Natural Disasters: Floods and Consequences

Flood Consequences and Causes

• Over 27,000 people evacuated from their homes due to devastating floods
• Losses in terms of property, businesses, and earnings have run into crores of rupees
• Experts attribute the unprecedented flooding in Delhi to:
  • Encroachment on the river floodplain
  • Extreme rainfall within a short span of time
  • Silt accumulation that has raised the riverbed

River Pollution

• Rising toxicity in Kali, Yamuna, and Hindon rivers has raised concerns
• Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Pal Singh Tomar alleges that the rivers have become a "source of cancer" in over 100 villages
• Oxygen level in the Kali river was found to be zero, making it unfit for drinking and irrigation
• Sugar and paper mills releasing effluent discharge into the rivers are the main cause of pollution

Yamuna River

• Second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge
• Longest tributary in India
• Origin: Yamunotri Glacier, Uttarakhand
• Merges with the Ganges at Triveni Sangam, Prayagraj
• Crosses several states: Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Delhi
• Important dams: Lakhwar-Vyasi Dam, Tajewala Barrage Dam
• Cities: Delhi, Noida, Mathura, Agra

Ken-Betwa Link Project

• Objective: Transfer surplus water from the Ken River in Madhya Pradesh to the Betwa River in Uttar Pradesh
• Goal: Irrigate the drought-prone Bundelkhand region
• Geographical scope: Benefits districts in two states: Jhansi, Banda, Lalitpur, and Mahoba in UP; and Tikamgarh, Panna, and Chhatarpur in MP
• Components: Dhaudhan Dam, 230-km long canal

National Board for Wildlife (NBWL)

• Statutory organization established under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972
• Primary function: Promote conservation and protection of wildlife and its habitats
• Chairperson: Prime Minister of India
• Members: Environmentalists, ecologists, government officials, among others
• Role: Advisory body providing recommendations to the Government on wildlife conservation policies

Panna Tiger Reserve

• Established in 1981
• Declared a Project Tiger Reserve in 1994
• UNESCO designated as a Biosphere Reserve in 2011
• Critical tiger habitat located in Vindhya Hill, northern Madhya Pradesh
• Dominating vegetation type: Dry deciduous forest interspersed with grassland
• Ken river flows through the reserve
• Famous for Panna diamond mining and two thousand-year-old rock paintings

Ken Gharial Sanctuary

• Established in 1985
• Located at the confluence of the Ken River and Khudar River
• Usually visited along with the Raneh Falls site nearby
• Gharial (also known as Gavial or Fish-Eating Crocodile)
• Conservation Status: Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List
• Physical Features: Males have a distinctive boss at the end of the snout, resembling an earthenware pot
• Origin of Name: Hindi name "Gharial" comes from this feature

Other Crocodile Species

• Mugger: Found throughout the Indian subcontinent, listed as vulnerable by IUCN
• Saltwater Crocodile: Listed as least concern by IUCN, found throughout the east coast of India

Shaligrams

• Ancient fossils of ammonites, a class of extinct sea creatures related to modern squids
• Originating from the Kali Gandaki River Valley in northern Nepal
• Viewed primarily as manifestations of the Hindu god Vishnu
• Believed to have an intrinsic consciousness of their own
• Kept in homes and temples, treated as both living gods and active community members
• News: Becoming rarer due to climate change, faster glacial melting, and gravel mining in the Kali Gandaki

This quiz assesses understanding of the devastating effects of floods, including evacuations, property damage, and economic losses, as well as the causes of flooding such as encroachment on floodplains and heavy rainfall.