Rains batter Gujarat and Delhi
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for Gujarat on August 26th because of heavy rains in the state. The rains are expected to continue till August 29th, with the IMD marking the state as a ‘flash flood risk’ zone. Baroda recorded 26 cm of rainfall, the highest in the state, from 8.30 am to 8.30 pm on the August 24. Ahmedabad recorded a rainfall of 10 cm, while the state average was 63.36 mm.
Since August 24th, low-lying areas have experienced waterlogging, prompting the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to conduct rescue operations for those displaced. Thirteen NDRF teams and 22 State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams have been deployed. At least 15 people have died, over 23,000 have been evacuated, and more than 300 have been rescued in various districts as heavy rains persist. Approximately 280 individuals were relocated from low-lying areas in Bharuch to safer locations. The government has also requested assistance from six columns of the Indian Army.
The continuous rains prompted the Centre to instruct telecom service providers (TSPs) to activate intra-circle roaming (ICR) facilities in nine districts, so that subscribers of any TSP could access networks of other providers.
Meanwhile, Delhi had 24 rainy days this August, which is the highest in 14 years. It overshoots the earlier record of 22 rainy days in 2012 and the 20 days in 2011, according to IMD.
In southern India, the Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department is exploring the possibility of linking the Kosasthalaiyar and Arani rivers to combat floods and sea erosion. In collaboration with the Central Water Commission, the department will take steps towards river linking. The Japan International Cooperation Agency is providing financial support for the feasibility studies.
Source: Indian Express, Hindustan Times, India Today, Weather.com, The New Indian Express
Read More: Urging the BMC to harvest Mumbai’s rainwater in public spaces
Steps to improve Telangana’s infrastructure
To ramp up public transport, the Telangana government has announced plans to extend the Metro Rail connectivity, enhance civic infrastructure, new link roads and first/last-mile connectivity. In involves not just finances but coordination among departments such as water board, power utilities, national highways, roads and buildings, telecom, fire service, Road Transport Corporation (RTC) and railways.
Reviving the Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) as part of the National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP) could be the ideal solution. UMTA was initiated by the Centre and promoted by Hyderabad 15 years ago, but it soon became inactive. None of the recently built flyovers or major civic works were discussed before construction began, and challenges related to the common mobility card, bus shelters, pedestrian facilities, and first and last-mile connectivity still persist.
Many deem the UMTA as lacking power and finances. Only about a dozen meetings were held since it was formed in 2008. In its last meeting, officials decided to institute an Urban Transport Development Fund (UTDF) to swiftly take up pending projects.
Source: The Hindu
Plan to form 12 new industrial cities
The Union Cabinet has approved the establishment of 12 industrial cities across 10 states, planned along six major corridors, with an investment of ₹28,602 crore. The locations include Khurpia in Uttarakhand, Rajpura-Patiala in Punjab, Dighi in Maharashtra, Palakkad in Kerala, Agra and Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, Gaya in Bihar, Zaheerabad in Telangana, Orvakal and Kopparthy in Andhra Pradesh, and Jodhpur-Pali in Rajasthan.
These projects fall under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme (NICDP) and aim to create a network of industrial nodes and cities of global standards. They are expected to generate employment opportunities, with an estimated 1 million direct jobs and up to 3 million indirect jobs, and attract investments of about ₹1.52 trillion.
The projects also incorporate the ‘plug-and-play’ concept, ensuring necessary infrastructure supports sustainable and efficient industrial operations.
Source: Business Standard, The Times of India
Air pollution increases mortality risk
Across India and among all age groups, air pollution has exceeded national standards, increasing death risk by 86% in newborns, 100–120% in children under five and 13% in adults. This data was revealed in a study by a team from Mumbai, including researchers from the International Institute for Population Sciences, and published in the journal GeoHealth.
The team examined fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution levels across over 700 districts, and analysed data from the National Family and Health Survey (fifth round) and the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). They found a higher risk of death among newborns and adults in households without separate kitchens.
Newborns and children under five years were at a two-fold higher risk in districts where the PM2.5 concentration was up to the NAAQS level. If the interaction between PM2.5 exceeded NAAQS (of 40 micrograms per cubic metre) and household air pollution, it increased deaths among newborns by 19%, children by 17% and adults by 13%. Earlier studies looked at regional data, but in this study, integrated pollution levels were recorded in cities with district-level death estimates.
There is a need to raise awareness in vulnerable regions, where use of clean fuel is low and separate kitchens within households are not common.
Source: Business Standard
Urban heat islands raise night-time warming by 60%
According to researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, night-time warming has increased by 60% in 140 cities, compared to surrounding non-urban areas, because of rapid urbanisation. This research has been published in the journal Nature Cities. Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Rajkot had the highest urban heat effect followed by Delhi-NCR and Pune, the study revealed.
Due to the urban heat island (UHI) effect, concrete and asphalt in constructed roads and pavements store heat during the day and release it in the evening, leading to higher night-time temperatures. Over time, it impacts other climatic aspects, including rainfall and pollution. Researchers noted that urbanisation and local climate change contributed to raising night-time temperatures in the past two decades (2003-2020).
“The mean urban effect for all these cities across India was found to be 0.2 degrees Celsius per decade, which led to an estimate of 37.73% of the total urban warming linked to urbanisation,” researchers said. They also found that cities in the northwestern, northeastern and southern regions showed a “more pronounced increase” in night-time temperatures.
Source: Business Standard
[Compiled by Revathi Siva Kumar]