Bhubaneswar: The state government Monday warned of legal action against those spreading false or speculative cyclone forecasts, cautioning that unverified warnings could trigger public panic, disrupt economic activities and hamper disaster preparedness.
In an advisory, the Office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) expressed concern over the circulation of unverified cyclone tracks, projected landfall locations, timelines and impact assessments on social media, digital platforms and certain media channels.
It noted that some individuals and self-proclaimed weather experts were issuing such predictions without scientific validation or reference to official forecasts issued by the India Meteorological De partment (IMD).
Misleading forecasts could prompt panic buying, create artificial shortages and lead to the premature harvesting of crops, besides undermining public confidence in the official disaster management system, the advisory said.
The SRC urged media organisations, digital content creators, social media platforms and individuals to exercise caution when sharing weather-related information and verify all forecasts against official IMD bulletins and advisories issued by the SRC and other competent authorities. Invoking the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the government warned that the circulation of false disaster warnings could attract penal action.
Section 54 of the Act provides for imprisonment of up to one year or a fine for making or circulating a false alarm or warning about a disaster, or its severity or magnitude, that leads to panic. The advisory also cited Section 51, which prescribes penalties for obstructing authorised officials in discharging their duties or refusing to comply with lawful directions issued by competent authorities.
The government said legal action would be initiated, wherever warranted, against those deliberately spreading false disaster warnings, creating public panic or obstructing disaster management op erations, in accordance with the law.
