This refers to the report "Lesson from 1999 cyclone helped India tame Phailin" (October 14). For the first time, timely evacuation in Orissa helped in saving millions of people from the tropical storm Phailin. One question that arises - is Mumbai prepared for such a cyclone? Many people in Mumbai live near the seashore and this includes buildings, slums, and fishermen colonies. There is no information available on whether the buildings situated near the coast can withstand windspeed during a cyclone such as Phailin. Builders do not disclose such information in their advertisements. There are no cyclone shelters in Mumbai or the other coastal cities of Maharashtra. Shouldn't the state government make preparations to deal with such a situation if a cyclone were to strike Mumbai? Orissa and Andhra Pradesh have built such shelters to house the evacuated people.
Deendayal M Lulla Mumbai
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