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GS Paper: GS3-19.Disaster and Disaster Management.

  • The Human Cost of Disasters Report (2000-2019)

    The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) recently published its report titled “The Human Cost of Disasters”.

    The report holds much significance for prelims as well as mains. Just for the sake of information, we must be aware of the report.

    Highlights of the report

    • 7,348 major disaster events had occurred between 2000 and 2019, claiming 1.23 lives, affecting 4.2 billion people and costing the global economy some $2.97 trillion.
    • Of this, China (577 events) and the US (467 events) reported the highest number of disaster events followed by India (321 events).
    • Climate change is to be blamed for the doubling of natural disasters in the past 20 years says the report.
    • There had also been an increase in geophysical events like earthquakes and tsunamis that are not related to climate but are particularly deadly.

    Back2Basics: UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction

    • The UNDRR was established in 1999 as a dedicated secretariat to facilitate the implementation of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR).
    • It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
    • It is mandated to serve as the focal point in the UN system for the coordination of disaster reduction and to ensure synergies among the disaster reduction activities.
    • It has a vision to substantially reduce disaster risk and losses for a sustainable future with the mandate to act as the custodian of the Sendai Framework to which India is a signatory.

  • PM CARES Fund is a “public charitable trust”: SC

    The Supreme Court has endorsed the PM CARES Fund as a “public charitable trust” to which donors contribute voluntarily.

    Try this question:

    Q. The creation of PM CARES fund is violative of the provision of the Disaster Management Act, 2005. Analyse.

    What is the case?

    • The petition had argued that the PM-CARES Fund was not subject to CAG audit.
    • It was not under “public scrutiny”. Contributions to it were “100% tax-free”.
    • It was accused that there was statutory fund already in existence under the Disaster Management Act of 2005 to receive contributions to finance the fight against a calamity.

    About PM CARES Fund

    • The Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) were created on 28 March 2020 following the COVID-19 pandemic in India.
    • The fund will be used for combat, containment and relief efforts against the coronavirus outbreak and similar pandemic like situations in the future.
    • The PM is the chairman of the trust. Members will include the defence, home and finance ministers.
    • The fund will also enable micro-donations. The minimum donation accepted for the PM CARES Fund is â‚č10 (14Âą US).
    • The donations will be tax-exempt and fall under corporate social responsibility.

    What did the Court rule?

    • There is “no occasion” for the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to audit a public charitable trust independent of budgetary support or government money.
    • The court said that PM-CARES is “not open” for a PIL petitioner to question the “wisdom” that created the fund in an hour of need.
    • The court dismissed the idea that the PM CARES was constituted to “circumvent” the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
    • The Bench also refused to direct the transfer of funds from the PM CARES Fund to the NDRF. It said they were two separate entities.

    Also read:

    PM-CARES Fund

  • In news: Mauritius Oil Spill

    A Japanese ship recently struck a coral reef resulting in an oil spill of over 1,000 tonnes into the Indian Ocean near Mauritius.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Recently, “oil zapper’’ was in the news. What is it? (CSP 2011)

    (a) It is an eco-friendly technology for the remediation of oily sludge and oil spills.

    (b) It is the latest technology developed for undersea oil exploration.

    (c) It is a genetically engineered high biofuel-yielding maize variety.

    (d) It is the latest technology to control the accidentally caused flames from oil wells.

    What caused the Mauritius oil spill?

    • A Japanese vessel struck a coral reef resulting in an oil spill of over 1,000 tonnes into the Indian Ocean.
    • The ship was carrying an estimated 4,000 tonnes of oil.
    • The accident had taken place near two environmentally protected marine ecosystems and the Blue Bay Marine Park Reserve, which is a wetland of international importance.

    How dangerous are oil spills?

    • Oil spills affect marine life by exposing them to harsh elements and destroying their sources of food and habitat.
    • Further, both birds and mammals can die from hypothermia as a result of oil spills.
    • For instance, oil destroys the insulating ability of fur-bearing mammals, such as sea otters.
    • It also decreases the water repellency of birds’ feathers, without which they lose their ability to repel cold water.

    Some major incidents

    • Some of the world’s largest oil spills include the Persian Gulf War oil spill of 1991 when more than 380 million gallons of oil was poured into the northern Persian Gulf by Iraq’s forces.
    • The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is also considered to be among the largest known accidental oil spills in history.
    • Starting April 20, 2010, over 4 million barrels of oil flowed over a period of 87 days into the Gulf of Mexico.

    How is the oil spill cleaned?

    • There are a few ways to clean up oil spills including skimming, in situ burning and by releasing chemical dispersants.
    • Skimming involves removing oil from the sea surface before it is able to reach the sensitive areas along the coastline.
    • In situ burning means burning a particular patch of oil after it has concentrated in one area.
    • Releasing chemical dispersants helps break down oil into smaller droplets, making it easier for microbes to consume, and further break it down into less harmful compounds.
    • Natural actions in aquatic environments such as weathering, evaporation, emulsification, biodegradation and oxidation can also accelerate the recovery of an affected area. But these occur differently in freshwater and marine environments.

  • Ammonium Nitrate:  Behind the massive explosion in Beirut

    The catastrophic explosion at Beirut port, Lebanon caused by the blast of over 2,700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, has rocked the world.

    Practice question:

    Q. Despite a robust policy framework governing the hazardous chemicals in India, the recent gas leakage incident in Vizag highlights India’s unaddressed vulnerability to chemical disasters. Critically comment.

    What is Ammonium Nitrate?

    • In its pure form, ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) is a white, crystalline chemical which is soluble in water.
    • A common chemical ingredient of agricultural fertilizers, the nitrogen-rich compound is also the main component of the explosive composition known as ANFO — ammonium nitrate fuel oil.
    • It is the main ingredient in the manufacture of commercial explosives used in mining and construction.
    • Many Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) used by terrorists around the world have ANFO as the main explosive, triggered by primary explosives like RDX or TNT.
    • In the majority of terror attacks in India, ammonium nitrate has been used along with initiator explosives like RDX.

    Ammonium nitrate as an explosive

    • Pure ammonium nitrate is not an explosive on its own.
    • It is classified as an oxidiser (Grade 5.1) under the UN classification of dangerous goods.
    • If mixed with ingredients like fuel or some other contaminants, or because of some other external factors, it can be very explosive.

    Stored ammonium nitrate is a major fire hazard

    • Large quantities of stored ammonium nitrate are regarded as a major fire hazard, with multiple reported cases across the world.
    • The explosion of large storage can happen primarily in two ways.
    • One is by some type of detonation or initiation because the storage comes in contact with the explosive mixture.
    • Second, the blast can result due to a fire which starts in the ammonium nitrate store because of the heat generated due to the oxidation process at large scale.

    Regulations in India about ammonium nitrate

    • Because it is used as an ingredient for the production of explosives, anaesthetic gases, fertilizers, cold packs and has a possibility of misuse, it is highly regulated in India.
    • There exists the Ammonium Nitrate Rules, 2012, under The Explosives Act, 1884.
    • It defines ammonium nitrate as the compound with formula NH4NO3 including any mixture or compound having more than 45 per cent ammonium nitrate by weight.
    • The manufacture, conversion, bagging, import, export, transport, possession for sale or use of ammonium nitrate is covered under The Ammonium Nitrate Rules, 2012.
    • The rules also make storage of ammonium nitrate in large quantities in populated areas illegal in India.
    • For the manufacture of ammonium nitrate, an Industrial licence is required under the Industrial Development and Regulation Act, 1951.

  • We need National Plan for Covid-19

    The Disaster Management Act (DMA) 2005 has been invoked by the government to deal with the pandemic. However, National Plan as provided under the Act to deal with Covid-19 is nowhere to be found. Also, the creations of PM CARES violated the provision of the DMA-2005. These two issues are discussed here.

    Provisions of DMA 2005

    • The Act, along with other things provides the constitution of a National Authority, a National Executive committee.
    • It also provides for the constitution of an advisory committee of experts in the field to make recommendations and to prepare a national plan.
    • This plan must provide for measures for prevention or mitigation.
    • The Act lays down “guidelines for minimum standards of relief, including ex gratia assistance.

    Provision of various Funds under DMA 2005

    • It enables the creation of a National Disaster Response Fund in which the central government must make due contribution.
    • It also requires “any grants that may be made by any person or institution for the purpose of disaster management” to be credited into the same Fund.
    • It also provides for a National Disaster Mitigation Fund, exclusively for mitigation.
    • The Act also provides for State and local-level plans and for creating State Disaster Response Fund among others.

    Provision of disaster management plan

    • After the direction by the SC, the government came out with a National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP), 2016.
    • This Plan dealt with various kinds of disasters; it was amended in 2019.
    • Bu this National Plan not in place now.
    • Without it, the fight against COVID-19 is ad hoc and has resulted in thousands of government orders.
    • These orders are confusing those who are to enforce them as well as the public.

    NDRF and PM CARES issue

    • On April 3, 2020, the government of India agreed to contribute its share to the NDRF.
    • But a public charitable trust under the name of Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) was set up to receive grants made by persons and institutions out of the NDRF, in violation of Section 46 of the Act.
    • The crores being sent to this fund are not even audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India.
    • It is a totally opaque exercise.
    • The government of the day has not only ignored the binding law but also circumvented it.
    • The government has been fighting the crisis in an ad hoc and arbitrary manner instead of the organised steps as mandated by the Act.
    • In so doing, the experts have been sidelined.

    Consider the question “Describe the various provision of the DMA 2005 to deal with the disaster. In light of this, examine whether the creation of PM CARES conflicts with the provision of his act”

    Conclusion

    The national plan to deal with the pandemic and making PM CARES more transparent would help the government in its fight against the corona crisis.

  • What makes Himalayan tourism spots vulnerable to landslides?

    This newscard talks about the city of Dharamshala where landslides occur frequently.

    Practice question for mains:

    Q.“Himalayan region is more susceptible to floods and flood induced landslides than the Western Ghats”. Discuss.

    Why is Dharamshala more vulnerable to landslides?

    • Dharamshala has a slope varying from gentle to steep, depending on different parts of the city.
    • It is located in Zone V in the earthquake hazard zoning map of India.
    • The large differences in slope between different parts of the city make it more susceptible to critical hazards like landslides.
    • The vulnerability of the geologically young steep slopes of Dhauladhar has increased because of anthropogenic activities and illegal construction due to the lack of availability of land.

    Why do landslides occur?

    • Increasing urbanisation, deforestation and encroachment of areas at high hill slopes, unscientific road cutting and water-intensive agricultural practices contributed to the increase in intensity and frequency of landslides.
    • The situation is worse during the monsoon when landslide-prone areas are washed away due to exposure.
    • This is due to the demand for living within the city. It is not just the difference between slopes, but also anthropogenic causes that lead to the emergence of hazards like landslides.

    Why tourist spots are more vulnerable?

    1) Road traffic is high

    • During the peak tourist season, the road is marred with traffic jams due to continuous sinking.
    • Several factors have continuously contributed to an increase in the road’s vulnerability. The first is Illegal construction and uncontrolled levelling of hillocks along the roads.
    • Hillocks are flattened to accommodate housing projects, commercial establishments, etc. The informal sector often starts residing in these areas which are more vulnerable to risks.
    • These areas have comparatively lower land values and fewer people come to settle here.

    2) Loss in green cover

    • The second is a loss in green cover, something that occurs as more people reside within the city, increasing soil erosion, risking the further vulnerability to landslides.
    • Due to the loss of green cover and steep gradient of the slope, water is not absorbed in the soil and washed away very quickly.

    3) Damaged topography

    • The third is the unscientific manner of cutting hills for widening roads and construction.
    • This causes the sinking of roads, which affects road width and causes traffic interruptions.

    4) Sewage failures

    • The fourth is the absence of a sewerage system in the area. Due to unavailability of sewerage systems, people construct septic tanks that are unsafe for soil strata.
    • Water from septic tanks drains to the upper layer of soil that has loose soil, making areas more vulnerable to damage from landslides.

    Also read

    The Northern and Northeastern Mountains | Part 1

  • I-FLOWS: Mumbai Flood Management System

    Integrated Flood Warning System for Mumbai (I-FLOWS Mumbai), a state-of-the-art flood warning system has been developed for the city.

    Practice question for mains:

    Q. Urban floods in India are consequences of unplanned urbanization in India. Discuss with references to the frequent annual floods in Mumbai.

    What is IFLOWS-Mumbai?

    • IFLOWS is a monitoring and flood warning system that will be able to relay alerts of possible flood-prone areas anywhere between six to 72 hours in advance.
    • The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has developed the system with in-house expertise and coordination with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
    • The system can provide all information regarding possible flood-prone areas, likely height the floodwater could attain location-wise problem areas across all 24 wards and calculate the vulnerability and risk of elements exposed to flood.
    • Mumbai is only the second city in the country after Chennai to get this system. Similar systems are being developed for Bengaluru and Kolkata.

    How will it work?

    • The primary source for the system is the amount of rainfall, but with Mumbai being a coastal city, the system also factors in tidal waves and storm tides for its flood assessments.
    • The system has provisions to capture the urban drainage within the city and predict the areas of flooding.
    • The system comprises seven modules- Data Assimilation, Flood, Inundation, Vulnerability, Risk, Dissemination Module and Decision Support System.

    Why was this system needed in Mumbai?

    • Mumbai, the financial capital of India, has been experiencing floods with increased periodicity.
    • Floods, especially the ones in 2005 and 2017, are etched in everyone’s memory.
    • Last year, post-monsoon and unseasonal rainfall as late as October, two tropical cyclones in the Arabian Sea had caught authorities off guard and left a trail of destruction.
    • The flood during 26th July 2005, when the city received a rainfall of 94 cm, a 100 year high in a span of 24 hours had paralyzed the city completely.
    • Urban flooding is common in the city from June to September, resulting in the crippling of traffic, railways and airlines.
    • As preparedness for floods before they occur, the system will help in warning the citizens so that they can be prepared in advance for flooding conditions.

    Benefits

    • IFLOWS-Mumbai will enhance the resilience of the city by providing early warning for flooding, especially during high rainfall events and cyclones.
    • Using this, it will be possible to have an estimate of the flood inundation three days in advance, along with immediate weather updates.
    • The Union Minister said the system was “one of the most advanced” ones and will help the city, which has been experiencing floods with increasing periodicity.
    • The hi-tech system will predict floods before they occur, therefore enabling Mumbaikars to take due precautions in advance.

  • Ambarnaya River Oil spill in Russia

    Russia has declared a state of emergency after a power plant fuel leak in its Arctic region caused 20,000 tonnes of diesel oil to escape into a local river, turning its surface crimson red.

    Locate major rivers in Russia in the given map from east-west and west-east directions.

    Details of the spillage

    • The Ambarnaya River, into which the oil has been discharged, is part of a network that flows into the environmentally sensitive Arctic Ocean.
    • The state-owned TASS news agency reported that the emergency measures were announced within Russia’s Krasnoyarsk Region, located in the vast and sparsely populated Siberian peninsula.

    How did the leak happen?

    • The thermoelectric power plant at Norilsk is built on permafrost, which has weakened over the years owing to climate change.
    • The power plant is located near the Region’s Norilsk city, around 3000 km northeast of Moscow.
    • This caused the pillars that supported the plant’s fuel tank to sink.
    • Around 20,000 tonnes of diesel oil was released into the Ambarnaya river, which has since drifted 12 km on its surface.

    What has Russia done so far?

    • Boom obstacles were placed in the river, but they were unable to contain the oil because of shallow waters.
    • The state of emergency declared would bring in extra forces and federal resources for the clean-up efforts.

    What is the extent of the damage?

    • Environmentalists have said the river would be difficult to clean, given its shallow waters and remote location, as well as the magnitude of the spill.
    • This is the second-largest known oil leak in modern Russia’s history in terms of volume.
    • The clean-up effort could take between 5-10 years.

  • Extreme weather events in India

    Nineteen extreme weather events in 2019 claimed 1,357 lives, with heavy rain and flood accounting for 63 per cent of these deaths, revealed Down To Earth’s State of India’s Environment 2020 report.

    Extreme weather events:

    • Extreme weather events are out of the ordinary, unexpected, unusual climatic events which wreak havoc and disrupt everyday life.
    • Over the years, the frequency of extreme weather events has increased due to global warming and climate change.
    • Extreme weather events include hailstorm, heatwaves, dust storm, cloud bursts etc.

    Try this question:

    Q. Extreme weather events have been the biggest catastrophe in India this year. Discuss.

    Data from this newscard can be used to substantiate your mains answer with relevant data.

    Loss of lives

    • The most lives were lost in Bihar, with people dying from floods and heavy rain (306), thunderstorms (71) and heatwave (292) between May and October.
    • In Maharashtra, 136 people died from floods and heavy rain, 51 died from lightning and 44 died from the heatwave between June and September.
    • There was a 69 per cent increase in the number of heatwave days between 2013 and 2019 as well, the report said.
    • Over 5,300 people died from heatwaves in the past seven years.
    • Cold waves increased by 69 per cent within a year, between 2017 and 2018, with the latter year reported having an extremely cold winter, with the most casualties (279) in the past seven years.

    Risks of Extreme weather events in India

    • Climate change related risks will increasingly affect the Indian subcontinent, including via sea level rise, cyclonic activity and changes in temperature and precipitation patterns.
    • Rising sea levels would submerge low-lying islands and coastal lands and contaminate coastal freshwater reserves.Climate change will increase the risks of death, injury and ill-health and disrupt livelihoods in low-lying coastal zones due to cyclones and coastal and inland flooding, storm surges and sea-level rise.
    • Melting Himalayan glaciers would reduce downstream water supply in many of India’s important rivers in the dry season, impacting millions
    • A warmer atmosphere will spread tropical diseases and pests to new areas.
    • Increased river, coastal and urban floods could cause considerable loss of life and widespread damage to property, infrastructure and settlements.
    • Erratic rainfall in parts of India could lower rice yields and lead to higher food prices and living costs, while increased drought related water and food shortages linked to rising and extreme temperatures may increase malnutrition and worsen rural poverty. Over 55% of Indian rural households depend on agriculture for a living and, with fisheries and forestry,

    Systems in place to tackle extreme weather events are as follows:

    1.Meteorological predictions

    2.Contingency fund

    3.Early warning to citizens

    4.NDMA has issued an action plan for Prevention and Management of Heat Waves.

    5.Remote sensing satellites.

    Problems with accurate meteorological predictions are as follows:

    1.Meteorological predictions are considered for broad geographical areas and timeframes. It is not yet possible to predict a thunderstorm or lightning at a village or a part of a city.

    2.The exact times these events will hit, too, cannot be predicted.

    3.Alerts and warnings are in the nature of a general advisory, telling the people to expect these events, and to take precautions

    Steps taken by the State government are as follows:

    1.Rajasthan:

    • storm has been included in the category of natural disasters for the first time in the State and funds to the tune of â‚č2.55 crore have been sanctioned to the affected districts.
    • The next of kin of each deceased in Rajasthan will get financial assistance of â‚č4 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
    • Power discoms have launched action on a war-footing to restore electricity supply in the affected areas, while the administration has ordered a survey of damaged properties.
    • In Dholpur district, relief camps have been opened for the villagers whose houses were destroyed.

    2.Uttar Pradesh:

    • The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister has announced a compensation of up to Rs 400,000 to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for each of the injured in the heavy rainfall and storm across the state.
    • contingency funds have been released to the respective district administration.

  • Heatwaves and its unusualness this year

    For the past five days, Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra have been experiencing severe to very severe heatwave conditions. Here is why this summer is slightly unusual.

    Heatwaves being more frequent phenomena, the UPSC may end up asking a prelim as well as mains question about it.  It may ask Q. What are heat waves and how are they classified? What are the external factors on which it is depended?

    A MCQ may be a statement based question mentioning the criteria for declaring a heatwave.

    What is a heatwave and when is it declared?

    Heatwaves occur over India between March and June.

    • IMD declares a heatwave event when the maximum (day) temperature for a location in the plains crosses 40 degrees Celsius.
    • Over the hills, the threshold temperature is 30 degrees Celsius.

    Following criteria are used to declare heatwave:

    To declare heatwave, the below criteria should be met at least in 2 stations in a Meteorological subdivision for at least two consecutive days and it will be declared on the second day.

    a) Based on Departure from Normal

    • Heat Wave: Departure from normal is 4.5°C to 6.4°C
    • Severe Heat Wave: Departure from normal is >6.4°C

    b) Based on Actual Maximum Temperature (for plains only)

    • Heat Wave: When actual maximum temperature ≄ 45°C
    • Severe Heat Wave: When actual maximum temperature ≄47°C

    How long can a heatwave spell last?

    • A heatwave spell generally lasts for a minimum of four days. On some occasions, it can extend up to seven or ten days.
    • The longest recorded heatwave spell, in recent years, was between 18 – 31 May 2015.
    • This spell had severely affected parts of West Bengal along with Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.
    • Heatwave conditions occurring in May have been observed to last longer, as the season reaches its peak this month.
    • Whereas those reported in June often die down sooner, often due to the onset of Southwest monsoon over the location or in its neighbourhood.

    Does all of India experience heatwave conditions?

    • Heatwaves are common over the Core Heatwave Zone (CHZ) — Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, West Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Vidarbha in Maharashtra.
    • The CHZ also includes parts of Gangetic West Bengal, Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, as categorised by IMD.
    • Several recent studies indicate that CHZ experience more than six heatwave days per year during these four months.
    • Many places in the northwest and cities along southeastern coast report eight heatwave days per season.
    • However, the regions in the extreme north, northeast and southwestern India are lesser prone to heatwaves.

    Whats’ so unusual this year?

    • Summer season reaches its peak by May 15 in India when the day temperatures across north, west, and central India cross 40 degrees and hover close to 45 degrees then on.
    • This year, north India did not experience such temperatures till May 21.
    • It was mainly because of the continuous inflow of Western Disturbances that influenced the weather in the north till as late as April.
    • Since last winter, there was frequent passing of Western Disturbances over the north, appearing after every five to seven days.

    What are these Western Disturbances?

    • Originating in the Mediterranean Sea, Western Disturbances are eastward-moving winds that blow in lower atmospheric levels.
    • They affect the local weather of a region during its onward journey.
    • Between January and March this year, there were about 20 Western Disturbances, a record of sorts.
    • When Western Disturbances interact with weather systems heading from the two southern seas, that is, warm winds blowing in from the Bay of Bengal or the Arabian Sea, they cause snowfall or rainfall over the north.
    • A significant influence of Western Disturbances is experienced from December to February. However, this year, its influence persisted until early May.
    • The recent Western Disturbances got support from easterly winds blowing over from the Bay of Bengal.

    Has cyclone Amphan influenced the current heatwave?

    • Since the event of severe heat has emerged immediately after the passing of Cyclone Amphan, experts confirm its role in leading to the present heatwave spell.
    • Cyclone Amphan, which was a massive Super Storm covering 700 km, managed to drag maximum moisture from over the Bay of Bengal to entire Peninsula.
    • All the moisture that was otherwise built during the thunderstorm and rainfall got gradually depleted from over vast areas as the storm advanced towards West Bengal and Bangladesh between May 16 and 20.
    • It has now triggered dry north-westerly winds to blow over Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra causing severe heatwave.