Uttarkhand DisasterIndia-Bangladesh Relations_Rimpa Dutta

8/13/2019 Uttarkhand DisasterIndia-Bangladesh Relations_Rimpa Dutta

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Uttarkhand Disaster-Himalayan Tsunami.

1. The Disaster:

Heavy rainfall from 14 to 17 June 2013. IMDs forecast was updated from rather heavy rainfall,very heavy rainfall and then to extremely heavy rainfall. This was not given wide publicity.

The raging Bhagirathi, Alaknanda and Mandakini have swollen like never before and swept awaywhatever came in their way

Wall of water coming down the slopes Landslides in the hill slopes, destroying the roads and thereby affecting rescue operations.

2. Disaster response:

Communication gaps-Policy gaps- implementation gaps- The state is among five in the country to have Disaster Mitigation and Management Centre

(DMMC), an autonomous body for disaster management.

Poor coordination between disaster management agencies amplified the impact Despite warnings from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the state machinery could

not crank itself up to meet the challenge.

On June 16, state government officials did nothing more than issue an advisory about open andblocked roads. Soon, heavy downpour caused floods and landslides.

On June 19, as the army was battling against time to rescue people, there was utter chaos in theadministration. Bureaucrats, sitting inside expensive hotels, were screaming on their mobile

phones. At the Rudraprayag police control room, no one knew what action to take.

It took Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde to come down to Uttarakhand to admit that therewas no coordination among government agencies, which was hampering rescue operations.

(Following information should be read from Akshays article on Crisis management.

http://mrunal.org/2013/10/result-september-writing-competition-revision-notes-for-everyone-

representation-of-peoples-act-internal-security-infrastructure-and-

more.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CivilServic

eExam+%28Civil+Services+Exam%29 Providing this info the for the sake of completeness)

o Disaster management Act 2005 ---->(Eye wash Act after Indian Tsunami)o National/State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA, NDMA)are supposed to be

setup

o On side note In April 2013, CAG placed a report in Parliament pointing out that NDMAis not properly informed about the disaster management work in states. Projects that

were initiated for disaster preparedness and mitigation have not been properly

implemented, it states.

o According to the Disaster Management Act of 2004, NDMA should have an advisorycommittee of experts for disaster management at the national, state and district levels.

In 2007, it constituted its first advisory committee for two years. The committees term
http://mrunal.org/2013/10/result-september-writing-competition-revision-notes-for-everyone-representation-of-peoples-act-internal-security-infrastructure-and-more.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CivilServiceExam+%28Civil+Services+Exam%29http://mrunal.org/2013/10/result-september-writing-competition-revision-notes-for-everyone-representation-of-peoples-act-internal-security-infrastructure-and-more.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CivilServiceExam+%28Civil+Services+Exam%29http://mrunal.org/2013/10/result-september-writing-competition-revision-notes-for-everyone-representation-of-peoples-act-internal-security-infrastructure-and-more.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CivilServiceExam+%28Civil+Services+Exam%29http://mrunal.org/2013/10/result-september-writing-competition-revision-notes-for-everyone-representation-of-peoples-act-internal-security-infrastructure-and-more.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CivilServiceExam+%28Civil+Services+Exam%29http://mrunal.org/2013/10/result-september-writing-competition-revision-notes-for-everyone-representation-of-peoples-act-internal-security-infrastructure-and-more.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CivilServiceExam+%28Civil+Services+Exam%29http://mrunal.org/2013/10/result-september-writing-competition-revision-notes-for-everyone-representation-of-peoples-act-internal-security-infrastructure-and-more.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CivilServiceExam+%28Civil+Services+Exam%29http://mrunal.org/2013/10/result-september-writing-competition-revision-notes-for-everyone-representation-of-peoples-act-internal-security-infrastructure-and-more.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CivilServiceExam+%28Civil+Services+Exam%29http://mrunal.org/2013/10/result-september-writing-competition-revision-notes-for-everyone-representation-of-peoples-act-internal-security-infrastructure-and-more.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CivilServiceExam+%28Civil+Services+Exam%29


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was extended for a year. After its end, setting up of a new committee was delayed

because many ministries failed to nominate experts, say NDMA officials.

3. How it happened?

Early monsoon in the Northern India Because of various reasons including climate change, change in the pressure systems, trough

formation because of westerlies in UP and Bihar and no characteristic monsoon break.

Freak Rainfall for three days. Fragile ecosystem and loose soil. (aggravated by deforestation) This is what happened in KedarinathYoung mountains; Narrow river (Mandakini) because of

the mountains; huge landslides breaking the path; Lake formation; Change in the course of river;

too much of water when the wall gave away.

See in the above image Kedarinath is sitting right in harms way.


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Human induced GHG and climate change resulting in more such extreme events; There will bemore rain; there will be less number of rainy days with huge amount of rain.

155% increase in number of tourists visiting UK for the last decade. No residence facilities. Illegalconstructions on riverside used as hotels. All of them are washed away.

Illegal local quarrying of Gangas Sand. Swami Nigamananda died fasting for 68 days to stop it.Unscientific mining helped rivers increase their width. (9 mts is dug instead of .9 mts)

Natures Fury explained in How it happened

5. What should we do to obviate risks from nature of this sort?

1. Development is required but it should be sustainable development.2. Himalayan region is very fragile. Prone to : Seismic activity, Cloud bursts, landslides and

corrosion. Hydro power projects are necessary for development. But that should not affect the

natural course of rivers and their flow. Their flow in the lean periods and rich periods should be

read and comprehensive solutions should be yielded. Gap between such projects is also very

important. Urbanization is important but not at the cost of forests. India should develop forest

based economy in forest rich states. (UK, NE states)

3. Check the tourism. Permit only a few. Have a buffer. Later develop ability to cater for the needsof huge number of tourists.

4. In the larger picture, Climate change can affect the lives of people in huge number of ways. Firstalternative is to stop messing with nature. (Which is kind of difficult if you want to achieve

MDGs by the end of this millennium. On a serious note- have low carbon development

strategy). Second alternative, at least find ways to mitigate its effects.

5. Environ friendly way of building the roads, dams. Blasting your way through should be stopped.6. Definitions: (Following definitions are topics in themselves. So the reading should not end here rather it should

start here)

1. Cloudburst: A cloudburst is an extreme amount of precipitation, sometimes with hail and thunder,

which normally lasts no longer than a few minutes but is capable of creating flood conditions.

Colloquially, the term cloudburst may be used to describe any sudden heavy, brief, and usually

unforecast rainfall. (This question was asked in the IFoS mains)

2. Orographic Effect:The orographic effect is when rainfall occurs because of forced or sudden lifting of

an air mass over a mountain. This happens on the windward side of a mountain.

3. Environment Impact Assessment (EIA):An EIA is an assessment of the possible impacts that a

proposed project may have on the environment, consisting of theenvironmental,social and economic

aspects. The purpose of the assessment is to ensure that decision makers consider the environmental

impacts when deciding whether or not to proceed with a project

4. Compensatory Afforestation: Afforestation done to compensate loss of forests because of a project.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_environmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_environmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_environmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_environment


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References:

Most of the content is fromhttp://www.downtoearth.org.in/themes/DTE/ukparralax/uk_flood.htm Image 2 was taken from http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/floods-uttarakhand-explained Image 1 was taken fromhttp://www.gujaratweather.com/wordpress/?tag=mayhem Cloundburst and EIA definitions taken from wikipedia Information of Rain falling snow taken from Frontline.

Rakesh Prudhvi Kasthuri,
http://www.downtoearth.org.in/themes/DTE/ukparralax/uk_flood.htmhttp://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/floods-uttarakhand-explainedhttp://www.gujaratweather.com/wordpress/?tag=mayhemhttp://www.gujaratweather.com/wordpress/?tag=mayhemhttp://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/floods-uttarakhand-explainedhttp://www.downtoearth.org.in/themes/DTE/ukparralax/uk_flood.htm

Uttarkhand DisasterIndia-Bangladesh Relations_Rimpa Dutta

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