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What’s a Caldera?

A Caldera is a large depression or a hollow area that forms when a volcano erupts and the magma chamber below it empties. This results in the collapse of side and top of the volcano.Without any structural support below the area, the erupting volcano vent collapses inwardly due to gravity creating a bowl shaped Caldera. There is a difference between a Caldera and crater. Craters form by the outward explosion of materials from a volcano. Craters are more circular than a caldera because in the latter the land collapses unevenly.

Magma chamber

It is a large pool of molten rock or magma below the surface of earth or under the existing volcano . The density of magma is less than that of the surrounding hard rocks so it starts to rise through cracks beneath the crust. When the magma is not able to find its way to the surface of the earth ,it is collected and pools into a magma chamber . Over the passage of time , this magma chamber grows in size due to the successive injections from horizontal and vertical magma and thus the pressure inside the chamber increases.

The magma chamber bears the weight of the volcano above it due to the buoyant forces which are acted upon the chamber by the surrounding rocks . The buoyant force gives a resultant upward push to the pool of magma chamber .

Sometimes when a volcano erupts, the whole pool of magma beneath it empties and this results in a void . Now there is nothing to support the weight of volcano. This causes volcano to collapse and form a caldera . Calderas are rare ; only 7-8 of them have known to occur in the last century. They are more than 25 kms in diameter and several kms deep.

Magma chamber ( pool of magma at the bottom)

Types of calderas

Explosive calderas

Explosive caldera forms when large magma chambers filled with silica (highly viscous)and gas move upwards. The high viscosity silica holds the gas bubbles under high pressures but as the material rises to the surface, due to decrease in the pressure the gas expands . This causes an enormous explosion which throws away rocks and magma to form a caldera . eg. Yellowstone caldera ,Toba caldera.

Toba caldera lake

Non-explosive calderas

When the matter is composed of basalt , which is much less viscous, the magma chamber is gradually drained by large lava flows rather than a single explosive eruption. eg. caldera atop Fernandina Island and Mauna Loa caldera.

Mauna Loa caldera

Calderas are not limited to Earth . Other planets like Venus and mars or our moon also has caldera formations.

Caldera of Olympus Mons( Volcano on Mars- largest volcano known in the Solar System)

आज़ादी के खातिर – त्रिलोक कुमार

खून खौल जाता है
जब देश का कोई अपमान करे,

खून खौल जाता है
जब वीरो का कोई न  सम्मान करे,

बहुतो ने आज़ादी के खातिर
अपना लघु बहाया है

कितनो ने फासी को चूमा
कितनो ने गोली खाया है,

तब जाके हमने ये चैन के निंद पाया है
हम कदर करे उन वीरो का
हम सम्मान करे उन वीरो का
जिन्होंने सर्वस्य गवा के हमे ये समान दिलाया है,

तब जाके हैं कही अपना गर्व से सिर उठाया है
हमे अलख जागआना है

राष्ट्र प्रेम दिखलाना है
उन महान वीरो का बलिदान न व्यर्थ हो
दुश्मन चाहे कोई हो अपने प्रहार न पस्त हो,

भारत मा के वीर सिपाही हम करते आपका सम्मान 
आपने बढ़ाया है हम सबका मान

कुछ सपने देखे थे वीरो ने
ऐयसे राष्ट्र बनाना है

कोई न हो दुश्मन सबको अपनआ बतलाना है
कुछ भ्रस्ट लोगो ने मिलके सपने को अपमान किया
हम लोगो ने भी मिलके उनको है नकार दिया।।।

खून खौल जाता है
जब देश का कोई अपमान करे,

खून खौल जाता है
जब वीरो का कोई अपमान करे

कवि – श्री त्रिलोक कुमार

















Branches of Philosophy

Aesthetics

This branch of philosophy deals with beauty , art and taste of things. It examines what happens in our minds when we are involved in aesthetic objects like art, music, poetry or while exploring Nature. Aesthetics consider why we like some specific thing over other. Aesthetic judgements may be linked to emotions and mood. When we say an object or art piece is beautiful , it triggers an aesthetic pleasure in ourselves . Beauty is a positive aesthetic value in contrast to ugliness, which is negative.

Epistemology

It deals with questions on nature and scope of knowledge. It focuses on sources of people’s consciousness, cognition ( structure and forms) and the relationship between mind and reality. It examines questions such as ‘ what we mean when we say we know something?’ ; the ability to differentiate between what one knows and what one believes.

Ethics

Ethics is the study of morals and the concept of right and wrong conduct. It deals with questions such as – What is morality ; does morality exists? It has 3 types :

Meta ethics ~ deals with foundations and nature of moral values.

Normative ethics ~ deals with systems of morality and questions on how one ought to act morally.

Applied ethics~ deals with what a person is obliged to do in specific situations.

Logic

It is the act of being rational by application of reason. The reasoning process can be done well or badly. Logic allows human beings to distinguish good reasoning from bad. In logic , we study rules and techniques that enables us to do correct ( whether good /bad ) reasoning. A logic must formulate precise standards for evaluating reasoning by developing proper set of arguments.

Metaphysics

Metaphysics deals with existence. It concerns with the fundamental nature of reality.

Theme 1~ The study of first causes — It studies that which does not change and from which the world has come into play. Some identify it with God.

Theme 2~ The study of being— Study of the fundamental categories of being or which exists. This field is also called Ontology.

It is further divided into disciplines such as cosmology, rational psychology and theology. Specific issues like immortality , free will are discussed.

Philosophy of mind

The branch of philosophy that deals with nature of mind and its relation with body . The aspects of mind such as thought, mental properties , consciousness are studied. It addresses issues like the hard problem of consciousness. It tries to explain how a supposedly non materialistic mind can influence material body and vica-versa. Rene Descartes was the first person to clearly identify mind with consciousness and self-awareness and to distinguish it from the brain , where intelligence lies.

Axiology

It is the study of origin of values or study of worth. Through axiology, one can determine what is valuable and why something can be said to be valuable.

Philosophy of language

It investigates nature of language , meaning, language use and language cognition. It explains how the meaning of complex sentences is derived from the meaning of their parts.

Political philosophy

Political philosophers seek to establish basic principles that will justify the formation of state, show individuals their rights and tell the fair distribution of society’s resources among its members . This usually involves analysing ideas like freedom , justice , authority and democracy and then applying them to institutions in a methodological way.

Philosophy of Science

It studies assumptions , foundation and implications of science. Questions addressed are: What is science; does science lead to certainty and truth; nature of statements and conclusions or how does science explain , predict and harness technology. It deals with the reliability of scientific theories and the ultimate purpose of science .

Philosophy in different parts of the world

The word philosophy means ‘ love of wisdom ’ in Greek. It is the pursuit of wisdom , truth and knowledge. It is the study of life’s fundamental questions involving truth, morality, ethics, reasons, logic and existence. A human being , at some point in his life , has wondered upon questions such as ‘ why am I here’ , ‘what is truth’, ‘what is reality’ , ‘is there a free will’ , ‘ what is right and wrong’ etc. These questions come in the realm of philosophy. It is closely related to natural sciences.

History of philosophy

Western philosophy

The ancient western era was dominated by Greek philosophical school of thoughts. This era was largely influenced by Socrates and Aristotle. The common topics discussed included metaphysics, cosmology, atomism and monism . In the medieval period , with the rise of the Roman Empire and Christianity , questions such as mature of God , evil & good were pondered upon. Modern philosophy concerned with developing a secular foundation and discarded the authority of religion.

Islamic Philosophy

Islamic philosophy is mostly done in Arabic . Two main schools of thought were Kalam ( which focused on Islamic theology) and Falsafa. Philosophers such as Al Kindi , Avicenna and Averroes were greatly influenced by the work of Aristotle whereas Al Ghazali was highly critical of him. The 19th and 20th century Arab world witnessed Nahda movement ( The Awakening or The Arab Renaissance). This shaped the modern Islamic philosophy.

Indian Philosophy

Indian philosophy included concepts like dharma , karma, pramana , dukha-sukha and moksh. It is grouped based on teachings of Vedas and Upanishads . The Himdu philosophers of various orthodox ( astika) schools investigated topics such as metaphysics, ethics , psychology. These schools presented different interpretation within the framework of Vedic knowledge. On the other side , the unorthodox (nastika) traditions rejected the ideas of Atman , Brahman and Ishwara . Jainism accepted atman bit discarded ishwara, vedas and brahman. Buddhism only accepted concept of rebirth and karma.

East Asian Philosophy

The Chinese philosophy saw the rise of schools such as Confucianism , Legalism and Taoism. These traditions developed metaphysical , political and ethical theories such as Tao, Yin & Yang , Ren & Li. Buddhism arrived in China through Silk route and transformed into Chinese form Zen. Many different philosophies such as that of Korea, Japan and Vietnam were influenced by the Chinese philosophy. In modern era, China and Japan philosophers have incorporated ideas of western philosophy. Kokugaku thinker from Japan returned to pure traditions called Shinto that is untainted by foreign influence.

Indigenous American Philosophy

This consists of variety of beliefs including principle of presence of ‘ The Great Spirit’ and concept of Orenda or spiritual power. The practices to access the transcendental experiences of mind came to known as Shamanism. The Nahua metaphysics proposed the concept of an ultimate universal energy which it says is single, vital , self generating sacred force.

All about James Webb Space Telescope

History

The success of Hubble Space Telescope after its repair mission in 1993 motivated the organizations to make a larger infrared light telescope that could see the past better. Hubble telescope system’s temperature interfered with the infrared radiation it received from the outer space. A new innovative next generation telescope was needed which was faster , better and cheaper. In 2003, NASA’s initial contract for James Webb Space Telescope(JWST) was $824.8 million collaborating with European Space Agency (ESA) , Canadian Space Agency(CSA). in 2005 after major redesign and re-planning , the mission cost reached a hefty amount of $4.5 billion. The telescope has a history of major cost overruns and delays due to backlashes from people and lack of funds.

Nevertheless, JWST launched on December 25, 2021 in Ariane 5 rocket from NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre, French Guiana. this orbiting infrared observatory will complement and extend the discoveries of the Hubble space telescope.

The telescope will cover a wavelength of 0.6 – 28.5 microns for the light falling from red till mid infrared wave spectrum .

Location

JWST will not orbit earth but will be move in a orbit of second Lagrange point(L2 point) which is about 1.5 million km away from the earth. The L2 point is sufficiently near to the earth allowing proper signal communication and the sun shield will prevent any infrared radiation coming from the Sun.

Sun-shield protection

For it to make observation in the infrared spectrum , it must be kept under 50K (−223.2 °C) otherwise the infrared radiation from its system , the earth , moon and sun will interfere with the data. It uses a large 5 layered tennis court sized sun-shield to block that radiation and maintains its surface temperature. the single layer is as thin as a human hair and made with polyamide films . the membranes are coated with aluminium from both sides and a silicon doped layer facing the sun. the shield can be folded 12 times to fit in the Ariane rocket .

The Honeycomb mirrors

The primary optical mirror is beryllium reflector with area 25.4 m2 . gold is used to coat all the 18 mirror segments because it is a highly reflective material for infrared wavelength. The honeycomb pattern utilizes the best use of space available and are also deployable .

Mission goals

  1. Search for galaxies formed after the big bang . It can look 13.5 billion years into the past , about 400 million years after the big bang.
  2. How galaxies evolve.
  3. Observe the formation of stars.
  4. Measure physical and chemical properties of the planetary systems including the Solar System.

This mission will take the Space Science to the next level, thanks to our Scientists……

Feed your soul with some Astronomy….

Astronomy is a subject that produces a spark in everyone. Who doesn’t like gazing at the stars with awe or secretly trying to make a wish when looking at the falling stars or more precisely ‘meteors’ . As it is famously said-

You are not a human being looking at the Universe but the universe looking itself in human form .

Some say, time travel is impossible but often we don’t realise that when gazing at the night sky , you are literally looking millions of years into the past. This thought can make anyone’s heart dance and excite them to explore such a gigantic cosmos.

Astronomy takes your imagination to the next level. We are connected to this field since the arrival of human on this planet. From ancient times , farmers used sky to decide the sowing seasons of crops, astrologers for predicting fortune and astronomers for making calendars and navigation routes for ships. Our ancestors knew the significance of Sun and thus worshipped it. The ancient Mayan Civilisation and Egyptians constructed the pyramids in such a way that their location coincided with that of the positions of the Constellations above.

Certainly this suggests that Astronomy is in our blood . Renowned astronomer Carl Sagan quoted “ The Cosmos is within us. We are made up of star stuff. We are a way for the Universe to know itself.” By studying Astronomy , you understand there are no limitations to what we can achieve, you surrender yourself and your ego before this humongous Cosmos, you feel free and connected to the Nature. If one is interested in going to the depths of this field , one can follow these tips:

1) Be curious- Curiosity kills fear more than courage will ever do.

2) Be patient- Good things take time.

3) Seek knowledge and wisdom- Your soul is most happy when you are in a learning state.

4) Be truthful- A scientist must always be truthful to herself/himself and to the world. Truth is the ultimate thing that a being chases.

5) Be fearless- Know in your mind that you are as old as this Universe and there is nothing to be afraid of because we all are essentially same at the root level.

Always be hopeful because somewhere in this vast universe something incredible is waiting to be known.

Residential Fire Risk

Fire is the visible effect of the process of combustion – a special type of chemical reaction. It occurs between oxygen in the air and some sort of fuel. When a fire occurs, there is a very little time to escape for it engulfs everything in its ambit in less than 2 minutes. Contrary to popular belief, over 90% of fire related deaths are caused by smoke suffocation. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) statistics, more than 300,000 deaths are caused annually by fire induced burns and more than 90% of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. These figures clearly shows that fire poses serious threat to both life and property. Fire hazards can be understood as any actions, materials or conditions that might increase the size or severity of a fire or that might cause a fire to start. Of all the natural disasters, fit is fire only that is both beneficial to man and his environment as well as destructive and deadly.

Sun and Lao (2014) assert that fire risk analysis of high-rise building is of crucial importance due to the reason that there still lacks efficient systematic fire extinguish method to ensure a safety evacuation process. They further elaborated that fire risk assessment is an organized and methodical review of a specific building, the activities carried that increase the likelihood of a fire to start and cause harm to the occupants and properties. The fire risk assessment involves five steps – hazard identification, scenario design fire, quantitative risk analysis, risk assessment comparing to acceptable criteria and risk management. They highlighted the point that fire scenario is a key parameter of the whole fire risk assessment process – which involves a combination of potential fire size, fire location, combustible characteristics, availability of fire system etc. They further emphasized through their study based on China that risk analysis is important to evaluate fire protection strategies for a particular application or for a class of facility or operation in fire safety engineering. Beside this, the risk assessment will assist the stakeholders and operator to manage the facilities in a right way.

A comparative study regarding the level of fire safety between Residential and Commercial Construction sites were carried out by Sivakumar, Malathy and Sivaprakash (2018). The study brought the point that residential building satisfies overall fire safety conditions better than commercial buildings. However, combustible materials are stored and maintained in a better manner in commercial buildings than residential buildings and tend to satisfy overall structural feature parameters when compared to residential buildings. Moreover, the study highlighted that fire emergency, signage and emergency planning in commercial buildings are better than in residential buildings. They asserted that, however, both the commercial and residential buildings need to focus more on reducing risk and on improving fire safety and fire risk assessment standards and compliances regarding the protection of people working in the construction sites.

Huang and Xin (2013) in their paper based on China presents fire risk analysis model-based scenario clusters and its application in fire risk management of buildings. The paper has described the quantitative analysis model for fire risk analysis. They bring out the point that fire risk analysis method allows a quick check of any safety deficiencies in residential buildings and any need to provide additional fire protection measures to minimize fire risk. However, they argue that the method does not include consideration of the logical development of fire events. Moreover, the quantification parameters of fire risk are based on statistical data (if available). Thus, they assert that more research is required to verify the methods of some parameters in international contexts. The paper also conformed to the idea that building fire risk analysis serves as a basis for fire risk management.

Masoumi, Genderen and Maleki (2019) attempted to carry a comprehensive fire risk assessment in the dense urban areas of Zanjan city using Information Fusion based on GIS modeling. The study has highlighted the increasing importance of information fusion technologies for the analysis of geospatial information. The use of different types of spatial and attribute data from different sources deploying GIS and geospatial analyses can act as powerful tools to aggregate information in order to assess disaster risk in urban and regional scales. The result of sensitivity analyses also indicated that the social training factor is the most effective causative factor in the fire risk.

Kodur, Kumar and Rafi (2019) in their paper, ‘Fire hazard in buildings: review, assessment and strategies for improving fire safety,’ presents a critical review of current fire protection measures and their applicability to address current challenges relating to fire hazards in buildings. Based on the review, an integrated framework for mitigation of fire hazards is proposed. The proposed framework involves enhancement of fire safety in four key areas: fire protection features in buildings, regulation and enforcement, consumer awareness and technology and resources advancement. Detailed strategies on improving fire safety in buildings in these four key areas are presented, and future research and training needs are identified. The study has brought forth the point that Current fire protection measures lead to an unquantified level of fire safety in buildings, provide minimal strategies to mitigate fire hazard and do not account for contemporary fire hazard issues. They highlighted that Implementing key measures that include reliable fire protection systems, proper regulation and enforcement of building code provisions, enhancement of public awareness and proper use of technology and resources is key to mitigating fire hazard in buildings. Major research and training required to improve fire safety in buildings include developing cost-effective fire suppression systems and rational fire design approaches, characterizing new materials and developing performance-based codes.

Groner (2015) in his paper describes a decision model for managing the movement of building occupants during fir emergencies. The study assert that sophisticated education and training would improve the responses of occupant movement managers. Accepting that it is unlikely for a great increase in resources being dedicated to it, the study forwards a ‘simple mental model’ – which should help occupant movement managers avoid mistakes in both planning for and responding to fire emergencies. The research assert that the model relies on the abilities of people to analyse and synthesize inputs and people are notably effective at this task given a mental model that is simple enough to easily recall.

Among different types of disasters, fire constitutes a significant threat to life and property in any type of settlement whether urban or rural possession. In India, the data on fire related deaths are provided by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) under Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India (ADSI). According to study conducted by India Risk Survey in 2018, Fire outbreak is the third largest risk to be faced by the people in continuity of operations on the other hand the Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India report, 2019 states that residential buildings are most prone to fire outbreaks due to faulty behaviour of residents. According to ADSI reported 11,037 cases of fire accidents in the country during 2019 which rendered 10915 deaths and injuries to 441 persons. The cause-wise analysis of fire accidents revealed that 58.0% of total deaths were reported in residential/dwelling buildings during the mentioned year. The residential fire risks arise from both inappropriate structural attributes and faulty behavioural practices like using nonstandard electrical goods, no capacity building in case of disaster, congestion in residential localities and no maintenance of electrical equipment’s.

Cities across India are growing at exuberant rates. However, as we build new cities and expand old ones, we must not forget the necessary features that make up these urban spaces. Fire safety is crucial in urban and rural habitats, and there must be continued investments in equipment and infrastructure to guarantee the safety of the residents. It’s time our civic authorities, town planners and fire service officials pay more attention to fire safety in residential colonies and ensure that they have at least some rudimentary fire engines. It is also important to educate residents on dealing with a fire. Along with these, fire risk assessment should be duly done to ensure proper evacuation plan as well as the adoption of all possible best measure to prevent fires. This will go a long way in saving life.

In India, though there are several rules and laws, codes and standards associated with fire safety, these are rarely followed. Neglective behaviour in following fire safety measures caused several major fires in numerous occupancies and a few of them even resulted in catastrophes, however, there aren’t any provisions for fire safety legislation in India regarding the objectives, scope, methodology, and periodicity of the Fire Safety Audit.

Home is a place where you build memories and seeing it burning down to ashes can be the most terrifying event in one’s life. Though a scary thought, a lot can be done to prevent fire from happening. Fire Hazard in the residential buildings are the most common hazard especially because of the ignorance on the part of the residents. Even if we cannot control anything and everything, however, we can take some steps to help reduce the chances of fire from occurring as well to reduce the smoke damage.

REFERENCES

Groner, N. (2016). A Decision Model for Recommending which Building Occupants should Move where During Fire Emergencies. Fire Safety Journal, 20-29.

Kodur, V. K. (2019). Fire Hazards in Building: Review, Assessments and Strategies for Improving Fire Safety. PSU Research Review, 4(1), 1-23.

Mausoumi, Z. G. (2019). Fire Risk Assessment in Dense Urban Areas Using Information Fusion Techniques. International Journal of Geo-Information(8), 2-20.

Ministry of Home Affairs. (2020). Accidental Deaths and Suicide in India, 2019. New Delhi: National Crime Records Bureau.

Sivakumar, C. M. (2018). A Study on Fire Safety on Residential and Commercial        Construction Sites. Archives of Civil Engineering, LXIV(2), 161-174.

Sun, X. L. (2014). Fire Risk Assessment for Super High- Rise Buildings. Procedia Engineering, 492-501.

Xin, J. H. (2013). Fire Risk Analysis of Residential Buildings based on Scenario Clusters and its Application in Fire Risk Management. Fire Safety Journal, 72-78.

Image Credit: Google

Cyclone Risk Assessment – cas eof Andhra Pradesh

A disaster is a sudden, calamitous event that seriously disrupts the functioning of a community or society and causes human, material, and economic or environmental losses that exceed the community’s or society’s ability to cope using its own resources. Though often caused by nature, disasters can have human origins. The combination of hazards, vulnerability and inability to reduce the potential negative consequences of risk results in disaster.

The Disaster Management Act of India defines disaster as: “A catastrophe, mishap, calamity or grave occurrence in any area arising from natural or man-made causes or by accident or negligence, which results in substantial loss of life or human suffering or damage to and destruction of property or damage to, or degradation of environment and is of such a nature or magnitude as to be beyond the coping capacity of the community of the affected area.

Andhra Pradesh is the second most vulnerable state to cyclone after Odisha. The state risks being battered by cyclones of moderate to severe intensity every two to three years. In the past 40 years, there may not be a single year in which the state did not experience either a storm, a cyclone or heavy rains and floods. The deadliest cyclone in the past 40 years was the one that struck Andhra’s coast in November 1977, killing about 10,000 people. About 250,000 cattle heads perished, one million houses were damaged and crops on 1.35 million hectares (ha) were destroyed that year. According to the State Disaster Management Department, about 44 per cent of the state is vulnerable to tropical storms and related disasters. Vulnerability to storm surges is not uniform along the coast of Andhra. The stretch between Nizampatnam in Guntur district and Machilipatnam in Krishna district is the most prone to storm surges. East and West Godavari districts, with vast stretches of paddy fields and irrigation, drainage canals always bear the brunt of cyclones accompanied by strong winds and pounding rains. In the aftermath of cyclones, these areas get flooded, leading to huge crop losses besides other damage. More than one cyclone in the same season is not unusual for Andhra Pradesh. The vulnerability also increases manifold given its location and the demographic structure of the state. The decrease of alertness in disaster management that often occurs after a few years’ lull in occurrence of cyclones, known as the “fading memory syndrome,” also contributes to increases in loss of lives and property damage.

Proneness or to be prone means ‘likely to do’ or in this case, the districts most likely to be affected by cyclone. Out of 9 districts prone to cyclones, 4 districts i.e., Nellore, Guntur, East Godavari and Srikakulam fall in the category of very highly prone to cyclones. The remaining 5 districts i.e., Prakasam, Krishna, West Godavari, Vishakhapatnam and Vizianagaram fall in the category of highly prone to cyclones. It can be noticed that the coastal districts range from very highly to highly prone to cyclone without any in-between.  Apart from these, the non-coastal districts such as Chittoor and Cuddapah also at times experience the wrath of cyclones in the form of heavy and torrential rainfall or the landfall of cyclones.

All the coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh except one fall in the very highly vulnerable category, which is not a surprise given the density of population in the districts. The density map of Andhra Pradesh shows that out of 9 coastal districts, 4 districts i.e., Srikakulam, East Godavari, West Godavari and Krishna fall in the category of high density of population; 3 coastal districts i.e., Vizianagaram, Vishakhapatnam and Guntur fall in the category of moderate density of population. The reasons for low density districts such as Nellore and Prakasam still being highly vulnerable can be due to high rate of poverty, transport and infrastructure vulnerability.

The density map of Andhra Pradesh shows that out of 9 coastal districts, 4 districts i.e., Srikakulam, East Godavari, West Godavari and Krishna fall in the category of high density of population; 3 coastal districts i.e., Vizianagaram, Vishakhapatnam and Guntur fall in the category of moderate density of population. The reasons for low density districts such as Nellore and Prakasam still being highly vulnerable can be due to high rate of poverty, transport and infrastructure vulnerability.

Over last few decades, NGOs have become important players in the development process across the globe, engaged in wide ranging activities starting with community development to training, policy research, and advocacy. Their organisational flexibility, informal work style, and close engagement with grassroots communities enable them to deliver services to people at lower costs.  Their ability to mobilise people and understand people’s concerns enables them to better articulate problems encountered by people. Thus, they play a very important role in preparedness and mitigation process. For instance, Indian Red Cross Society – New Delhi and other charitable organisations were involved in helping people in Titli cyclone-affected areas. As per the article in The Hindu, IRCS has distributed relief materials, including 1594 kitchen sets, 800 saris, 700 dhotis, 440 buckets, 400 towels, 700 mosquito nets and 405 tarpaulins in selected villages, according to IRCS Srikakulam wing chairperson P. Jaganmohana Rao, Further, after studying the severe damage in 1,145 villages, IRCS-New Delhi, IRCS-A.P. and Telangana units sent relief material worth more than Rs. 62 lakhs. Given such an important role played by voluntary organisations, APSDMA is developing a database of interested volunteers from various governmental and non-governmental agencies and offer them training programs on interesting aspects under Disaster management, preparedness, mitigation and awareness building. This will provide the volunteers with an on-ground experience of the situation and also provide them with an opportunity to learn and teach others what they have observed.

It is equally important for risk assessment to take from time to time so that it comes to light where the improvement is needed the most, where are the loopholes as regular risk assessment will enable to support the development of effective cyclone mitigation policies and implementation of specific measures. Studies have suggested that new developments in the terms of embankments, cyclone shelters, and roadways should be in the places with high and very-high-risk zone. Though successful early warning system reduced the loss of life, false information and lack of awareness claimed many human lives. It has been recommended that Incorporating the spatial distribution of vulnerable people in warning messages may increase trust of people to the warning signals. One of the studies brought in the “fading memory syndrome” in which not being the target of cyclone and cyclonic storms for more than a couple of years makes people forget about the disastrous affect and a reduction has been observed. Thus, the government needs to focus on this aspect too and conduct mock drills among the coastal population at regular intervals, keep them aware about the impact and train the evacuation process. It is equally important to impart education to the population regarding the same. With the proper involvement of the civil bodies and local people, a vastly informed citizens can be placed.

References:

Ahameed, B. K. (2019). Coastal Social Vulnerability and Risk Analysis for Cyclone Hazard Along the Andhra Pradesh, East Coast of India. KN-Journal of Cartography and Geographic Information. doi:DOI: 10.1007/s42489-019-00029-9

GOI-UNDP. (n.d.). Severe Cyclone Storm Titli’s Impact on State of Andhra Pradesh .

Government of Andhra Pradesh. (Accessed 2021). Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority. Retrieved from Google: https://apsdma.ap.gov.in/

Raghavan, S. &. (2003). Trends in Tropical Cyclone Impact: A Study in Andhra Pradeh, India. American Meterological Society, 635-644. doi:10.1175/BAMS-84-5-635

Rao, A. D. (2005). Vulnerability from Storm Surges and Cyclone Wind Fields on the Coast of Andhra Pradesh, India. Nat Hazards, 515-529. doi:10.1007/s11069-006-9047-4

Image Credit: Google

Global Surge in Domestic Violence During Covid-19 Crisis!

“O Janneman”, she increased her pace on hearing a stranger calling. She reached the bus stop but could still feel eyes on her. It was dreadful. She wanted to reach home as soon as possible. She wanted to cover herself in the safety that only a home could provide.

About 95% of women feel unsafe in public places (UN Women, 2013) and about 50% of women face harassment during commutation (Pan India Study, 2015)[1]. Though women are considered most vulnerable while commuting, their entrapment during the lockdown tells a different story. While protecting themselves from the pandemic, women face another terminal problem. Though cases such as rape, catcalling, stalking and other forms of molestation have decreased due to restrictions on movement, a rise in the cases of domestic violence is seen, which is horrendous. Even before the lockdown, 243 million females of 15-49 years have faced physical abuse (UN Women reported). National Family Health Survey 2016 reveals that 30% of women of 15-49 years’ experience physical violence. About 31% of married women experience abuse by their spouses.

Given the already sheer violation of basic human rights, the world is now experiencing a surge in such crimes! Where are we moving to?

[i]France has reported a 30% increase in such case[2]. In UK, calls to the national abuse hotline went up by 65%[3]. Spain has registered calls to 144 gender violence hotline increase by 25%[4]. In Singapore, AWARE’s Women Helpline number has registered an increase in calls by 33%.[5] In Australia 40% of frontline workers reported increase in the calls to domestic violence helpline[6]. National Commission for Women registered over 587 complaints between March 27-April 16 2020[7].

Many countries/places have registered a drop in such calls, like the Delhi Commission for Women. This trend is more frightening since it indicates the inability of victims to reach for help. A lot of women might not be able to make phone calls due to the constant presence of the abuser. A lack of help increases the chance for their abusers to coerce them and inculcate greater fear in their relationships.

The lockdown has also compromised the care and support services provided by various NGOs and counseling centers- clinical management, mental health and psycho-social support to the survivors. To free oneself from the clutches of an abuser, women need to be financially independent but given the situation of a recession of the global economy, the solution is covered by clouds.

These statistics do not tell the whole story. A lot of cases are not even reported! Women belonging to poor households find it difficult to reach out for help due to lack of access to phones and the internet while many do not report marital rapes and domestic violence due to the fear of society. UN Women reported that only about 40% of women facing domestic violence call domestic abuse hotlines and only about 10% go to the police. In the current situation, it has become even more difficult for them to reach for help.

A lot of reasons can be put forward for such an abusive behavior of men but these can never be taken as excuses to set them free. With everything that is going on, this world requires a change in mindset which certainly cannot be achieved overnight. So, there is a need for proper counseling of men too to help them get through the situation without inflicting pain on others. During the lockdown, ways should be formulated to help NGOs to reach both the victims and the abusers. There is a need for the allocation of more resources to enable these centers to reach a wider section of the population. Also, every country should have stringent laws in place and practice. It has been reported that about 1 in 4 countries do not have any laws to serve justice to the victims of domestic violence.

For a dignified life, safety and security are basic human rights. The status of women in society determines their safety. Women being the target of violence and rapes in their own homes makes me question the very core of humanity, the very idea of ‘home’. It seems that humanity has gotten lost somewhere in space- unable to find its way back to earth. As rightly pointed by the UN chief, “peace is not just the absence of war”[8]. It is indeed necessary that we come together to fight the battle to keep women safe as we fight COVID-19. For a sustainable, inclusive and resilient society, every section must live a dignified life.

[1] Bhatt, A. Women’s Safety in Public Transport-A Pilot Initiative in Bhopal. 2015. Embarq India

 

[2] Domestic violence cases jump 30% during lockdown in France.23rd March, 2020. https://www.euronews.com/2020/03/28/domestic-violence-cases-jump-30-during-lockdown-in-france

[3] Megha Mohan. Coronavirus: I’m in lockdown with my abuser. 31st March, 2020. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-52063755

[4] During quarantine, calls to 144 for gender violence increased by 25%. 21st March, 2020. http://www.diario21.tv/notix2/movil2/?seccion=desarrollo_nota&id_nota=132124

[5] Commentary: Isolated with your abuser? Why family violence seems to be on the rise during COVID-19 outbreak. 26 March, 2020. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/commentary/coronavirus-covid-19-family-violence-abuse-women-self-isolation-12575026

 

[6] Domestic Violence Spikes During Coronavirus As Families Trapped At Home. 27 March, 2020. https://10daily.com.au/news/australia/a200326zyjkh/domestic-violence-spikes-during-coronavirus-as-families-trapped-at-home-20200327

 

[7] Coronavirus cases: No Lockdown for Domestic Violence. 26 April, 2020. https://www.deccanherald.com/specials/insight/coronavirus-crisis-no-lockdown-for-domestic-violence-829941.html

[8] UN Chief calls for Domestic Violence ‘Ceasefire’ amid ‘horrifying global surge’. 6th April, 2020. https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/04/1061052

[i] The data pertains to the month of April – June (when lockdown was in full force everywhere)

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E-Waste

E-waste is an informal name used for electronic waste implying all those electronic products which have reached the end of their useful life, for example, mobile phones, dryer, fax machine and other electronic equipments.

A techno hungry world is emerging facilitated by digital empowerment policies by various governments and is all ready to get upgraded to a generation of 5G and thus due to the emergence of newer electronic products in the market and the improved standard of living, the usage of these electronic products have shot up and so the amount of electronic waste produced every day is growing enormously. According to UN report on environment,2019, the amount of e-waste generated at the world level is about 50 million tonnes but only 20 percent of it is properly recycled.

A joint report has been in 2019 published by World Economic Forum and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development which attracts attention for the need of crucial vision in this field. As per the data released in the new Global E-Waste Report, the market value of our spent devices amounts to $62.5 billion, three times more than the annual output of the world’s silver mines. It also informed that more than 120 countries have an annual GDP lower than the value of our growing pile of global e-waste.

India has become one of the largest dumping sites of e-waste by many countries and the domestic production itself accounts for about 2 million tonnes per annum but merely 5 percent of the wastes is recycled.

According to a report published in Times of India, 2019, over 95 percent of e-waste generated is managed by unorganized sector and the scrap dealers in the market, dismantle the disposed products instead of recycling it. The current rate of e-waste generated in India is 4.56 times greater than the annual e-waste processing capacity offered by the nation, which leads to illegal and improper dumping of hazardous waste.

The proper collection, disposal and recycling(management) of e-waste is necessary, for it possess a serious threat to our health. A long exposure to the chemicals, pollutants emitted after dumping the e-waste without following the proper procedures leads to damage of nervous system, skin diseases, heart and liver damage and many other health problems. It also contaminates our natural surroundings, damages the soil quality and also pollutes the water quality.

If plastic pollution in the life below water and life above water is one of the major environmental challenges, the ebb and flow of public opinion should also turn towards to the huge generation of electronic waste in the present era. The numbers are fearsome: 50 million tonnes of e-waste are produced each year, and left unchecked this could more than double to 120 million tonnes by 2050.

In our country, the amount of E-waste generated is increasingly rapidly and with increasing fascination as well as dependence on new technology, the amount of e-waste is expected to grow in the coming years. The main area where our country lacks is in the proper management of electronic wastes. There is no large-scale organised E-waste recycling sector in our country and the largest recycling hotspot are in the unorganised sector and some are illegal too as the largest recycling hotspot of the capital city is in Seemapuri. It is not a hidden truth anymore that working conditions in the unorganised sector is not bed of roses. The poor conditions of the worker as well as the hazardous nature of the wastes that they deal with will always pose a fatal threat to their life. Moreover, the large scale dumping of electronic wastes from developed countries to India owing to availability of abundance of cheap labour and flexible environmental laws further enhances the problem.

The lack of public awareness about the proper disposal of e-waste and lack of proper implementation of laws adds to the problem. There are very few IT companies that actually seriously implement the provision of Extended Producer Responsibility. In most cases electronic wastes remain unattended in the households. As already seen above that due to lack of awareness, people throw waste electronics and electrical equipment with their household wastes. There is a tendency among the people not to care about the things that they have discarded, ignoring the fact that its implication in the long run is going to affect them too.

The laws should be properly implemented; government should try to reach the nook and corner of the country and spread awareness through the provision of Digital world and many more: Let’s bring into use 5Rs: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle. People in their locality as a community need to take steps for keeping their locality clean. As a community they should establish a committee that would oversee the management of all the wastes. There should be educational programme in different localities with the government aid about waste segregation, their harmful impact and how it can be mitigated. But all this would be possible when we as an individual come forward and work together. We need to start the reform from our home, then our locality, then our region, then our country and the world as a whole. The role of youth in this regard is very important. Being one of the most enthusiastic section of society, they carry within themselves a huge reservoir of untapped energy. With proper direction, they can be play major role in spreading awareness as well as in taking initiatives for proper management of electronic or any kind of wastes.

We need to understand that our earth as a whole is on the verge of collapsing, so we can’t let different kinds of waste piling up. Our attention should turn towards such grave issues instead of fighting over petty issues and work together towards adopting a sustainable lifestyle so as to save a future for ourselves and others too. Let’s not make the word ‘sustainable’ a cliché term and should try and have a sustainable approach towards everything.

REFERENCES:

  • Bishnoi, V. N., & Shah, T. (2014), E-Waste: A New Environmental Challenge. International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science and Software Engineering, 4(2), pp. 442-447.
  • Down to Earth (2019), Recycling of e-waste in India and its potential.
  • Jadhav, S. (2013), Electronic Waste: A Growing Concern in Today’s Environment Sustainability. International Journal of Social Science & Interdisciplinary Research, 2(2), pp. 139-147.
  • Sikdar, M., Dr., & Vaniya, S. (2014), The New Millennium and Emerging Concerns. International Journal of Scientific and research Publications, 4(2), pp. 1-12.
  • Sivaramanam, S. (2013), E-Waste Management, Disposal and its impacts on the environment. Universal Journal of Environmental Research and Technology, 3(5), pp. 531-537.
  • Uddin, M. J. (2012), Journal and Conference Paper On (Environment) E-Waste Management. IOSR Journal of Mechanical and Civil Engineering, 2(1), pp. 25-45.
  • UNEP (2010), A Report – recycling- from E-waste to resources. February 22, 2010.
  • World Economic Forum (2019), The world’s e-waste is a huge problem. It’s also a golden opportunity.

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Odisha and Agriculture – A Literature Review

Odisha is primarily an Agrarian State. Agriculture is the mainstay of the majority of the population. Though agriculture sector contributes only about 26 per cent to the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), almost more than 70% of the population is dependent on it. In spite of such low contribution, the labour force has not yet move out of this sector which ultimately results in low per capita income in this sector.

Agriculture in Odisha is characterized by low productivity due to sporadic rainfall, disrupted irrigation facilities as well as due to the fact that the state is prone to various natural calamities (Pattanayak & Nayak, 2003). Various literatures have studied cropping pattern of the state and have indicated that the cropping pattern of the state is changing over the years. Various studies have also confirmed that Odisha have not only experienced low productivity but also declining productivity. Agriculture plays a major role in providing a source of livelihood to a large proportion of population. Its development becomes important as it still remains the sector where majority of the workers are concentrated. It provides raw materials to various agro-based industries and also ensures food security-the basic necessity of life.

A number of studies have examined and analysed the agrarian structure and conditions of the country in terms of cropping pattern, determinants of cropping pattern, conditions of the agricultural labourers among many others. Given below is the review of few studies that have discussed various aspect of agrarian conditions in their work. The relevance of these works increase keeping in mind the point that they have brought out successfully many key issues in agriculture and how cropping pattern of a region or the country reflects the infrastructure of a place. The study of these literature have been undertaken to get a clear picture of the subject concerned and an insight of different lenses through which agrarian conditions of the country have been looked upon, before embarking on the study.

Despite the changes made in the macroeconomic policy framework and trade liberalisation, Bhalla and Singh (2009: 34, 43, 44), argued that the agricultural sector in India neither experienced any significant growth subsequent to the initiation of economic reforms in 1991 nor did it derive the expected benefits from trade liberalisation. They further asserted that, when compared with the immediate pre-liberalisation period (1980-83 to 1990-93), agricultural in India recorded a visible deceleration in its growth rates of aggregate yield and output and the process of agricultural diversification during the post-liberalisation period (1990-93 to 2003-06). There are different reasons for its slowdown but decline in public investment in irrigation and water management and thus limited irrigation facilities can be said to affect it the most.

Mruthynajay and Praduman (2003: 159) argued that the cropping pattern strategy followed in post green revolution period has led to narrowing down the base of agricultural production. In terms of allocation of acreage, the cropping pattern in the agricultural scenario of India has been skewed towards food grain. Though area under non- food grain has increased, food grains are still dominant (Ghosh, 2011: 115). The cropping pattern changes revealed that area under different crops was strongly linked with decline in cost of production due to-government subsidies, improved irrigation facilities-hence increase in cropping intensity of certain crops such as that of rice and wheat (Mruthynajay and Praduman, 2003: 163). High yield of crops and subsequent expansion and substitution are also the major reasons for such a change post green revolution with rice, wheat, mustard and cotton emerging as main crops for the farmers with area under coarse cereals declining (Ghosh, 2011: 119). The expansion of area under such crops as well as substitution of coarse cereals resulted in narrowing of the base of production, and crops such as pulses and oilseeds were not given due attention. Thus, the success attained in food crop production post green revolution has also caused serious crop imbalances in the cropping pattern, widened regional disparities, increased instability in production and unplanned import of commodities. So, there is a need to re-examine green revolution strategy keeping in mind the crops and areas that were bypassed so far (Mruthynajay and Praduman, 2003: 165).

The cropping pattern in Orissa is such that most of the districts of Orissa are experiencing a lateral movement towards crop specialisation and crop diversification, but over the years, crop specialisation can be noticed, where about 50% of Gross Cropped area is under paddy due to high yield, improved irrigation facilities and changes in the food habits of people (Pattanayak and Nayak 2004: 6, 13). The adoption of modern varieties of rice (HYV) in Orissa, its degree of adoption is inversely related to the farm size while its intensity of adoption is proportional to its farm size and varies with access to modern inputs. These are positively associated with borrowing since lack of investible cash retard the process of diffusion of modern technologies while tenancy is negatively associated, for the moneylenders feel that the adoption of HYVP would reduce the dependency of tenants on them (Sarap and Vashisht,1994: 90, 92).

However, holding other factors constant, Pattanayak and Nayak (2004: 5, 10, 19) argued that the contribution of agriculture in primary sector and in Gross State Domestic Product has declined but the labour force has not move out of the primary sector in post- reform period in Orissa. The districts are diverging as far as agricultural productivity is concerned and asserted that this variation is due to variation in the use of inputs amongst the districts. The skewed distribution of land, small size of operational holding, high incidence of share tenancy and rural poverty are few of many factors which negatively affect the agricultural productivity. The long-term solution lies in improved agricultural productivity and conscious policy decisions to reduce inter district disparity.

Regarding change in labour demand, Lahiri (1970: A-111, A-114) confirms the general belief that demand for agricultural labour has increased due to High Yielding Varieties Programme (HYVP). There was a high variability amongst different states with respect to total labour required and hired labour as well as contribution to labour days was quite low in pre HYVP days; but on the basis of the data gathered, figures revealed that the introduction of HYVP led to the increase in demand for labours. He further makes a point that changes in the demand for agricultural labour are unable to completely explain the changes in the wage levels of agricultural workers. Since demand for agricultural labours are seasonal, season-wise analysis of wage level would to an extent give a picture of wage-demand relation. Post HYVP, demand for labour has increased; and regarding the changes in cropping pattern- it has been noticed that the tendency has been to shift towards only few crops such as that of paddy and wheat and ignoring other crops. Thus, the study of these literature brings forth the point that post green revolution, many new technologies came forth, but the strategy followed was concentrated to few crops and few developing regions causing regional imbalances. Another major debate that came forth is that the post reform period instead of witnessing growth in agricultural output as it was meant to, have faced declining productivity and growth. These phenomena were observed both at all India level as well as in Odisha.

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A DISCOURSE ON ECO-FEMINISM

Ecofeminism is a concept, a movement bringing out the relationship between women and nature. It claims that both the women and nature have been overexploited by patriarchy and the culture. However, it in no way flows in one single course, with the basic concept, it has many dimensions to it and many proponents and variations to it as well. The relationship between women and nature, as constructed by various scholars, is based on three claims – ‘Empirical’, ‘Conceptual’ and ‘Epistemological’ in nature (Sharnappa, 2016). The first claim which is empirical in nature relates socio-economic and political poverty of women with the destruction of nature. It has been observed that the women are the firsthand victim of consequence of destruction of environment – given the dependency of women on nature. The conceptual claim brings out the “hierarchy and dualism” on which society is structured. It throws light on ‘patriarchy’ as the root cause of domination of women and exploitation of nature. The third claim, epistemological in character, focuses on the knowledge of nature which women possess more when compared to any other. Being the humans residing in the rural areas more while men migrating for other works, they have been agrarian cultivators, thus, possessing more knowledge regarding the sustenance of nature.

The Eco-feminism has been documented well in the western world; however, it doesn’t mean that it didn’t exist in the other part. The theory of eco-feminism has evolved over the years and the socio-economic as well as the political concerns of the region has influenced its course. For instance, the differences in the ‘Western Eco-Feminist Discourse’ and ‘Indian Ecofeminist Discourse’ have been brought out by many. The basic departure in the conceptualization of ecofeminism is related to the emphasis on the kind of environmental crisis (Sharnappa, 2016). It has been pointed out that while ecofeminism in the West has emphasised on the direct impact of science and technology on the nature and the consequent impact on women, ecofeminist discourse in India has more or less revolved around the threat to traditional methods of production and subsistence since majority of population still depends on it. The threat that has been taken into account pertains to the building of dams, industrialization, impact of logging. So, the scholars have pointed out that the environment crisis in India revolves around the attempt to reduce the impact of such threats on the victims, generally the peasants.

The exploitation of women, especially the peasants has been stressed by many scholars. Vandana Shiva, one of the pioneers of eco-feminism movement in India focuses on this aspect – the way in which technological development has robbed many peasants, especially women of the ‘third world’ of their traditional practices. She believes that “only path to survival and liberation for women is an ecological one of harmony, sustainability, diversity, as opposed to domination, exploitation and surplus”. Bina Agarwal, an Indian Economist and also one of the critiques of ecofeminist’ arguments, too, provides three-fold explanation to why women are most affected – highlighting the class-gender dimensions to the effect of environmental degradation. She asserts that given the pre-existing gendered division of labour, women in the poor households are worse hit. The disparities in the distribution of ‘sustainable resources’ (for e.g., healthcare) which actually deprive women to access the basics, adds to the burden. Furthermore, the women also have limited rights to private properties, access to employment opportunities and others which only aggravates the plight. She asserts that due to the exploitation and destruction of the nature, women have to work longer in order to gather woods; have to walk longer distance to access to water and the caste factor only adds to the woes; becoming more prone to water-borne disease or the un-healthy environment are some of the effect. Given these conditions and their condition in the labour markets well as their position in accessing the resources and basics, women, especially those of lower caste bear and face the most severe outcome of the exploitation of nature.

The assumptions and principles of ecofeminism has its own share of constructive criticism and variations to it. Bina Agarwal, while critiquing ecofeminists’ argument puts forward a different argument, or say perspective than those of Shiva’s. She contests that ecofeminism does not cover the structure in its entirety. She argues that ecofeminism sees women as a single entity – ‘in unitary’, it does not see her in the context of differences in caste, class, race, etc. Furthermore, it also does not take into account the material reality of women and just interrelates the nature and women ideologically; neither it talks about how ideological shifts are caused by the dominant groups and ‘how such shifts get embedded’. Thus, at this juncture she brings in the concept of ‘feminist environmentalism’ wherein she presents the relationship between men and women rooted in material reality as well. She brings in the elements of how gender and class change the course of any discourse especially which involves women. Thus, women’s interaction with nature must be located within the material reality of caste, class and gender along with all other concerns and not just seeing her(s) as ‘unitary’.

Another point that has been raised is that ecofeminism assigns the responsibility of fighting against the environmental threat solely on women without even taking into account if the women are equipped enough for it. It thus, needs to call for sharing the responsibility between both the gender and not just on the women. The discourse, the impact of the movement should not just be confined to the saving of nature or as Bhasin said’ “clearing up the mess all the time”. It should extend to granting of rights, skill-upgradation and involvement of women in the decision-making process. Thus, in order to strengthen the force or the movement, the diversity as well the different concerns need to be taken into account.

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Preparation through education is less costly than learning through tragedy

In this era, where humanisation of nature is taking place at a tremendous rate, where the nature is altered at an alarming rate for the so – called benefits of “we” humans, disturbances are created in the normal functioning of nature and so nature rises in its fury and the fury of nature is not magnanimous but rather too destructive to ignore.

                 According to Max Mayfield, “Preparation through education is less costly than learning through tragedy”. The point that he is trying to bring into the notice of so- called enlightened society is that if our learning through education is put into action, we would avoid any tragedy, we would invite less destruction. If the foundation is strong, the building won’t be shaken easily.

                If we look at the recent cases of natural calamities, we would get a better picture of what he is trying to bring into notice. In India itself, we could trace the tragedy that took away the life of many.  In the Kerala floods, death toll rose to around 417 people, which was the worst natural calamity to strike the southern states in decades. Kerala faced the flash flooding which occurred due to heavy downpour, but this four months of torrential rain in Kerala became destructive because the situation was aggravated due to the ignorance of local officials.

                “This could have been avoided if the dam operators had start releasing water in advance rather than waiting for the dam to be filled up, when they have no alternative but to release water”, water expert Himanshu Thakkar told the BBC.

                  The ignorance of the local officials along with the failure of India’s Central Water Commission to introduce a flood forecasting system to issue warning gave a major setback not only to the southern states but also to the entire nation.

                   More than one million people were displaced and kept in relief camp. The money that the Central Government directed towards the recovery of Kerala, could have been avoided if the system, if the infrastructure were in place. Millions of people would have not lost their home if there was some preparedness, if there was some warning, if at all the learning were in place. There are many other places in different parts of the world where such calamities are taking the life of many because we tend to over push the limits of nature.

                  This is what Max Mayfield tried to explain through his words. The cost not only in terms of money but also in terms of lives could have been less if there was proper crisis preparedness.

                Another case or why not say another calamity which is not respecting any so – called political boundaries and the effect of which is slowly taking a drastic grip on us is ‘Global Warming’. It’s high time to realise that, “Global Warming is Global Warning”. Global warming is the increase in the general level of earth’s temperature. Our earth has its own mechanism to combat the disturbances in its functioning but “we” humans tend to aggravate the situation to the extent that the mechanism is at the verge of breaking down.

          Burning of fossil fuels like coal, gas to create electricity or to power the cars or for the industrial purpose, results in the emission of profound amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which results in carbon pollution and contribute in making the quality of air severe. It is quite clear the way urban expansion is encroaching upon the wilderness. We clear large patch of forest for the purpose of settlement and other things. When vegetation is cleared or burnt, the stored carbon is released into the atmosphere as CO2, contributing in global warming. The list would be never ending if we look for the causes that involve humans.

           The effect of global warming can already be seen clearly – the melting of glaciers, consecutively rise in the sea level and simultaneously flooding of coastal areas, the quality of air from being worse to severe, droughts, expansion of deserts.

             The call of the time is “Sustainable Development” which is in par with nature. It was in 1980s that the bad health of environment and consecutively bad health of ours and the concept of sustainable way of living was realised. But why is it that in the last 50 years more species became extinct than ever!

              Education is not something which is limited to books, specific to getting qualifications. It would really be a bliss if we would start bringing the knowledge into action, if we would move towards sustainability that we have been learning, if we would start preventing the tragedies through preparedness rather than learning through its cure.

             When disaster takes place, timings is essential. Many lives can be saved; destruction can be minimized if actions are taken quickly. But the action can be taken quickly only if there is some preparedness, if there is some alertness. There should be efficient communication system in place for destruction to be minimized.

            The government is not always to be blamed for the crisis. We as educated citizens can do a lot, we can channel our learning, our talent through joining various humanitarian organisations that works towards better development, toward preventing and reducing the crisis.

            The Kerala case was a big setback to the nation. Though it was a lesson for everyone but it could have been better if we could have prevented it, the southern state could have focussed on other major social issues grouping the society. And the global warming, before it scales to a height, where we would be left helpless, with no idea of what to do next, it would be better if we try to work together to reduce the harmful industrialisation, if we would walk in the path of sustainable development.

          So, it’s high time to realise that in this era, we got to be more conscious of what we learn and how do we channel it. As the saying goes, “Learning is a treasure that will follow it’s owner everywhere”. So let it follow your action and put it into right use. It is the collective work in which each and every individual needs to come together to make this world a better place.

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Landslides in the Himachal Himalayas

The subject of the article pertains to the landslides with reference to the Himachal Himalayas. Himachal Pradesh due to its location, foots of the Himalayas is extremely vulnerable to landslides – the reason for the same being both natural and anthropogenic. The article explores the frequency of landslides in the state, bringing out the vulnerable districts based on secondary sources, discusses about few life-threatening landslides and the prevention plans along with some recommendations.

Landslides is a type of mass movement which involves, in simple words, downslope movement of rock wastes including soil and ice under the influence of gravity. Some of the reasons for the same among many includes – slope saturation by water is a primary cause of landslides. Flooding can also cause landslides by undercutting banks of streams and rivers and by saturation of slopes by surface water. Human activities tend to disturb the slope by removing of vegetation or by excessive loading of the slope and as such.

Himachal Pradesh is situated in Western Himalayas between 30-degree 22 N to 33-degree 12 N latitude and 75-degree 45 East to 79-degree 4 East. Given its location in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the most multi – hazard prone states – spanning over the area 55673 sq. Km and population of 68,64,602 (Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management plan, 2017). Vulnerable roadways, human settlements and hydroelectric power plants are most at risk of landslides. About 22% of built-up areas are in high-risk zone; 32% in medium risk zone and 3% in low-risk zone. Almost all the urban areas of the state are prone to the risks of landslides. The reason for the same might be the unscientific land use and unplanned expansion of urban areas leading to overloading and destabilising the slopes.

A large chunk of areas in all the districts fall in High-risk zone followed either by Moderate or Severe risk zone. There are areas which do fall in No Risk Zone but it does not cover large extent. The state has a large network of State Highways and village roads with total length of 2178.988 Kms, of which 1111.552 kms fall in Highly vulnerable zone. Most of the tourist spots in the state are well connected by roads – but many of these roads have recurring problems of landslides which often disrupt flow of tourist traffic.

If we analyse the trend of landslides between 1971-2010, it will be observed that since 1970s, the frequency has only been increasing. Nearly 525 people were killed during 1971-2010. In terms of human casualties, Kullu district is the most affected where 142 people were killed by landslides followed by Shimla (119 people). Bilaspur, Mandi, Chamba, Kinnaur and Kangra were other major landslides affected districts in terms of human casualty.

Post 2010, if we take up the landslide in Kullu district in 2015, it will come to view that the effects are still severe. The landslide in Kullu district was majorly due to excessive rainfall. After a building adjoining the historic Manikaran Sahib Gurdwara caved in due to a massive landslide – it led to the death of 8 persons and 10 injured, the source states (NDTV news). In 2020, in the landslides in Manali, five family members were buried, as per the news article released by Times of India. Yet another landslide case in 2021 in Kinnaur left many people stranded, damaging transport and communication lines severely.

various newspaper clippings point out that the locals are very detestable when it comes to development project. In one of the clippings (The Statesman, 2018), the locals are questioning why is there a need for highway which destabilize hills in the state – after all hills are meant to be climbed. The people are not very in favour of such projects because according to them these tend amplify the adverse effects if natural calamity. So, the government need to go for more inclusive planning with regard to development.

One of the ways through which involvement of local community can be ensured is by bringing them into decision making process – which in turn can be ensured by adopting suitable policies.  Transparency in the process of taking suitable steps is extremely necessary; co-operation between local communities, local government and NGOs and other such agencies can be very helpful in proper implementation of government’s plan. It will allow to bridge the gap in communication between various stakeholders. One of the most important suggestions forwarded by many is the implementation of education programme regarding hazard management, specially landsides among the residents.

Various article highlights the need to rethink the model of development being followed – particularly with regard to the exploitation of its hydroelectric potential. For instance, an article published by Down to Earth, 2021 highlights that Erratic rainfall due to climate change or de-glaciation are exacerbated by several anthropogenic factors. According to State Disaster Management Authority – most of Himachal Pradesh hydroelectric power projects in operation or under constitution fall in areas highly-vulnerable to various hazards like landslides. Another article by The Citizen, 2021 too highlights that if reserved forests or Eco sensitive zones are used for hydropower dams and multi-lane roads then this area of the state could be devastated like Uttarakhand. It has been suggested that government need to consider and seek the pinion and advice of geologists, meteorologists, environmentalist and people who live in the affected area before embarking on the projects.

Note: The article is based on secondary sources and has taken the perspectives and viewpoints of various articles and due credit has been ensured.

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Reflecting on a Quote – 2

“Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder” – Plato

With 7 billion people in the world, it will be a foolish thing to think that everyone thinks the same way, maybe they do in one thing or the other. However, the point is truth is subjective – with as many people, as many opinions, as many ways of living, as many ways of thinking, the truth about non-physical entities/things such as ‘truth’ itself is subjective. Many a times, the opinions, the perspectives get influenced by the surroundings. It in more than a way reflects the values imbibed while growing up.

Beauty, too, is subjective. There is no definite way to define beauty. For a person, beauty exudes calmness, while for someone else, it might be excitement. What might be beauty for one, might not be for the other. It is all about the perspective difference in perspective can be quite infuriating but it doesn’t mean that one is entirely wrong. However, here we are not talking about who is wrong and not. We are trying to bring into everyone’s notice again that beauty has no particular way. It is subjective, relative and not something absolute.

Consider this: For a person with darker skin than yours, you are fair

For a person with a fairer skin than yours, you are dark

For a person taller than you, you are short

For a person shorter than you, you are taller

For a person on a lean side than you, you are on the fat side

For a person on a fat side than you, you are on the lean side.

This list can go on. The relativity and subjectivity of the things, living and non-living alike do not allow us to put a definite meaning to anything.

Indeed, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. It depends on the observer’s perspective which in turn is influenced by various experiences, by the values imbibed, by their surroundings, by the knowledge intake, by their ways of thinking. This is why it becomes necessary that the environment in which a person lives should be such it doesn’t not induce some harmful perspective. Any form of shaming about people choices of living in any non-harmful way should not be given a space, not be taught.

In this post-modern era, when uniformity is in the process of being renounced, diversity needs to be accepted, respected and allowed.

Image Credit: Bjor Artworks

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