MAINS DAILY QUESTIONS & MODEL ANSWERS:
Q1. Concerns about unsustainable urbanisation have been raised by a recent World Bank report that shows increasing flood risk in Indian cities due to urban development in flood-prone areas. What are the primary hazards associated with this expansion and what measures may be taken to ensure sustainable urban planning?
GS III – Urbanization-related issues
Introduction:
- To accommodate these people, the city expanded, but new localities have ignored the local topography. As a result, India’s urban areas are flooding more frequently, destroying lives and livelihoods.
Key dangers of urban growth in locations vulnerable to flooding:
- Loss of life and property: Floods can result in extensive damage to residences, places of business, and infrastructure, which can entail a loss of life and means of subsistence. For instance, the 2015 Chennai, India floods claimed over 289 lives and flooded 23.25 lakh dwellings.
- Disruption of vital services: In addition to causing damage to vital services like electricity, sanitation, and water supply, floods can also cause disruptions to the public’s health and well-being.
- Loss and fragmentation of habitat: Urban growth has the potential to damage or fragment natural ecosystems, such as urban lakes, which could result in the eviction of species and a decrease in biodiversity.
- Increased frequency of flooding: Urban expansion frequently encroaches on rivers’ natural floodplains, which can reduce the area of the floodplain and increase the frequency of floods.
- Displacement: People may be forced from their homes and places of employment by flooding.
- Climate Change Amplification: By changing regional weather patterns and raising the frequency and intensity of floods, urban growth in flood-prone areas can amplify the consequences of climate change.
- Increased risk of disease: Floods can provide mosquitoes and other disease-carrying insects with a breeding ground, which raises the possibility of contracting diseases like dengue fever and malaria.
- Social Disparities: Flooding disproportionately affects vulnerable communities, many of whom live in informal settlements in flood-prone locations.
- Risk to Cultural Heritage: A great deal of historically and culturally significant land is situated in an area that is prone to flooding. Urban development in these regions jeopardises priceless cultural and historical resources.
- Transportation Interruptions: Flooding can cause havoc with transportation systems, which can impact daily commutes and corporate activities.
How to guarantee sustainable urban design:
- A number of recommendations were made in the NITI Aayog Report on Reforms in Urban Planning Capacity in India, including:
- Create the National Urban Planning Commission (NUPC) to offer coordination and strategic direction on issues related to urban planning.
- To meet particular needs, offer a specialised post-graduation course in urban planning.
- Provide a website where all national urban planners can register and exchange best practises.
Other Indicators:
- Determine and chart locations that are vulnerable to flooding. Using this knowledge, land use planning and development decisions can be made.
- Zoning laws and other land use planning tools can be used to limit growth in flood-prone areas.
- Early Warning Systems: Create and put into place efficient early warning systems so that people living in areas that are prone to flooding can take preventative action. For example, IFLOWS-Mumbai, a flood warning system, was recently built.
- Encourage green infrastructure: Wetlands and floodplains are crucial for managing stormwater and preventing flooding, thus they should be kept free from encroachment and development.
- Construct flood defences: Levees, drainage systems, and dams are examples of flood control infrastructure that can assist lower the risk of flooding in metropolitan areas.
- Relocating people from flood-prone areas: To deter people from living in flood-prone areas, offer cheap housing choices in safer locations.
- Population awareness and education: Communities must inform the general population about the dangers of flooding as well as how to prevent, mitigate, and deal with floods.
- Nature-based solutions: These strategies make use of natural ecosystems to lower the risk of flooding. Chennai, India, has restored wetlands and mangroves to assist lessen coastal flooding.
Way Forward:
- SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation for all), SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities), SDG 13 (climate action), and SDG 14 (life on land) can all be fulfilled by India by reducing flood risk and ensuring sustainable urban planning, which is one of the main challenges it faces from urban expansion in flood-prone areas.
Q2. What are the problems facing India’s ambitious underwater exploration programme, the Deep Ocean Mission (DOM)?
GS III – Government Policies and Interventions
Introduction:
- The Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) is an ambitious programme of India’s Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) for underwater exploration. It was approved by the Union Cabinet in 2021 at a cost of approximately ₹ 4,077 crore over a five-year period in phases. As part of the mission, the nation is developing deep-sea mining indigenous technologies and launching a crewed submersible named Matsya6000.
Six pillars support the mission:
- Creation of technology for manned submarines that can transport three people to a depth of 6,000 metres in the ocean and for deep sea mining.
- Creation of advisory services for ocean climate change that use a variety of ocean measurements and models to comprehend and forecast future climate
- Technological advancements for the study and preservation of biodiversity in the deep oceans
- The goal of deep-ocean survey and exploration was to locate possible locations for the mineralization of multimetal hydrothermal sulphides along the mid-oceanic ridges of the Indian Ocean
- Utilising the ocean’s freshwater and energy
- Establishing a cutting-edge Marine Station for Ocean Biology as a centre for developing talent and advancing new directions in blue biotechnology and ocean biology.
The Deep Ocean Mission’s Challenges:
- The fact that diving into the ocean has proven to be more difficult than exploring space is due to the high pressure found in the deep oceans. While space is almost like a near-perfect vacuum, diving down to a depth of one metre exerts pressure equivalent to 10,000 kg of weight on an object one square metre in area. This kind of pressure calls for the use of carefully engineered equipment made of sturdy metals or materials.
- It is also very difficult for huge vehicles to land or operate on the ocean floor because of its extremely muddy and squishy surface. huge vehicles would eventually sink.
- Furthermore, pumping minerals to the surface is a necessary step in the extraction process that uses a lot of energy and power.
- The lack of electromagnetic wave propagation in the deep ocean makes remotely operated vehicles ineffective, unlike controlling rovers on far-off planets. Visibility is another major obstacle, with natural light only able to pass a few tens of metres below the surface.
- These complex problems are further exacerbated by other elements that need to be taken into consideration, such as temperature fluctuations, corrosion, salt, etc.
- The DOM will not only contribute to the growth of India’s blue economy but also align with the United Nations’ “Decade of Ocean Science” and the Indian Government’s vision of sustainably harnessing the ocean’s potential for the country’s prosperity. With each step forward, India is unlocking the secrets of the deep and making significant strides towards understanding, preserving, and utilising our vast oceanic resources for the benefit of all. Nevertheless, India’s dedicated institutions, such as the MoES and its associated centres, including the CMLRE, INCOIS, NCCR, NCPOR, and NIOT, are working with other national institutions and academia to effectively overcome these challenges.
