Natural hazards are severe and extreme weather and climate events that occur naturally in all parts of the world, although some regions are more vulnerable to certain hazards than others. Natural hazards become natural disasters when people’s lives and livelihoods are destroyed.Chattishgarh is vulnerable to cyclonic storm, Flood and Draught.
Cyclone and flood disaster in Chattishgarh
Chattishgarh is very vulnerable to the disaster of cyclone and flood because of its proximity to Oddisha and and eastern coastal area
- Cyclone Hudhud:Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Hudhud was a strong tropical cyclone that caused extensive damage and loss of life in eastern India. The Southern parts of Chhattisgarh witnessed heavy rains, accompanied by gusty winds, for three days due to the impact of the cyclonic storm Hudhud.Even the state capital, Raipur,witnessed incessant rains.
- Cyclone Phailin :Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Phailinwas the most intense tropical cyclone to make landfall in India since the 1999 Odisha cyclone. Heavy rain effected the chattishgarh, however the pre planning of risk management did work and Phailin couldn’t harm the state the way it was expected.
Draught in Chattishgarh
Droughts refer to a serious shortfall in availability of water, mainly, but not exclusively, due to deficiency of rains, affecting agriculture, drinking water supply and industry. Droughts occur in several parts of the world and can bring untold misery to populations particularly those depending on agriculture and living on generally degraded land. The causative factors are both natural and man made.
Chhattisgarh declared drought in 25 districts in 2015. Again in 2016 Over 65 tehsils of the 150 in Chhattisgarh are reeling under drought-like situation following scanty rainfall.
The rainfall variability during past century in Chhattisgarh was studied using rainfall statistics of 100 years i.e. 1901-2000.For understanding the rainfall pattern difference between average rainfall during 1900-1950 and 1951-2000 were worked. A GIS map was generated using GIS tools and the same are shown in enclosed figure. It was found that in some districts like Raipur, Mahasamund, Raigarh the decrease in rainfall quantity is the other hand the decrease in rainfall.Chattishgarh is becoming more and more vulnerable to Draught .
Chattishgarh : draught management
- Risk Reduction :Drought-prone areas of state should be made less vulnerable to drought associated problems through soil – moisture conservation measures, water harvesting practices, minimisation of evaporation losses, development of the ground water potential including recharging and the transfer of surface water from surplus areas where feasible and appropriate. Pastures, forestry or other modes of development which are relatively less water demanding should be encouraged. In planning water resource development projects, the needs of drought prone areas should be given priority.
- Revisiting Long Term Interventions :A strategy for making people pursue livelihoods compatible with their ecosystems needs to be evolved. Some concrete steps in this direction could be:
(i) A multi-disciplinary team needs to be immediately constituted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests to specifically identify villages where soil and climatic conditions make ‘conventional agriculture’ unsustainable.
(ii) Alternate means of livelihood have to be evolved in consultation with the communities, in such areas.
- Livelihood Management in Extremely Drought Prone Areas :Areas suffering repeated droughts over the millennia have highly degraded land resources. Such areas are found in pockets in many parts of the country and the subsistence/unsustainable agriculture practiced in such areas make them easy prey to even a modest drought. Human populations in many such degraded spots have adapted their life-styles to deal with the vagaries of nature through a predominantly pastoral mode of existence. There are a number of studies which show that such well-adapted populations have developed greater resilience and coping capabilities. There are, however, areas where deep attachment to agriculture tends to dissuade frequently drought affected communities from looking at ecologically more compatible livelihoods. Programmes like the DDP have contributed significantly to promoting alternative and more sustainable non agricultural livelihoods. The issue of concretizing a strategy of facilitating pursuing of livelihoods appropriate to an ecosystem is beyond the remit of the Commission; there are, however, some aspects which need to be addressed urgently to mitigate frequent crises which result from ‘unsustainable agriculture’. These measures could include identification of areas where conventional agriculture is not sustainable and devising methods to motivate people in such areas to switch over to appropriate livelihood regimen etc.
Govt. to pay more for house damage in natural calamity
Chhattisgarh government had decided to revise the compensation paid for the damage caused to the houses in the natural calamity.
According to the revised rate, the owner of the pucca house damaged in the natural calamity would now get Rs 75000. Earlier, the state government was paying Rs 70,000. Similarly, the kucca house damaged in nature’s fury would be paid Rs 17,500 as against Rs 15,000 paid earlier by the state government.
The partial damaged pucca house would now be paid at the rate of Rs 12, 600 while earlier, the state government was paying Rs 6300. Similarly, the compensation for the kucca houses partial damaged had been increased from Rs 3200 to Rs 3800. The poor person whose hut would completely damage in the natural calamity would now get Rs 3000 as against earlier rate of Rs 2500.
With the monsoon at the door step, Chhattisgarh government had geared up its preparedness to deal with the natural disaster.