Meet the ‘Cyclone Man of India’ whose accuracy in cyclone forecast saved millions of lives in India. Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, the chief of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has earned praise for his accurate forecasts of cyclones, their wind speed and their likely impact on life and property including during the recent cyclone ‘Fani’ when their timely warnings enabled the authorities to ensure early evacuation of millions of people.
Back in 1971, a strong cyclone hit the east coast of India, causing a lot of damage to Odisha’s coastal villages. A six-year-old boy in a remote village experienced this devastation, as his father worked hard to help people find safety.
Mrutyunjay Mohapatra’s family lost the entire paddy crop, the only source of income for the family. For over a year, the boy’s family and the entire village had to rely on wheat instead of their usual rice, which was lost in the cyclone.
This event motivated the young boy to dream of finding a way to control cyclones and save lives. When he grew up, he made that dream a reality.
After completing his master’s in Physics, he joined the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratory in Chandipur. The job as a scientific assistant did not give him the satisfaction he was seeking, so he took up a job as a lecturer at a government college in Bhubaneswar.
When there was an opening at the IMD, he knew it was his calling. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra joined the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in 1992.
In 1999, during the Super Cyclone that killed over 15,000 people, he realized the need for better prediction methods. After this tragedy, IMD started modernizing its weather prediction systems to forecast natural disasters like cyclones and tsunamis more accurately.
His expertise in explaining complicated weather details to the public and decision-makers made him a highly respected meteorologist. He introduced advanced technologies and satellite data to make weather predictions more accurate and timely.
Over the last six years, the CWD has given accurate forecasts on cyclones including when Phailin (2013), Hudhud (2014), and Titli (2018) hit the eastern coast.
His impact wasn’t limited to forecasting; Mrutyunjay Mohapatra also worked on disaster management and preparedness. Understanding the importance of being proactive, he played a crucial role in creating policies to reduce the impact of natural disasters.
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