#ENVIRONMENT ■ Tauktae,Yaas and planning for the next to come | UPSC Current Affairs Daily
#ENVIRONMENT
■ Tauktae,Yaas and planning for the next to come
The severe cyclones, Tauktae and Yaas, which battered India earlier this year, made landfalls on the country’s western coast, Gujarat, and the eastern coast, Odisha.
With a rise in the frequency of devastating cyclones, India needs to look at long-term mitigation measures.
● Tropical Cyclones:
Tropical cyclones are violent storms that originate over oceans in tropical areas and move over to the coastal areas bringing about large-scale destruction due to violent winds (squalls), very heavy rainfall (torrential rainfall), and storm surge.
They are irregular wind movements involving the closed circulation of air around a low-pressure center.
This closed air circulation (whirling motion) is a result of rapid upward movement of the hot air which is subjected to Coriolis force.
The low pressure at the center is responsible for the wind speeds.
The cyclonic wind movements are anti-clockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere (This is due to Coriolis force).
The cyclones are often characterized by the existence of an anticyclone between two cyclones.
Tropical cyclones occur around the equator at 5 ° – 30 °, but also have varying names depending upon where in the world they form.
An average tropical cyclone can travel about 300 to 400 miles a day, or about 3,000 miles before it dies out.
● India’s Cyclone Disaster Management Initiatives:
National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project India initiated this project to undertake structural and non-structural measures to mitigate the cyclone’s effects.
The aim of the project is to protect the vulnerable local communities from the impact of cyclones and other hydro-meteorological calamities.
The World Bank is providing financial assistance for this project.
It is being implemented by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA.)
● Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Project
In August 2019, a draft of Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) for integrated coastal management was released by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC.)
Coastal Regulation Zones (CRZ) – The CRZ Notification 2018 and 2019 bring new reforms w.r.t sustainable development of coastal areas.
IMD’s Colour Coding of Cyclones
It is a weather warning that is issued by the IMD to aware people ahead of natural hazards.
The four colours used by IMD are Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red.
Recently, in December 2020, IMD’s DG announced the introduction of a dynamic and impact-based cyclonic warning system. IMD will work with NDMA, INCOIS and various state governments to successfully introduce this system.
● Regional names for Tropical Cyclones:
Indian Ocean - Cyclones
Atlantic - Hurricanes
Western Pacific and South China Sea - Typhoons
Western Australia - Willy-willies
● Essential steps:
First, it is imperative to improve the cyclone warning system and revamp disaster preparedness measures.
Second, the Government must widen the cover under shelterbelt plantations and help regenerate mangroves in coastal regions to lessen the impact of cyclones.
In addition, adopting cost-effective, long-term mitigation measures, including building cyclone-resilient infrastructure such as constructing storm surge-resilient embankments, canals and improving river connectivity to prevent waterlogging in low-lying areas are important.
Third, installing disaster-resilient power infrastructure in the coastal districts, providing concrete houses to poor and vulnerable households, and creating massive community awareness campaigns are essential.
Finally, healthy coordination between the Centre and the States concerned is essential to collectively design disaster mitigation measures.
It is only such a collective mitigation effort by the Centre and States that can help reduce the fiscal burden of States and also be effective in minimising disaster deaths.
SOURCE - THE HINDU
