Why in News? 

SC has appointed a Central Empowered Committee(CEC) to look into sand mining in Rajasthan. The panel has submitted its report. 

 Facts: 

• Background: In February 2020, Central Empowered Committee(CEC) was appointed by SC. Its mandate was to look into illegal sand mining in Rajasthan and submit a report suggesting measures to deal with it. 

 What are the recommendations given by the committee? 

• It has recommended imposing a fine of Rs 10 lakh per vehicle and Rs 5 lakh per cubic meter of sand seized. 
• It has been said that no unregistered tractor should be used as a commercial vehicle to transport sand from the mining site to the transit depot. 
• It has also recommended   

• • Termination of all the khatedari leases located within 5 km from the riverbank, where violations are detected. 
  • The scrapping of the excess royalty collection contract system. 

 Addition Facts: 

• Sand Mining: It is an activity referring to the process of the actual removal of sand from the foreshore including rivers, streams and lakes. 
• Regulation of Sand Mining: 

• • Sand is a minor mineral, as defined under section 3 of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act,1957 (MMDR Act).  
  • Section 15 of the MMDR Act empowers state governments to make rules for regulating the grant of mineral concessions in respect of minor minerals and for purposes connected therewith. 
  • Section 23C of the Act  empowers state governments to frame rules to prevent illegal mining, transportation and storage of minerals and for purposes connected therewith. 

• • The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has issued Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines, 2016 which inter-alia, addresses the issues relating to the regulation of sand mining. 

Article Source

Synopsis:  For ensuring Intergenerational Equity, it is important to ensure availability of resources for future generation. For this, sustainable mining should be ensured.  

Introduction  

But Present trend of mining as much as possible, is not according to the role of trustee acquired by the government in its policy. The extraction of oil, gas and minerals is effectively the sale of this inheritance.  

What are the issues in mining trends at present? 

• First, governments without their role of trustee in mind, end up with a mineral price that is considerably lesser than what they are worth.  

• • For example, it is projected from the yearly reports of Vedanta that from 2004 to 2012, Goa lost more than 95% of the value of its minerals. They sold mineral wealth worth 100 rupees for 5 rupees. 

• Second, extractors try to extract as much as possible and move on quickly to reduce their cost and maximize their profits from an area.  
• Third, the government also allows the hasty extraction, as it perceives more mining equals more government revenue.  

What are the steps to be taken? 

The Government Accounting Standards Advisory Board needs to correct this error in the standards for public sector accounting and reporting for mineral wealth. 

• There should be legal safeguards against unregulated mining and minerals should be considered as a shared inheritance.  

• The state as trustee of mineral wealth must collect the full economic rent i.e., sale price minus the cost of extraction and cost including profit for the extractor. The full value of the extracted minerals should be received by the state, according to India’s national mineral policy 2019. 
• India can also maintain the entire mineral sale profits in a Future Generations Fund like Norway did. This Fund could be submissively financed through the National Pension Scheme framework. 
• The Supreme Court gave a judgement in Goa Foundation vs UOI & Ors and ordered the creation of a Goa Iron Ore Permanent Fund in 2014, which already has an amount of ₹500 crores.  

• This may be distributed as a citizens’ dividend, equally to all the owners and future generations would benefit from the dividend in their turn. 

Way forward  

• The principle of fair mining in return of its real value is fully constitutional, promoting justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity. The reduction in losses would also limit corruption, crony capitalism and growing inequality.

News: Preliminary surveys by the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research(AMD) are learnt to have shown the presence of 1,600 tonnes of lithium resources in the igneous rocks of the Margalla-Allapatna region of Karnataka’s Mandya district.

Facts:

• Lithium: It is a chemical element with the symbol Li and atomic number 3. It is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal.
• Characteristics: Under standard conditions, Lithium is the lightest metal and the lightest solid element. Like all alkali metals, lithium is highly reactive and flammable. It never occurs freely in nature due to its high reactivity.
• Extraction of Lithium: Lithium can be extracted in different ways, depending on the type of the deposit – it is generally done either through solar evaporation of large brine pools or by hard-rock extraction of the ore.
• Uses of Lithium:
  • Lithium and its compounds have several industrial applications, including heat-resistant glass and ceramics, flux additives for iron, steel and aluminum production, lithium batteries and lithium-ion batteries.
  • Lithium is also present in biological systems in trace amounts; its functions are uncertain.
  • Lithium salts have proven to be useful as a mood-stabilizing drug in the treatment of bipolar disorder in humans.
• Largest Producers of Lithium: In 2019, the largest producer of the lithium was Australia followed by Chile and China.

Lithium in India:

• India currently imports all its lithium needs. Over 165 crore lithium batteries are estimated to have been imported into India between 2016-17 and 2019-20 at an estimated import bill of upwards of $3.3 billion.
• Lithium Exploration in India:
  • India is currently going for the domestic exploration push which also includes exploratory work to extract lithium from the brine pools of Rajasthan and Gujarat and the mica belts of Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
  • The Margalla-Allapatna area along the Nagamangala Schist Belt, which exposes mineralised complex pegmatites (igneous rocks) is seen as among the most promising geological domains for potential exploration for lithium and other rare metals.
  • There is also some potential for recovering lithium from the brines of Sambhar and Pachpadra in Rajasthan and Rann of Kachchh in Gujarat.
  • The major mica belts in Rajasthan, Bihar, and Andhra Pradesh, and the pegmatite belts in Odisha and Chhattisgarh apart from Karnataka are the other potential geological domains.
• Challenges:
  • Firstly, the newly found lithium in India in Margalla-Allapatna is categorised as “inferred”, one of the three categories into which mineral resources are subdivided in order of increasing geological confidence.
  • Secondly, the lithium find is comparatively small, considering the size of the proven reserves in Bolivia (21 million tonnes), Argentina (17 million tonnes), Australia (6.3 million tonnes), and China (4.5 million tonnes).
  • Thirdly, India is also seen as a late mover in attempts to enter the lithium value chain, coming at a time when Electric Vehicles(EVs) are predicted to be a sector ripe for disruption.
• Initiatives taken by India: In 2020, Khanij Bidesh India Ltd had signed an agreement with an Argentinian firm to jointly prospect lithium in the South American country that has the third largest reserves of the metal in the world.
  • Khanij Bidesh India Ltd: It was incorporated in 2019 by three state-owned companies, NALCO, Hindustan Copper, and Mineral Exploration Ltd, with the specific mandate to acquire strategic mineral assets such as lithium and cobalt abroad.The company is learnt to be also exploring options in Chile and Bolivia.

Article Source

News: Geological Survey of India(GSI) has found concentrations of vanadium in the palaeo-proterozoic carbonaceous phyllite rocks in the Depo and Tamang areas of Papum Pare district in Arunachal Pradesh. This was the first report of a primary deposit of vanadium in India.

Facts:

• Vanadium: It is a chemical element with the symbol V and atomic number 23. It is a hard, silvery-grey, malleable transition metal. The elemental metal is rarely found in nature and is electrically conductive and thermally insulating.
• Found in: Vanadium occurs naturally in about 65 minerals and in fossil fuel deposits. It is recovered as a by-product from the slag collected from the processing of vanadiferous magnetite ores (iron ore).
• Uses of Vanadium:
  • Vanadium is mainly used to produce specialty steel alloys such as high-speed tool steels, and some aluminum alloys.
  • Vanadium alloys are used in nuclear reactors because of vanadium’s low neutron-absorbing properties
  • Vanadium pentoxide is used as a catalyst for the production of sulfuric acid.
  • The vanadium redox battery for energy storage may be an important application in the future.
  • Large amounts of vanadium ions are found in a few organisms, possibly as a toxin. Particularly in the ocean, vanadium is used by some life forms as an active center of enzymes, such as the vanadium Bromo peroxidase of some ocean algae.
• Largest Deposits: The largest deposits of vanadium of the world are in China, followed by Russia and South Africa. China, which produces 57% of the world’s vanadium consumed 44% of the metal in 2017.
• India: India is a significant consumer of vanadium, but is not a primary producer of the strategic metal. India consumed 4% of about 84,000 tonnes of vanadium produced across the globe in 2017.
• Vanadium in Arunachal Pradesh: Vanadium found in Arunachal Pradesh is geologically similar to the stone coal vanadium deposits of China hosted in carbonaceous shale. This high vanadium content is associated with graphite, with a fixed carbon content of up to 16%.

Article Source

What is the News?

According to a study, Mawsynram(Meghalaya) become the wettest place in the World. It has replaced Cherrapunji(Meghalaya) from the top spot. Mawsynram receives over 10,000 MM of rain in a year.

About the study:

• The study looked at the rainfall pattern of the past 119 years (period of 1901–2019). It found a decreasing rainfall trend at Cherrapunji and nearby areas.
• The 1973–2019 period shows a decrease of about 0.42 mm per decade in rainfall. This trend was statistically significant at seven stations (Agartala, Cherrapunji, Guwahati, Kailashahar, Pasighat, Shillong and Silchar).

What was the need for this study?

• Northeast India is highly sensitive to changes in regional and global climate. The first signs of the effect of climate change will be evident in extreme cases such as the rainfall at Cherrapunji.
• Northeast India also has the highest vegetation cover in India. It includes 18 biodiversity hotspots of the world,
• Thus, it is important in terms of its greenery and climate-change sensitivity.

Reasons for decreasing trend of rainfall:

• Changes in Temperature: The changes in the Indian Ocean temperature have a huge effect on the rainfall in the NorthEast region.
• Reduction in Vegetation Area: Satellite data analysis shows a reduction in the vegetation area in northeast India. Lesser vegetation results in changing rainfall patterns.
• Increase in Cropland Area and Deforestation: Jhum cultivation or shifting cultivation in the region has contributed to deforestation and an increase in cropland area.

Jhum Cultivation:

• Jhum Cultivation also known as shifting cultivation. It is a slash-and-burn agricultural practice that is widely practised among the indigenous communities of Northeast India.
• Under this cultivation, the farmers grow the crops by first clearing the land of trees and vegetation and burning them thereafter. The burnt soil contains potash which increases the nutrient content of the soil.

Source: The Hindu

 Read also:-

EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION

News: Cyclone Burevi has weakened into a deep depression as its interaction with a landmass in Tamil Nadu has slowed its movement and intensity.

Cyclonic disturbances are rapid weather systems, which include weather depressions, deep depressions, and tropical cyclones (of severe, very severe, extremely severe, and super cyclonic storms depending on their intensity).

What are Tropical cyclone Burevi ?

Tropical cyclones are violent storms that originate over oceans in tropical areas and move over to the coastal areas bringing about large-scale destruction caused by violent winds, very heavy rainfall, and storm surges.

Cyclones create a whirl in the atmosphere with very strong winds circulating around it in an anti-clockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere and in a clockwise direction in the Southern Hemisphere.

The pressure gradient falls towards the center from all directions and therefore winds try to converge towards the center from all directions. The air blows inwards in an anticlockwise direction in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere.

Conditions for formation of Cyclones

The conditions favorable for the formation and intensification of tropical storms are:

1. A consistent source of heat as tropical cyclones are thermally induced low-pressure systems.
2. Large sea surface with a temperature higher than 27° C which is possible only during the late summers i.e. September, October, and November
3. Presence of the Coriolis force.
4. Small variations in the vertical wind speed.
5. A pre-existing weak low-pressure area or low-level-cyclonic circulation;
6. Upper divergence above the sea level system.

Structure of Tropical Cyclone

The structure of a Tropical Cyclone is typically a massive cumulonimbus cloud with rapidly rising air spiraling upwards at the margins of the eye. An eye is a region of calm with subsiding air. Around the eye is the Eyewall, where strong spiraling winds ascends and the height can reach up to the tropopause.

Tropical cyclones are formed by the following parts:

Eye:  

The eye is the center of cyclones which is characterized by a calm area, sinking, and light wind. The eye is the calmest part of the Cyclone structure.

Conservation of angular momentum and centrifugal force are the reasons behind its formation.

Eyewall:

A band around the eye of the greatest wind speed, where clouds reach the highest and precipitation is the heaviest. The heaviest wind damage occurs where a hurricane’s eyewall passes over land.

Rain bands:

Curved bands of clouds and thunderstorms that trail away from the eyewall in a spiral fashion. These bands are capable of producing heavy bursts of rain and wind. Sometimes gaps are found between spiral rain bands, where no impact (wind or rain) of cyclones are found.

Formation of Tropical Cyclones

• As mentioned in the conditions, air temperature higher than 27° C with an abundant and turbulent transfer of water vapor to the overlying atmosphere (air) by evaporation is required for the formation of Cyclones, which is facilitated by direct insolation.
• As the low-pressure area is created over sea pockets and high pressure on the surrounding areas, air starts to flow from the high-pressure area to low-pressure pockets.
• The Coriolis force causes the wind to spiral around a low-pressure area. As the presence of Coriolis force is negligible in the equatorial belt between 5 degrees north and 5 degrees south latitudes, hence cyclonic systems do not develop in this region.
• Heated sea surface starts to heat the air over that leading to air moving up and away from the ocean surface due to convection, it leaves less air near the surface. Cool Air from the surrounding areas rushes towards the empty area to fill it, which after reaching there gets heated and picks moisture and starts rising upwards. It creates the cycle of air moving in and up.
• As the moist air rises up, it starts cooling with the altitude (temperature falls with the height), and the process of condensation starts. It results in the release of the latent heat of condensation. The latent heat of condensation is what drives the storm and leads to the formation of clouds.
• The energy that intensifies the storm, comes from the condensation process in the towering cumulonimbus clouds, surrounding the center of the storm (Eye).
• With the increasing altitude, the air cools down to an extent at tropopause where it fails to rise any further and starts to diverge outside horizontally.
• The whole system of clouds and wind spins and grows, fed by the ocean’s heat and water evaporating from the ocean surface. As the storm system rotates faster and faster, an eye forms in the center.
• A mature tropical cyclone is characterized by the strong spirally circulating wind around the center, called the eye. The diameter of the circulating system can vary between 150 and 250 km.
• Rain bands regions with cumulonimbus clouds are created, facilitating intense rainfall in that region. Cloud formation is dense at the center and density decrease towards the outside.

Conditions that slow or end Cyclones

• With a continuous supply of moisture from the sea, the storm is further strengthened. On reaching the land the moisture supply is cut off and the storm dissipates. The place where a tropical cyclone crosses the coast is called the landfall of the cyclone.
• Another condition that slowdown or ends a Cyclone is when dry, cool air is suddenly present in the system, which reduces the possibility of convection to keep the storm going.

Why More Cyclones are formed in Bay of Bengal?

There are other coastlines around the world that are vulnerable to surging storms – the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, for example – but the “north coast of the Bay of Bengal is more prone to catastrophic surges than anywhere on Earth”.

Both the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea are prone to Cyclonic storms, but Cyclonic activities are more intense and frequent in Bay of Bengal Compared to the Arabian Sea

• High sea surface temperatures along with high humidity due to higher rainfall in the Bay of Bengal, triggers extremely strong cyclones.
• Sluggish winds, along with warm air currents in the Bay of Bengal keep temperatures relatively high.
• The supply of constant inflow of fresh water from the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers makes it impossible for the warm water to mix with the cooler water below.
• Cyclonic winds easily move into the Bay of Bengal due to the presence of moisture source from rivers and the absence of any large landmass unlike the Arabian Sea, where Cyclones usually weaken due to the presence of Western Ghats.
• Whereas Arabian Sea receives stronger winds that help dissipate the heat, and the lack of constant fresh water supply helps the warm water mix with the cool water, reducing the temperature.

Classification of storms

Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), which classifies the low pressure systems in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea on the basis of capacity to damage, which is adopted by the WMO.

Benefits of Tropical Cyclones:

Although Tropical cyclones are known for the destruction they cause, when they strike, they also bestow certain benefits to the climatic conditions of that area such as

• Relieve drought conditions: By bringing rain to the coastal areas, cyclones relieve the drought-like conditions in the surrounding areas.
• Maintain equilibrium in the Earth’s troposphere: They Carry heat and energy away from the tropics towards temperate latitudes, thus helps in maintaining an equilibrium of the troposphere.
• Cyclones help in maintaining a relatively stable and warm temperature worldwide.

Causes of destruction caused by Cyclones:

There are three elements associated with cyclones that cause destruction during its occurrence. These are:

Strong Gusts/Squall:

• • These are very strong winds that accompany a cyclonic storm damages installation, dwellings, communications systems, trees, resulting in loss of life and property.

Torrential rains and inland flooding:

• Torrential rainfall (more than 30 cm/hour) associated with cyclones is another major cause of damages.
  • Unabated rain gives rise to unprecedented floods.
  • Rain is a serious problem for the people which become shelterless due to cyclone.
  • Heavy rainfall from a cyclone is usually spread over a wide area and causes large-scale soil erosion and weakening of embankments.

Storm Surge:

• It can be defined as an abnormal rise of sea level near the coast caused by a severe tropical cyclone;
  • Seawater inundates low-lying areas of coastal regions drowning human beings and life stock, causes eroding beaches and embankments, destroys vegetation, and leads to a reduction of soil fertility.

Apart from these Cyclones also create destructions such as:

• • Sudden Change in Regional climate: The ability of cyclone to bring in warmer air is high. So, the elderly and children in those areas have a high vulnerability to develop heat-related problems such as heat strokes.
  • Loss of Livelihood: The majority of the coastal people generally depend on fishing which is completely halted by cyclones.
  • Loss of economy: The economic loss is in multifront from infrastructure loss, relief packages to people, etc.

Government Initiatives:

• Government is carrying out a National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) with the help of the World Bank to upgrade cyclone forecasting, tracking, and warning systems in India
• Government is also implementing the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (ICZMP) to improve national capacity for the implementation of comprehensive coastal management in India.
• Government also separated Structural(includes construction) and non-structural measures for effective disaster management of cyclones
• Solutions:
• The government should consider the NDMA Guidelines for the management of cyclones:
• Ensemble Warning System(EWS): Establish EWS involving observations, predictions, warnings, and customized local level advice for decision-makers (national, state, district level) to manage the impact of the cyclone (Read more about EWS)
• Commissioning of Aircraft Probing of Cyclone (APC): Guidelines calls for the combination of manned and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) for critical observational data gaps.
• Cyclone Disaster Management Information System (CDMIS): Establishing a comprehensive department for coverage of all management information and provide online services to the departments of Disaster management.
• Specifying the roles and responsibilities in institutionalizing Cyclone risk mitigation with Developmental planning.
• Community-Based Disaster Management (CBDM): Guidelines asked to launch such activities in all villages of the 84 districts vulnerable to cyclones.

Way forward:

• With the adverse Climate Change risks posted by IPCC reports the only option for India is to better preparedness for the disaster with better urban planning, community awareness, etc.

News: Cyclone Burevi is heading towards the Tamil Nadu(TN) coast after crossing Sri Lanka.

Facts:

• Cyclonic Burevi: It is a tropical cyclone formed over southwest Bay of Bengal.It is expected to bring heavy rainfall over south Tamil Nadu and south Kerala.
• Named by: The name “Burevi” was suggested by the Maldives.

Additional Facts:

• Tropical Cyclones: These are storms that originate and intensify over warm tropical oceans.They are intense low pressure areas with very strong winds circulating around it in anti-clockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere and in clockwise direction in the Southern Hemisphere.
• Different Names: Tropical Cyclones are known by different names in different regions:
  • Cyclones in Indian Ocean
  • Hurricanes in Atlantic
  • Typhoons in Western Pacific in South China Sea
  • Willy-Willies in Western Australia
• Conditions: The conditions favourable for the formation and intensification of tropical cyclones are:
  • Large sea surface with temperature higher than 27° C;
  • Presence of the Coriolis force enough to create a cyclonic vortex
  • Small variations in the vertical wind speed;
  • A pre-existing weak low-pressure area or low-level-cyclonic circulation is must for cyclone formation in tropics
  • Upper divergence above the sea level system

This article has been created based on The Hindu Editorials:  Storm warnings: On weather forecast and Cyclone Nivar appeared on 27th November 2020.

Introduction

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Cyclone Nivar, which crossed the TN coast as a very severe cyclonic storm with wind speeds of 120 kmph and rain-filled, further weakened as it moved inland.

The storm system is likely to move northwestwards and weaken into low pressure. Subsequently, Cyclone Nivar weakened into a cyclonic storm and further into a deep depression, centered about 50 km west-southwest of Tirupati.

Cyclone Nivar is the second cyclone to form over the Bay of Bengal this year after Super Cyclone Amphan.

Read about Amphan and few basics in ForumIAS blog by clicking here

What are Tropical Cyclones?

They are violent storms that originate over oceans in tropical areas and move over to the coastal areas bringing about large-scale destruction caused by violent winds, very heavy rainfall and storm surges.

• Conditions: The conditions favourable for the formation and intensification of tropical cyclones are:
  • Large sea surface with temperature higher than 27° C;
  • Presence of the Coriolis force enough to create a cyclonic vortex
  • Small variations in the vertical wind speed;
  • A pre-existing weak low-pressure area or low-level-cyclonic circulation is must for cyclone formation in tropics
  • Upper divergence above the sea level system.

Vulnerability of India to Cyclone:

• Indian sub-continent is the worst affected region of the world, having a coast line of 7516 kms. (5400 kms along the mainland, 132 kms in Lakshadweep and 1900 kms in Andaman and Nicobar Islands) is exposed to nearly 10% of the world’s Tropical Cyclones.
• 40% of the total population lives within 100 km of coastline.
• Four States (Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal) and one UT (Pondicherry) on the East Coast and One State (Gujarat) on the West Coast are more vulnerable to cyclone disasters

Benefits of Tropical Cyclones:

Although Tropical cyclones are known for the destruction they cause, when they strike, they also bestow certain benefits to the climatic conditions of that area such as

• Relieve drought conditions: By bringing rain to the coastal areas, cyclones relieve the drought like conditions in the surrounding areas.
• Maintain equilibrium in the Earth’s troposphere: They Carry heat and energy away from the tropics towards temperate latitudes, thus helps in maintaining equilibrium of the troposphere.
• Cyclones help in maintaining a relatively stable and warm temperature worldwide.

Causes of destruction caused by Cyclones:

There are three elements associated with cyclones that cause destruction during its occurrence. These are:

• Strong Gusts/Squall:
  • These are very strong winds that accompany a cyclonic storm damages installation, dwellings, communications systems, trees, resulting in loss of life and property.

• Torrential rains and inland flooding: Torrential rainfall (more than 30 cm/hour) associated with cyclones is another major cause of damages.
  • Unabated rain gives rise to unprecedented floods.
  • Rain is a serious problem for the people which become shelter less due to cyclone.
  • Heavy rainfall from a cyclone is usually spread over wide area and cause large scale soil erosion and weakening of embankments.
• Storm Surge: It can be defined as an abnormal rise of sea level near the coast caused by a severe tropical cyclone;
  • Seawater inundates low-lying areas of coastal regions drowning human beings and life stock, causes eroding beaches and embankments, destroys vegetation, and leads to a reduction of soil fertility.
• Apart from these Cyclones also create destructions such as
  • Sudden Change in Regional climate: The ability of cyclone to bring in warmer air is high. So, the elderly and children in those areas have a high vulnerability to develop heat-related problems such as heat strokes.
  • Loss of Livelihood: The majority of the coastal people generally depend on fishing which is completely halted by cyclones.
  • Loss of economy: The economic loss is in multifront from infrastructure loss, relief packages to people, etc.

Challenges in Cyclones Management:

• Bare minimum Technology: At the terminal-end generally lacks the equipment and communication back-up to deal with the situation effectively.
• Lack of grass root level participation: There is a wider awareness gap is there between disaster management from people’s end.
• Multiple agencies: The IMD issues meteorological or weather forecasts while the Central Water Commission (CWC) issues flood forecasts at various river points. But cyclones bring the combination of problems. Before the integration of data people on the ground lost the “golden time”.
• Low data: The government has not measured the peak flows in the rivers and canals to plan remedies and also not documented data on annual flooding patterns.
• Absence of land use norms has spawned an amorphous housing sector characterized by inflated, speculative prices but no foundation of civic infrastructure.
• Poor Urban planning: Many Indian cities lacks poor urban planning which is highlighted by floods in Chennai and Mumbai.
• Climate Change: There are many proven records that exist between the link between the higher frequency of disaster and climate change.

Government Initiatives:

• Government is carrying out a National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) with the help of the World Bank for upgrade cyclone forecasting, tracking and warning systems in India
• Government is also implementing Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (ICZMP) to improve national capacity for the implementation of comprehensive coastal management in India.
• Government also separated Structural(includes construction) and non-structural measures for effective disaster management of cyclones
• Solutions:
• The government should consider the NDMA Guidelines for the management of cyclones:
• Ensemble Warning System(EWS): Establish EWS involving observations, predictions, warnings, and customized local level advice for decision-makers (national, state, district level) to manage the impact of the cyclone (Read more about EWS)
• Commissioning of Aircraft Probing of Cyclone (APC): Guidelines calls for the combination of manned and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) for critical observational data gaps.
• Cyclone Disaster Management Information System (CDMIS): Establishing a comprehensive department for coverage of all management information and provide online services to the departments of Disaster management.
• Specifying the roles and responsibilities in institutionalizing Cyclone risk mitigation with Developmental planning.
• Community Based Disaster Management (CBDM): Guidelines asked to launch such activities in all villages of the 84 districts vulnerable to cyclones.

Way forward:

• With the adverse Climate Change risks posted by IPCC reports the only option for India is to better preparedness for the disaster with better urban planning, community awareness, etc.

News: Typhoon Goni has made landfall in the eastern Philippines.

Facts:

• Typhoon Goni: It is a tropical cyclone that recently made landfall as an extremely powerful Category 5–equivalent super typhoon in the Philippines.

Additional Facts:

• Tropical Cyclone: They are violent storms that originate over oceans in tropical areas and move over to the coastal areas bringing about large-scale destruction caused by violent winds, very heavy rainfall, and storm surges.
• Wind Direction: The winds blow counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.
• Different Names: Tropical Cyclones are known by different names in different regions:
  • Cyclones in the Indian Ocean
  • Hurricanes in Atlantic
  • Typhoons in the Western Pacific in the South China Sea
  • Willy-Willies in Western Australia.
• Conditions: The conditions favorable for the formation and intensification of tropical cyclones are:
  • Large sea surface with a temperature higher than 27° C;
  • Presence of the Coriolis force;
  • Small variations in the vertical wind speed;
  • A pre-existing weak- low-pressure area or low-level-cyclonic circulation and
  • Upper divergence above the sea level system.

Source: Click here

News: Cyclone Amphan has intensified into a super cyclonic storm and is expected to make landfall between West Bengal and Bangladesh close to Sundarbans.

Facts:

Cyclone Amphan:

• Cyclone Amphan is a tropical cyclone formed over Bay of Bengal that has turned into a super cyclonic storm.
• The Cyclone Amphan is also the strongest storm to have formed in the Bay of Bengal since the super cyclone of 1999 that ravaged Paradip in Odisha.

Why does the Bay of Bengal receive higher Cyclones compared to Arabian Sea?

• Higher Rainfall: Bay of Bengal receives higher rainfall which provides required humidity for cyclone formation.
• Location: The typhoons originating in the Pacific Ocean too influence the cyclones in BOB not the case in Arabian Sea.
• Constant Inflow of Fresh Water: The inflow from the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers makes it impossible for the warm water to mix with the cooler water making it ideal for a cyclonic depression.
• Sluggish Winds: It keeps temperatures relatively high of about 28 degrees around the year.

Reasons responsible for intensification of Cyclones in Bay of Bengal:

• In 2020, the Bay of Bengal has observed record summer temperatures due to global warming from fossil fuel emissions that have been heating up oceans.
• However, such unusual warming around India is no longer restricted to just the BoB but also the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean.It makes storm prediction less reliable as well as disrupting monsoon patterns.
• Further, reduced particulate matter emissions during the lockdown resulted in fewer aerosols such as black carbon that are known to reflect sunlight and heat away from the surface.

Classification of Cyclones: The criteria followed by Indian meteorological Department(IMD) to classify Cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and in the Arabian Sea are as under:

Different Colour Codes:

• Green(No warning): No advisory is issued in such cases.
• Yellow(Be updated): It indicates severely bad weather panning across several days.It also suggests that the weather could change for the worse causing disruption in day-to-day activities.
• Orange/ Amber(Be prepared): It is issued as a warning of extremely bad weather with the potential of disruption.It is also a sign for people to prepare for evacuation and protect themselves from bad weather.
• Red(Take action): It is issued when the extremely bad weather conditions are certainly going to disrupt life.In this case, people must take all measures to protect their families and follow the instructions of local authorities and disaster-response teams.

Additional Facts:

• IMD:It was established in 1875 under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.It is the principal agency responsible for meteorological observations, weather forecasting and seismology.

What is the News?

Parts of Uttarakhand witnessed massive flooding due to Glacial Lake outburst.

 What is Glacial Lake Outburst Floods(GLOF)?

• It is a type of outburst flood. It occurs when water dammed by a glacier is released. In other words, it’s an outburst that happens when a dam containing a glacial lake fails.

Note: An event similar to a GLOF, where a body of water contained by a glacier melts or overflows the glacier is called a jökulhlaup.

How does GLOF happen?

• Retreating glaciers, like several in the Himalayas, usually result in the formation of lakes at their tips, called proglacial lakes. It is often bound only by sediments and boulders.
• If the boundaries of these lakes are breached, it can lead to large amounts of water rushing down to nearby streams and rivers. It gathers momentum on the way by picking up sediments, rocks, and other material, and resulting in flooding downstream.

Features of GLOF: The three main features are:

• They involve sudden (and sometimes cyclic) releases of water.
• They tend to be rapid events, lasting hours to days.
• Furthermore, they result in large downstream river discharges (which often increase by an order of magnitude).

Causes behind GLOFs

The boundaries of glacial lakes breach due to multiple reasons. Like,

1. A buildup of water pressure or structural weakness of boundary due to an increase in the flow of water.
2. An earthquake (Tectonic) or cryoseism (non-tectonic seismic event of the glacial cryosphere) can also cause GLOF. During this, the boundary of the glacial lake will collapse suddenly and release the water in the glacial lake.
3. An avalanche of rock or heavy snow: During this, the water in the glacial lake might be displaced by the avalanche.
4. Volcanic eruptions under the ice can also cause GLOF. These volcanic eruptions might displace the boundary or increase the pressure on glacial lake or both.
5. Heavy rainfall/melting of snow: This can lead to massive displacement of water in a glacial lake.
6. Long-term dam degradation can also induce GLOF.
7. Other reasons such as the collapse of an adjacent glacial lake, etc.

What are Glaciers?

• Glaciers are made up of fallen snow. It compresses into large, thickened ice masses over a period of time. They are formed when snow remains in one location long enough to transform into ice.
• Where are Glaciers found? Glaciers are found on every continent except Australia. Some are hundreds of thousands of years old. A large cluster of glaciers are in the Himalayas, which are part of India’s long northern border.

Source: The Hindu

What is the News?

According to glaciologists and experts, the cause of flash floods in Uttarakhand Chamoli district was most probably a landslip(Landslide) and not a glacial lake burst.

Why are experts calling it a Landslide and not a glacial lake burst?

• The glacial lake outburst flood(GLOF) occurs when a natural lake, formed from a glacial ice melt and the glacial lake is breached. However, available satellite images do not show the presence of a glacial lake before the flooding event.
• Moreover, the Central Water Commission(CWC) monitors and prepares monthly reports on the state of glacial lakes and waterbodies measuring 10 hectares and above via satellite. Nothing out of the ordinary was observed by CWC.

Then, what might have caused the flooding?

• There was a hanging glacier and on top of the glacier was a huge rock mass.
• The rock mass became loosened due to freezing, thawing, and temperature variation. It came crashing down, creating pressure on the hanging part of the glacier. The fresh snowfall had also been added to the weight over the hanging glacier.
• This hanging glacier broke off due to gravitational pull, slid down with the entire rock mass. It slowed down near the base of the valley, where the Raunthi Gadhera stream flows.
• As the huge mass slowed a bit, then stopped, it blocked the water of the stream and the water quantum kept increasing. This damming up of the stream increased to such an extent that it breached the whole accumulated mass of water.
• Hence, this whole mass of water, boulders, and rock mass came crashing down with force towards the Rishi Ganga dam site. It caused massive damage to the under-construction Tapovan hydel project and caused floods.

Source: The Hindu

 More Related post

https://blog.forumias.com/glacial-lake-outburst-flood-glof-in-uttarakhand-explained/

https://blog.forumias.com/glacial-lake-outburst-floods-glof/

https://blog.forumias.com/what-are-the-ndma-guidelines-for-glofs-related-disasters/

Source: Down to Earth ,  The Hindu

Gs3: Conservation, Environmental Pollution, and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment.

Synopsis: The recent Glacial outburst in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district is a consequence of human’s impact on climate and lack of awareness towards local ecology.

Background

• Recently a glacier collapsed in Uttarakhand’s Nanda Devi. According to some satellite images, the glacier collapsed as a result of a landslide. It resulted in flash floods in the Rishiganga and Dhauliganga rivers.
• It claimed many lives of persons working in two hydropower projects.
• Although the ITBP through immediate action rescued nearly 15 people still many people are found missing.

How Climate change is impacting the Mountain ecosystem and how it is impacting Human livelihood?

1. Anthropogenic activities are continuously affecting the earth’s climate. The change in the Mountain ecosystem is an indicator of that effect.
2. Mountain ecosystems are highly vulnerable to climate change owing to their altitude, slope, and orientation to the sun.
3. Due to increased global warming, mountains glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates. It is reducing the area for the survival of flora and fauna.
   • For example, satellite observations reveal that across India, China, Nepal, and Bhutan the melting of glaciers has doubled since the start of the 21st century.
4. The melting of glaciers threatens water sustainability for hundreds of millions of people in counties, including India. These impacts become severe due to the increase in pressure on water resources for irrigation and food production, industrialization, and urbanization.

What are the reasons for climatic disaster in Uttarakhand?

The frequent disasters in Uttarakhand are not only caused by nature but also due to an indiscriminate increase in hydropower projects.

• Uttarakhand mountain ecosystem faces various threats such as seismicity, dam-induced micro seismicity, landslides. For example, the entire State of Uttarakhand falls under Zone-IV and V of the earthquake risk map of India.
• Besides being an earthquake-prone zone, it is also prone to Flood disasters. Bursting of glacial lakes can cause flash floods with catastrophic consequences. For instance, moderate earthquakes in the Tehri dam caused the 2013 floods in Kedarnath.
• Despite all these threats, the Uttarakhand government has indiscriminately pursued a greater number of hydropower projects. For example, the ongoing Tapovan power project.
• Also, India has heavily invested in dam development and the growth of hydropower in the Himalayas’ region to cut carbon emissions.
  • For example, if the national plan to construct dams in 28 river valleys in the hills is completed, the Indian Himalayas will have one dam for every 32 km. (The highest density in the world).
• Apart from this, the life of dams is often exaggerated without taking a proper account of the siltation level in the dams. For example, in the Bhakra dam in Himachal Pradesh, the siltation was higher by 140% than calculated.

These hydropower projects are incompatible with the local environment and ecology. They have increased the risk of disaster manifolds impacting the life and livelihood of millions of people.

What is the way forward?

• The government should realize that the fragility of the Himalayan mountain’s ecosystems. Governments need to re-prioritize their projects based on the potential of the mountains, local and traditional knowledge as well as the aspirations of the place.
• Hydro projects should be confined to the areas with the least impact in the Himalayas. Also, the government needs to build more low-impact run-of-the-river power projects rather than building destructive large dams and reservoirs.
• Projects that are incompatible with the local environment and ecology should not be promoted just by giving due consideration to development or economic growth.

What is the News?

NDMA has issued guidelines to reduce disasters related to Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). Recently GLOF is suspected to have caused the flash floods in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli.

What are Glacial Lake Outburst Floods(GLOFs)?

• It refers to the flooding that occurs when the water dammed by a glacier or a moraine is released suddenly.

 Click Here to Read Further on GLOFs

• According to National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Climate change is facilitating the glacial retreat in most parts of the Hindu Kush Himalayas. It is resulting in the formation of numerous new glacial lakes. Due to that, this area has become prone to GLOFs.

NDMA Guidelines for Reducing GLOFs:

The NDMA, headed by PM, had issued detailed guidelines on how to reduce and deal with disasters caused by GLOFs:

• Identify and Mapping Dangerous Lakes: Potentially dangerous lakes can be identified. This identification will be based on field observations, past events, geomorphologic and geotechnical characteristics, etc.
• Use of Technology: It has recommended the use of Synthetic-Aperture Radar imagery. It will automatically detect changes in water bodies, including new lake formations, during the monsoon months.
• Structural Measures: It recommends reducing the volume of water with various methods to manage lakes structurally. Methods are pumping or siphoning out water and making a tunnel through the moraine barrier or under an ice dam.
  • Example: In 2014, a landslide occurred along Phuktal (tributary to Zanskar river) in Kargil district of Ladakh. It led to a potential flood situation. The NDMA created an Expert Task Force which along with the Army used explosives to channel water from the river. It used controlled blasting and manual excavation of debris for this purpose.
• Constructions and development in High prone areas should be prohibited. It is a very efficient means to reduce risks at no cost.
• Land Use Planning: Land use planning regulations need to be developed. In downstream areas, Infra. development should be monitored prior to, during, and after the construction.
• Trained Local Manpower: Apart from specialized forces such as NDRF, ITBP, and the Army, there is a need for trained local manpower. These teams will assist in planning and setting up emergency shelters, distributing relief packages, identifying missing people, and addressing the needs for food, healthcare, water supply, etc.
• Early Warning System: A robust early warning system in vulnerable zones should be put in place.
• Emergency medical response team: Quick Reaction Medical Teams, mobile field hospitals, Accident Relief Medical Vans, and heli-ambulances should be set up in areas inaccessible by roads.
• Psychological Counselling: The guidelines also call for psychological counseling of victims.

Source: Indian Express

Recently a glacial burst has occurred in Nanda Devi glacier in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district. 19 bodies have been recovered so far and over 150 persons went missing in the glacial outburst. Many geologists issued warnings that these types of climate-related disasters are going to increase. They all pointed out global warming as a major contributing factor to these disasters.

What happened in Uttarakhand?

A part of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off and flooded the Rishiganga river in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. It led to massive flood in the region that damaged many villages in its path. The flood also wiped out two hydroelectric power projects on its way;

• 1. The Rishiganga hydroelectric power project (13.2 MW)
  2. The Tapovan hydroelectric power project on the Dhauliganga river (a tributary of the Alakananda).

The scientists call the glacial burst an “extremely rare event”. Whether it was a glacial lake burst or an avalanche, is still unknown.

Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun has sent two teams of scientists to the area. The team will study the possible cause and find out the exact reason behind the glacial burst.

What is Glacial burst?

Retreating glaciers, usually result in the formation of lakes at their tips. These lakes are called proglacial lakes. These proglacial lakes are often bound by sediments, boulders, and moraines.

If the boundaries of these lakes are breached, then flooding will take place downstream of that glacial lake. This is called a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood or GLOF.

The occurrence of GLOF will release a significant amount of water retained in a glacial lake. A large amount of water rush down to nearby streams and rivers (like the recent glacial burst that flooded the Rishiganga river). This further gathers momentum by picking up sediments, rocks, and other materials on the way.

In conclusion, GLOF will result in large scale flooding downstream.

These GLOFs have three major characteristics. They are,

1. There will be a sudden release of water and sometimes this might be cyclic in nature.
2. GLOFs are generally rapid events. They can range from a few hours to days.
3. GLOFs result in large downstream discharges in the river. (This often depend on the amount of glacial lake size, level of the breach in the boundary of the glacial lake, etc).

What are the possible reasons behind the Glacial burst?

Due to multiple reasons, there occurs breach of boundaries of the glacial lake. Like,

• A build-up of water pressure or structural weakness of the boundary due to an increase in the flow of water.
• An earthquake (Tectonic) or cryoseism (non-tectonic seismic event of the glacial cryosphere) can cause GLOF. During this, the boundary of the glacial lake will collapse suddenly and release the water of the glacial lake.
• An avalanche of rock or heavy snow: During this, the water in the glacial lake might be displaced by the avalanche.
• Volcanic eruptions under the ice can lead to GLOF. These volcanic eruptions might displace the boundary or increase the pressure on the glacial lake or both.
• Heavy rainfall/melting of snow: This can lead to massive displacement of water in a glacial lake.
• Long-term dam degradation can also cause GLOF.
• Other reasons include the collapse of an adjacent glacial lake, etc.

Some significant glacial burst that occurred in the past:

The Glacial Lake Outburst Flood occurs all over the world except Australia (Glaciers are not found in Australia). Peru and Nepal in the past faced deadly or highly destructive glacial floods.

Dig Tsho glacial lake was present in Eastern Nepal (in a valley next to Mount Everest). In 1985 a GLOF occurred in Dig Tsho and brought out the dangerous potential of glacial lakes nationally and internationally. The Dig Tsho GLOF resulted in an estimated loss of US$ 1.5 million but fortunately only 4-5 casualties.

So far 14 GLOF events have been recorded in Nepal. In another ten events, the outburst occurred in Tibet (China) but it affected Nepal.

A flood caused by a GLOF in 1941 in Peru led to the death of an estimated 1,800. This event has been described as a historic inspiration for getting into research regarding GLOF.

In India, in 1929, a GLOF occurred from the Chong Khumdan Glacier in the Karakoram. It resulted into flood in the Indus River.

Vulnerability of Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region to Glacial Lake Outburst Flood(GLOF):

The Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region is known as Asia’s water tower. It has the maximum snow cover after the poles. The Hindu Kush Himalayan region sustains more than two billion people directly and indirectly.

First, there are numerous glaciers in the HKH region. For example, there are 8,800 glacial lakes in the Himalayas and these are spread across countries. Among these, more than 200 of these have been classified as dangerous. These glacial lakes can trigger the Glacial outburst.

Second, the soil is getting loose in the HKH region. The large human settlements and human activities have resulted in deforestation and large-scale agricultural activities in the region. This intensifies the GLOF, as there is no natural barrier to control the flood.

Third, the factor of global warming and climate change. These are one of the most important reasons for the Glacial Lake Outburst Flood. Global warming and climate change lead to glacial retreat and glacier fragmentation (big glaciers splitting into smaller ones).

According to the Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment report, even after fulfilling the commitments made under the Paris Agreement, one-third of the HKH region’s glaciers would melt and will potentially destabilize the river regime in Asia.

Fourth, the heat-island effect in the HKH region. The Himalayas are getting warm faster than other mountain ranges. This is due to the increase in the use of reinforced concrete (RCC) in building construction instead of eco -friendly traditional wood and stone masonry. This adds to regional warming and increases the number of glacial lakes or the water level of glacial lakes.

Fifth, tectonic activity in the region. The Indian plate is continuously moving towards north about 2 cm every year. So the Himalayas is rising about 5 mm a year. This makes the Himalayan region geologically active and structurally unstable. Landslides and earthquakes will continue to happen in the region. This can trigger a Glacial outburst.

For example, the entire State of Uttarakhand is categorized as Zone IV (High-Risk Zone) and V ( Very High-Risk zone) of the earthquake risk map of India.

Way forward:

First, a long-term solution will be feasible if all the countries start working towards reducing global warming.

Second, India needs to form clear policy guidelines to restrict further human activities like building roads, constructing hotels on banks, etc. Any further human activity without proper guidelines will harm the already fragile landscape.

Third, India needs to undertake a cumulative assessment and strategic planning. Geological Survey of India can use satellite images and technology like GIS (geographic information systems) and provide a clear analysis of the HKH region.

Fourth, Capacity building of the local community  will ensure disaster mitigation in the near future.

Fifth, The government has to be proactive and set up an early warning system in the Himalayas. Like the one set up in coastal areas after the 2004 tsunami.

In conclusion, India is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change and global warming. Even though international cooperation is required to restrict the global temperature to 1.5°C, India can move ahead and implement the suggestions. With this India can be a role model to the other countries in mitigating the disasters.

Pangong Tso Lake is an endorheic lake (landlocked) located in eastern Ladakh. It lies partly in India’s Ladakh region and partly in Tibet. The lake is formed from Tethys geosyncline.

• The lake literally translates into a “conclave lake”. Pangong means conclave in Ladakhi and Tso means a lake in the Tibetan language.
• The Karakoram Mountain range which crosses Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and India ends at the north bank of Pangong Tso.
• The lake’s water is crystal clear, brackish making it undrinkable. The lake freezes during the winter allowing some vehicular movement on it as well.
• Who controls Pangong Tso?
  Nearly two-thirds of the lake is controlled by China with just about 45 km under Indian control. The Line of Actual Control(LAC) running north-south cuts the western part of the lake, aligned east-west.
• Importance of the lake:
  • The legendary 19th century Dogra general Zorawar Singh is said to have trained his soldiers and horses on the frozen Pangong lake before invading Tibet.
  • The north of the lake, lies Army’s Dhan Singh Thapa post, named after Major Dhan Singh Thapa
  • LAC(Line of Actual Control) mostly passes on the land, but Pangong Tso is a unique case where it passes through the water as well
  • The importance of the lake is due to the fact that it lies in the path of the Chushul approach of China. (China uses Chushul valley for performing offensive activities into Indian-held territory).
  • Over the years, the Chinese have built motorable roads along their banks of the Pangong Tso
  • In 1999, when the Army unit moved to Kargil for Operation Vijay, China took the opportunity to build 5 km of the road inside Indian territory along the lake’s bank. This is used by China for tactical advantage.

Additional Facts:

• Endorheic (Landlocked) Lake: It is a collection of water within an endorheic basin or sink, with no evident outlet. The Endorheic lakes are generally saline (unable to get rid of solutes left during evaporation).

Context: China’s major hydropower project as a part of its 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), on the Yarlung Zangbo River, in Mêdog County in Tibet.

More on news:

• The hydropower generation station is expected to provide 300 billion kWh of electricity annually. The Chinese authorities say the project will help the country realise its goal of reaching a carbon emission peak before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060.
• Indian counterparts were quick to restate their plans to dam the Himalayas on this side of the border. India is reportedly considering a 10-GW hydropower project in an eastern State.

What are the various misadventures that can happen due to the building of hydropower dams?

• Unavailability of dams: Both countries ignore how unviable such ‘super’ dams projects are, given that they are being planned in an area that is geologically unstable.
• Competing dams: Over the past 20 years, both China and India have been competing with each other to build hydroelectric dams in this ecologically fragile and seismically vulnerable area.
  • There are two hydropower projects in the works in Arunachal Pradesh on the tributaries of the Brahmaputra: the 600 MW Kameng project on the Bichom and Tenga Rivers and the 2,000 MW Subansiri Lower Hydroelectricity Project.
  • China has already completed 11 out of 55 projects that are planned for the Tibetan region.
• Overestimating economic potential: In executing these hydroelectric projects, the two countries have overestimated their economic potential and grossly underestimated the earthquake vulnerability of the region.
• Earthquakes in the region: High seismic zones coincide with areas of high population concentration in the Himalayan region where landslides and glacial lake outburst floods are common.
  • About 15% of the great earthquakes of the 20th century occurred in the Himalayan region. The northeast Himalayan bend has experienced several large earthquakes of magnitude 7 and above in the last 100 years, more than the share from other parts of the Himalayas.
  • The 2015 Gorkha earthquake of magnitude 7.8 in central Nepal resulted in huge losses in the hydropower sector. Nepal lost about 20% of its hydropower capacity consequent to the earthquake.
• Landslides: The main mechanisms that contributed to the vulnerability of hydropower projects were found to be landslides, which depend on the intensity of seismic ground shaking and slope gradients.
  • Heavy siltation from giant landslides expected in the project sites will severely reduce the water-holding capacity and life expectancy of such dams.
  • Even without earthquakes, the steep slopes made of soft rocks are bound to slide due to deforestation and road-building.

What can be done?

• Nature reserve: In recent years, the Himalayas have seen the highest rate of deforestation and land use changes. The upper Himalayas should be converted into a nature reserve by an international agreement.
• Himalayan river commission: The possibility of a Himalayan River Commission involving all the headwater and downstream countries needs to be explored.

Way forward

• India and China, the major players in the region, would be well advised to disengage from military adventurism and seek ways of transforming this ‘roof of the world’ into a natural reserve for the sake of humanity. Carbon neutrality should not be at the expense of the environment.

Why in News?
The Rajasthan government has brought a policy on manufactured sand (M-sand). It will provide an industry status to the units producing manufactured sand for construction work.

It will reduce the dependence on riverbed sand.

Facts:

What is Manufactured Sand(M-Sand)?

• Manufactured sand (M-Sand) is a substitute of river sand for concrete construction. It is produced by crushed hard granite stone.
• The crushed sand is of cubical shape with rounded edges, washed and graded to as a construction material. The size of manufactured sand (M-Sand) is less than 4.75mm.

Usage of Manufactured Sand

• Due to the fast-growing construction industry, the demand for sand has increased tremendously causing deficiency of suitable river sand in most parts of the world.
• Hence, to avoid the depletion of good quality river sand for the use of construction, the use of manufactured sand has been increased.

Benefits of M-Sand:

• It is easily available and has less transportation cost.
• It does not contain organic and soluble compounds that affect the setting time and properties of cement, thus the required strength of concrete can be maintained.
• M-Sand does not have the presence of impurities such as clay, dust and silt coatings which help in producing better quality concrete.
• Furthermore, it can be dust-free and the sizes of m-sand can be controlled easily so that it meets the required grading for the given construction.
• It eliminates the environmental impact that occurred due to the lifting of natural sand from the river bed.

Source: The Hindu

News: World Wildlife Fund(WWF) has released the Water Risk Filter analysis report.

Facts:

• Water Risk Filter: It is an online tool co-developed by the WWF that helps evaluate the severity of risk places faced by graphically illustrating various factors that can contribute to water risk.

Key Takeaways:

• Water Risk: 100 cities that hold importance in national as well as global economies and are home to 350 million people are set to face the greatest rise in water risks by 2050.
• Global List: Egypt’s Alexandria tops the list and is followed by Mecca in Saudi Arabia, China’s Tangshan, Saudi Arabia’s Dammam, and Riyadh. China accounts for almost half the cities.
• Indian Cities: India has 30 cities on the list. Jaipur(45th) topped the list of Indian cities followed by Indore(75th) and Thane. Mumbai, Kolkata, and Delhi also featured on the list.

Recommendations:

• Multi-Stakeholder engagement and ownership involving local communities could be the key to creating and conserving sustainable water infrastructure and rejuvenating urban freshwater systems.
• Urban planning and wetland conservation need to be integrated to ensure zero loss of freshwater systems in urban areas.
• Improving urban water infrastructure and cutting water consumption will help reduce water risks
• Nature-based solutions including restoring degraded watersheds, reconnecting rivers to their floodplains, and restoring or creating urban wetlands are critical.

Additional Facts:

• WWF: It is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.
• Headquarters: Gland, Switzerland.