of credit to help rebuild the East Pakistan economy and to construct protective shelters in the region. This was the first time that the [[International Development Association|IDA]] had provided credit for reconstruction.<ref name="World-Bank">{{cite web|title=Cyclone Protection and Coastal Area Rehabilitation Project|url=http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTABOUTUS/EXTARCHIVES/0,,contentMDK:20485265~pagePK:36726~piPK:437378~theSitePK:29506,00.html|accessdate=2007-04-15|year=2005|author=[[World Bank]]}}</ref> By the start of December, nearly $40 million had been raised for the relief efforts by the governments of 41 countries, organisations and private groups.<ref name="NYT-22"/> |
|||
===Disaster preparedness=== |
|||
In December, the League of Red Cross Societies drafted a plan for immediate use should a comparable event to the cyclone hit other "disaster prone countries". A Red Cross official stated some of the relief workers sent to East Pakistan were poorly trained, and the organisation would compile a list of specialists. The UN General Assembly adopted a proposal to improve its ability to provide aid to disaster-stricken countries.<ref name="NYT-23">{{cite news|title=World Red Cross Groups Plan Aid for 'Disaster-Prone' Areas|first=Thomas|last=Hamilton|work=[[New York Times]]|date=1970-12-14}}</ref> |
|||
In 1966, the [[Red Crescent]] began to support the development of a cyclone warning system, which developed into a Cyclone Preparedness Programme in 1972, today run by the [[Government of Bangladesh]] and the [[Bangladesh Red Crescent Society]]. The programme's objectives are to raise public awareness of the risks of cyclones and to provide training to emergency personnel in the coastal regions of Bangladesh.<ref name="ITU">{{cite web|url=http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/asp/Events/EmergencyTelecomWorkshops/Bangladesh_Workshop/Presentation/11)%20Cyclone%20Preparedness%20Program%20%5BCPP%5D.pdf |format=PDF|title=Cyclone Preparedness Programme|accessdate=2007-04-15|publisher=[[International Telecommunication Union]]}}</ref> |
|||
In the 30 years after the 1970 cyclone, over 200 cyclone shelters were constructed in the coastal regions of Bangladesh. When the [[1991 Bangladesh cyclone|next destructive cyclone]] approached the country in 1991, volunteers from the Cyclone Preparedness Programme warned people of the cyclone two to three days before it struck land. Over 350,000 people fled their homes to shelters and other brick structures, whilst others sought high ground. While the 1991 cyclone killed over 138,000 people, this was significantly less than the 1970 storm, partly because of the warnings sent out by the Cyclone Preparedness Programme. However, the 1991 storm was significantly more destructive, causing 1.5 billion dollars in damage (2 billion inflation-adjusted) compared to the 1970 storm's 86.4 million dollars in damage (inflation-adjusted: 480 million).<ref name="DFID">{{cite web|url=http://www.dfid.gov.uk/aboutDFID/performance/files/ev555.pdf|format=PDF|title=Evaluation / review of the ODA-financed relief and rehabilitation programmes in Bangladesh following the cyclone of April 1991|author=Steve Jones et al.|publisher=[[DFID]]|accessdate=2007-04-15|year=1993|month=July|pages=11 & 55}}</ref> |
|||
==See also== |
|||
{{tcportal}} |
|||
*[[List of tropical cyclones]] |
|||
*[[1991 Bangladesh cyclone]] |
|||
*[[Storm surge]] |
|||
*[[List of Bangladesh tropical cyclones]] |
|||
==References== |
|||
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;"> |
|||
<references /> |
|||
</div> |
|||
==External links== |
|||
*[http://nirapad.org/ Data on Bangladesh disasters] from [[NIRAPAD]] disaster response organisation |
|||
*[http://tesla.liketelevision.com/liketelevision/tuner.php?channel=318&format=tv&theme=history On this day – liketelevision] |
|||
*[http://www.islamonline.net/english/In_Depth/DisasterVictims/Articles/10.shtml Islam Online – Disaster Victims] |
|||
*[http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTABOUTUS/EXTARCHIVES/0,,contentMDK:20485265~pagePK:36726~piPK:437378~theSitePK:29506,00.html East Pakistan - Cyclone Protection and Coastal Area Rehabilitation Project] - [[World Bank]] Archives |
|||
{{DEFAULTSORT:* (1970)}} |
|||
[[Category:Pre-1980 North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons]] |
|||
[[Category:Tropical cyclones in Bangladesh]] |
|||
[[Category:Natural disasters in Bangladesh]] |
|||
[[Category:1970 meteorology|1970 Bhola cyclone]] |
|||
[[Category:1970 natural disasters|1970 Bhola cyclone]] |
|||
[[Category:1970 in Bangladesh|1970 Bhola cyclone]] |
|||
[[Category:Very severe cyclonic storms]] |
|||
[[bn:১৯৭০-এর ভোলা ঘূর্ণিঝড়]] |
|||
[[de:Zyklon in Ostpakistan 1970]] |
|||
[[es:Ciclón Bhola]] |
|||
[[fr:Cyclone de Bhola]] |
|||
[[ko:1970년 방글라데시 사이클론]] |
|||
[[id:Siklon Bhola 1970]] |
|||
[[ja:1970年のボーラ・サイクロン]] |
|||
[[no:Syklonen i Gangesdeltaet]] |
|||
[[pl:Bhola (cyklon)]] |
|||
[[pt:Ciclone de Bhola de 1970]] |
|||
[[simple:1970 Bhola cyclone]] |
|||
[[sl:Ciklon v Bholi]] |
|||
[[fi:Bholan sykloni 1970]] |
|||
[[sv:Cyklonen Bhola]] |
|||
Revision as of 03:33, 5 March 2010
Hi, I'm Nondinee Rani Dey (Tandra) Please Visit The Website And Tell Other (you Can Also Free Download Our photos, Videos, Real Voice, fun News E.t.c) http://amitebasu.webs.com/ My Personal Cell Phone Number +8801911779110