A few weeks ago, the India Meteorological Department had predicted heatwaves in Maharashtra and Gujarat. While the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra’s north-central and Marathwada region has seen temperatures of at least 40 degrees Celsius, the extreme heat warning for Mumbai is a bit unusual.
ICSE Class 10 Geography book explains why doesn’t Mumbai see? extreme weather, “Inside places have a highly continental type of climate, whereas ‘places near the ocean have similar climates’ due to the effect of land air and sea air due to differential rates of heating and cooling of land and seas.” “Chapter 4, ‘Climate of India’, reads.
When is heatwave declared in coastal areas?
heat wave A warning is issued when the temperature of any coastal station is between 37 degrees and the departure from normal is between 4.5 to 6.4 degrees. When both these conditions are met for a coastal station like city and when it persists for two days at more than one station, heat wave is declared for that area. If the departure is greater than 6.5 degrees, a severe heat wave status is issued by the Bureau of Meteorology.
But why this extreme heat in Mumbai?
Perhaps, we could be one of the causes of the heatwave. By now, we all know that the Earth’s temperature is changing due to various astronomical factors and anthropogenic (man-made) activities. Urbanization, industrialization, population growth and other economic activities are releasing greenhouse gases that are supporting the rise in temperature. Climate change can affect the frequency, intensity or severity of extreme weather events.
So, can this climate change be classified as a man-made disaster?
In ‘New Trends in ICSE – Exploring the World’, Chapter 5 on ‘Natural and Man-made Disasters’ it is stated that there are two types of disasters. One is ‘natural disaster’ and the other is ‘man-made disaster’.
“Natural calamities are those calamities which are caused by the forces of nature and are beyond the control of man. Nature itself provides us with the necessary resources like soil, water, air etc. But sometimes nature can be cruel too. Earthquakes can be cruel. There are natural calamities like floods, landslides, volcanic eruptions etc,” reads the geography book for class 8.
“Man-made disasters are those for which humans themselves are responsible. Wars, riots, nuclear explosions, industrial accidents, etc. are some of the man-made disasters,” the book further reads.
However there is an exception to the definition stated in the book. Yes, some natural disasters may be man-made due to man-made conditions.
How have natural disasters become man-made?
In 2021, central China received record rainfall, with floods affecting the underground subway system, damaging dams and river banks, and causing landslides and building collapses. Floods usually happen every year.
In 2020, more than 158 people were killed or missing, 3.67 million residents were displaced and 54.8 million were affected, causing a devastating 144 billion yuan ($20.5 billion) in economic losses.
While Beijing touts its vast dam network as a remedy for its devastating annual floods, experts have for years questioned the structural integrity of the Three Gorges Dam on the upper Yangtze, the world’s largest hydroelectric dam, which is geologically Made in criss-cross area by. fault lines.
news agency report IANS A researcher was quoted as saying that both drought and flood can be caused by dams. While water flows can be easily diverted causing drought, excess water released from a dam reservoir can cause flooding.
a report in AFP Li Shuo, a climate analyst at Greenpeace East Asia, is quoted as saying that the floods “set off alarm bells for China that climate change is here.”
The country’s rapid development and dangerous urbanization have also added to the floods. Urban sprawl has covered more and more land in impermeable concrete – increasing the risk of rapid water build-up on the surface during heavy rains and nowhere to drain. Horton also noted that the size of some of the largest lakes in the country has reduced significantly.
Many experts believe that keeping the floodplain generally free of flood control structures is the only method that is effective in the long run.
A Cambridge University report states, “In addition, floodplains, when left undeveloped, are ideal and highly productive for a wide range of conservation and allied uses – including farming, parklands, open spaces and Contains wildlife habitats.”
man made disasters in india
Uttarakhand suffered its worst floods in 2013, killing thousands and leaving traces of destruction.
When the cloud burst, no exit was found in the states with flood water, tons of silt, boulders and debris. These flood waters otherwise follow a natural course including rivers and streams. These shops were closed with sand and rocks for construction work.
When the water found no way to escape, it flooded hundreds of towns and villages, drowning some buildings in several feet of mud, bringing life to a standstill.
Water flowing from high mountain ranges and rocks, Glacier Lake Eruption Flood (GLOF) is said to have been caused by floods in Kedarnath Temple. The GLOF, or explosive eruption of glacier lakes, is thought to be the result of human-induced climate change, which is causing rapid melting of glaciers in the Himalayas.
The Chennai floods in 2015 were also said to be man-made. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had blamed the then All India Anna Dravida Kazhagam (AIADMK) government for the disaster. According to the Tamil Nadu government, 470 people died in the floods between October and December.
List of disasters in India in 2021
Maharashtra and Goa floods: Torrential rains that hit India’s west coast early last year triggered landslides and mudflows, killing more than 75 people and leaving dozens missing. The hill resort of Mahabaleshwar reportedly received about 60 centimeters (23 inches) of rain in a 24-hour period, a record.
Kerala Floods: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said that 42 people died and 217 houses were destroyed due to rains, landslides and flash floods in Kerala between October 12 and 20, 2021.
Cyclone Taught: In May last year, Cyclone Takta had killed 155 people along the west coast including Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala. It was the worst storm to hit the region in decades.
Cyclone Yas: Barely a week later, Yas, with winds equivalent to a Category Two hurricane, killed at least nine people and forced the evacuation of more than 1.5 million people to the east.
Cyclone Rose: At least 11 people died in Maharashtra due to heavy rains in the state due to Cyclone Gulab. 10 people died in floods in Marathwada region, while one died in Yavatmal district after a bus was washed away.
read all Breaking News , today’s fresh news And IPL 2022 Live Updates Here.