In the background of recurring natural calamities, it is required to formulate a new sustainable policy for the future of the planet. Natural Calamities: Brazil’s Amazon forests are ablaze with dozens of fires. Most of them were set intentionally by loggers and others seeking greater access to forest land. The fires are paving the way for a global climate catastrophe. How… Continue reading A New Ethics for a Sustainable Planet
Tag: Disaster Management
Environmental Conservation with Grassroot Governance
Context Flood and landslides (Kerala) of 2018 caused huge financial losses and the same repeated in 2019. Considering the above scenario, powers and responsibilities conferred on citizens under provisions such as the 73rd and 74th Amendments to the Constitution, and the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 are being sidelined. Background The Western Ghats are regarded as one of the eight ‘hottest’ biodiversity hotspots in the… Continue reading Environmental Conservation with Grassroot Governance
A bottom-up approach to conservation
Issue: The 2018 floods and landslides in Kerala that caused huge financial losses and manifold human tragedies were thought of as a once-in-a-century calamity, and that normalcy will return soon. Further, the probability of two such back-to-back events was only 1 in 10,000. Hence, in 2019, a repeat of the shocking train of intense floods,… Continue reading A bottom-up approach to conservation
Don’t blame nature, bolster disaster preparedness
A Parliamentary panel has rejected Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi’s contention that there cannot be preparation for a disaster like the Chennai floods which “occurs once in 100 years”. Details: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs in its report on ‘Disaster in Chennai caused by torrential rainfall and consequent flooding’ has strongly recommended that… Continue reading Don’t blame nature, bolster disaster preparedness
PM Modi releases country’s first National Disaster Management Plan
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently released the National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP). This is thefirst ever national plan prepared in the country. Key facts: The plan aims to make India disaster resilient and reduces loss of lives. The plan is based on the four priority themes of the “Sendai Framework,” namely: understanding disaster risk, improving… Continue reading PM Modi releases country’s first National Disaster Management Plan
SC pulls up Centre, States for failing to tackle drought
The Supreme Court has pulled up states for their “ostrich-like attitude” on drought, saying they ignored information provided by central agencies and failed to take any preparatory steps to tackle a possible disaster. Important observations made by the court: States are not assessing the drought situation in time leading to serious consequences. The adverse or… Continue reading SC pulls up Centre, States for failing to tackle drought
We did start the Uttarakhand fire
Article Link Forest fires in the hills of Uttarakhand have damaged valuable natural resources. Forest fire is a common phenomenon during summer in Uttarakhand. However, this time, the fire started in February and spread to most forest areas of the state. A number of theories are circulating on what would have caused such gargantuan… Continue reading We did start the Uttarakhand fire
Uttarakhand forest fires
Often unquantified, the social and economic impacts of forest fires are considerable: lives are lost, health problems occur, animals are killed and the environment suffers The disaster: Lives lost: 5 Land gutted by forest fire: Almost 1,600 acres of land (hundreds of villages/clusters) Forest Fire in India: Almost 50-55% of the total forest cover in… Continue reading Uttarakhand forest fires
Water Crisis: Why has it reached such proportions?
As the summer sets in, many parts of the country are said to face one of the worst water crisis in the history. Reservoir levels in many states have come down alarmingly. Also, drinking water situation in states like Maharashtra is equally alarming. Ganga, which was to provide water to 1/3rd population of the country,… Continue reading Water Crisis: Why has it reached such proportions?
From Plate to Plough — The big thirst
Article Link Maharashtra is facing one of the biggest water crisis in recent decades. In Latur, where the traditional sources of water have run dry, Section 144 has had to be imposed to prevent into a water riot. Trains carrying water are now being despatched to Latur. Even, the high court intervened in the case… Continue reading From Plate to Plough — The big thirst
