National Geographic's new documentary on Cyclone Fani to reveal how Odisha saved a million lives

On 3 May, 2019, as one of the worst storms hit the eastern Indian state of Odisha, the authorities demonstrated its disaster management preparedness that resulted in saving over a million lives in record time. National Geographic will now chronicle the nerve-racking 48 hours prior to the landfall in its documentary Mega Cyclone Fani: Rescuing a Million.

From gripping accounts of tracking the path of the storm by 'Cyclone Man' Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, the OSDMA's Special Relief Commissioner and Odisha’s Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the film take viewers behind-the-scenes of the meticulous evacuation plan of the Odisha government.

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Highlighting the importance of the documentary, Patnaik said in a statement, “What happened 20 years back was extremely unfortunate, and the state since then has taken several measures for better disaster management. It was one of the biggest human evacuations in India, a story that the world needs to know, and I am confident that National Geographic’s documentary Mega Cyclone Fani: Rescuing a Million will bring Odisha’s inspirational work for many to learn and benefit from for impactful disaster management.”

Commenting on the documentary, a National Geographic spokesperson said in a statement, “Odisha government’s extremely effective disaster management system is a success story of years of preparedness. It is also a testament to the power of individuals including evacuees, volunteers, officials who worked tirelessly to move around so many lives to safety. We are delighted to bring this success story to our viewers with our upcoming film Mega Cyclone Fani.”

Mega Cyclone Fani: Rescuing a Million will premiere on 27 September at 9 pm on National Geographic and Hotstar.