Disaster Management

A disaster is a natural or man-made (or technological) hazard

resulting in an event of substantial extent causing significant physical

damage or destruction, loss of life, or drastic change to the environment. A disaster can be ostensively defined as

any tragic event stemming from events such as earthquakes, floods,

catastrophic accidents, fires, explosions & drought. It is a

phenomenon that can cause damage to life and property and destroy the economic, social and cultural life of

people. Lets know some about a particular disaster lets say drought.

Many experts, organizations and reports like World Bank have highlighted the unjustifiably high share of sugarcane in

Maharashtra's irrigation. That all these factors came together in one year is not just an unfortunate coincidence. It shows that the reasons behind the Maharashtra drought

are starker than simply less rainfall. Unless these root causes are addressed, no amount of state and central assistance can

banish droughts. Farmers and rural and urban poor have been suffering for too long due to the opportunistic and

myopic response of the political and administrative leadership in Maharashtra to successive droughts. To

understand and change this, we need to first take a long, deep look at some of the reasons sparking the water

shortage:Worst drought-affected districts have the most sugar

factories

Sugarcane is one of the most water-intensive crops grown in Maharashtra, requiring ten times more water than Jowar or

nut. Ironically, the regions where it is grown the most are chronically drought hit regions, which have been receiving central aid for drought proofing though the Drought Proof

Area Program and other such schemes. Sugarcane area under drip irrigation in these regions is dismally low.

According to the Water Resources Department, Maharashtra, in 2009-10, of the approximate 25 lakh

hectares (Ha) of irrigated area in Maharashtra, 3,97,000 Ha was under sugarcane. However, according to the Union Agricultural Ministry (which would get its data from the

State Agricultural Department), area under sugarcane was 9,70,000 hectares in 2010-11 and again 10,02, 000 hectares

in 2011-12.

When it was grown on 16% Irrigated area, sugarcane used 76% of all water

for Irrigation. With area under sugarcane increasing, its hegemony has increased exponentially. Not only does it capture maximum water, it results in

water logging, salinity and severe water pollution by sugar factories. Incidentally,

Maharashtra has 209 sugar factories, the highest in any state in India.

Drought Drought is a temporary reduction in water or moisture availability significantly below the normal or expected amount for a specific

period. This condition occurs either due to inadequacy of rainfall, or lack or irrigation facilities, under-exploitation or deficient availability for meeting the normal crop requirements in the context of the agro-

climatic conditions prevailing in any particular area.

 Drought Management The strategy for this management is basically threefold:-

1 Close monitoring of the emerging drought scenario so as develop an advance warning system.

2 Relief measures required for providing immediate succor to the affected population and the upkeep of the cattle wealth, and if

possible to integrate it with long term objectives.

3 Hammering out an alternative crop strategy for maximum possible retrieval of the Kharif crop and a better ensuing Rabi crop.

Efforts By:- karthekiya

berry

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