MAINS DAILY QUESTIONS & MODEL ANSWERS
Q1. Concerns about unsustainable urbanisation have been raised by a new World Bank report that shows how urban expansion in flood-prone areas is increasing the risk of flooding in Indian cities. What are the primary dangers associated with this growth, and what can be done to guarantee sustainable urban design?
GS I – Urbanization-related issues
Introduction:
- India’s cities are flooding more frequently, claiming lives and ruining livelihoods. This analysis shows that since 1985, the number of people living in flood-prone areas has more than doubled. The population of the city increased from about 1.6 lakh to over a crore throughout the course of the previous century. The city grew to accommodate these people, but new neighbourhoods ignored the terrain of the area.
Key dangers of urban growth in locations vulnerable to flooding:
- Deaths and property damage: Floods can result in extensive harm to residences, companies, and infrastructure, which can take lives and livelihoods. For instance, the 2015 Chennai, India, floods destroyed 23.25 lakh dwellings and claimed over 289 lives.
- 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.
- Cultural Heritage at Risk: A lot of historically and culturally important places are situated in high-risk locations for flooding. In many places, urban growth jeopardises priceless cultural and historical assets.
- 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.
Additional Measures:
- 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 to give locals in flood-prone areas timely information so they can take preventative action. For example, IFLOWS-Mumbai, a flood warning system, was recently deployed.
- Encourage the use of green infrastructure: Wetlands and floodplains are crucial for managing stormwater and preventing flooding. They ought to be shielded against expansion 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.
- Natural ecosystems are used in nature-based solutions to lower the danger of flooding. For instance, to lessen coastal flooding, the Indian city of Chennai has regenerated mangroves and wetlands.
Way Forward:
- Urbanisation in places vulnerable to flooding is one of India’s biggest problems. India can guarantee sustainable urban planning and lower the risk of flooding by implementing the aforementioned measures. SDGs 6 (clean water and sanitation for all), 11 (sustainable cities and communities), 13 (climate action), and 14 (life on land) would all be aided in their fulfilment.
Q2. There are difficulties with India’s ambitious underwater exploration effort, the Deep Ocean Mission (DOM). Discuss.
GS II – Government Policies and Interventions
Introduction:
- India’s vast underwater exploration initiative, known as Deep Ocean Mission, is mostly carried out by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). The Union Cabinet approved DOM in 2021, approving it at a gradual five-year expenditure of about ₹ 4,077 crore. The nation is creating its own deep-sea mining technologies and launching the Matsya6000 crewed submersible as part of this quest.
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;
- 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:
- It is true that exploring the ocean’s depths has proven to be more difficult than exploring space. The deep ocean’s enormous pressure is what makes a basic difference. Even though space is almost a vacuum, an item with a surface area of one square metre is under as much pressure when it is one metre below the surface as if it were 10,000 kg heavier. Working under such high pressure necessitates the use of carefully planned apparatus made of robust metals or materials.
- Because of its extremely muddy and squishy surface, landing on the ocean floor presents additional difficulties. Because of this, big vehicles are very difficult to manage or land because they will always sink.
- Furthermore, pumping minerals to the surface is a necessary step in the extraction process that uses a lot of energy and power.
- Remotely driven vehicles are useless in deep oceans because electromagnetic waves do not travel through them, unlike rovers on far-off planets. Another major obstacle is visibility, since natural light can only reach 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.
- To effectively address these issues, however, India’s committed institutions—the MoES and its affiliated centres, such as the CMLRE, INCOIS, NCCR, NCPOR, and NIOT—are working with academics and other national institutions. The DOM will support the development of India’s blue economy while also being in line with the goals of the Indian government to sustainably utilise the ocean’s potential for the country’s prosperity and the United Nations’ “Decade of Ocean Science.” With every step ahead, India is discovering the mysteries of the deep and taking important steps to comprehend, protect, and make use of our abundant oceanic resources for the good of all.
