ABSTRACT
Cyclone Titli (translated as butterfly) devastated the homes and livelihoods of marginalized indigenous communities living in remote hilly villages of Ganjam and Gajapati districts of Odisha, India. Strong winds of 150 kmph accompanied by very heavy rainfall caused multiple disasters in the form of cyclone, floods and landslides on 11-12 Oct-2018. While the Odisha state machinery is adequately equipped to handle single hazards, the cascading effect of the unprecedented cyclone in these remote areas, made disaster management extremely difficult. The ongoing rehabilitation and rebuilding process in the hills of Ganjam and Gajapati districts is analysed in this paper using a conceptual framework based on the Disaster Management Cycle, with an emphasis on the preparedness phase. Mitigation measures that are put in place, as a step towards disaster-risk-reduction and enhancing the community’s capacity to adapt to future disasters, are discussed in the context of the Sendai Framework’s mandate of `Building Back Better.’
