A DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT MAGAZINE 120 ` .com YOU 93, 2015 and UE Y SS VOL. I 15, RAPH Y SINCE 2001 GEOG n G’ INDIA’s VARIANT WEATHER India’s Weather Extremes 4 The Monsoon 10 Tropical Cyclones 16 Droughts in India 38 Heat Wave 42 Cold Wave 46 www.geographyandyou.com METGEEKS Programme GETTING WEATHER WISE Training programme being introduced by Dr Ajit Tyagi, Air Vice Marshal (Retd), Former Director General, India Meteoro- logical Department, at Miranda House, Delhi University Geography and You introduces the METGEEKS programme based on its 15 years of its dedicated research that has made it one of the forefront players for the promotion of science communication in a popular genre. Moreover the changing climate scenario has made it all the more pertinent to be updated about India's meteorological aspects. Scientists have mapped a 44 per cent rise in hydro-meteorological related disasters since 2000, over the 1980s decade. Of all hydro- meteorological disasters, about 89 per cent were due to flooding and storms. Meteorological information is thus vital for preparedness. Opt for training under our METGEEKS Programme in collaboration with Indian Meteorological Society (IMS) for better data collection and analysis of the elements of weather. ❯❯ Presented by Geography and You Dedicated ❯❯ In collaboration with Indian to popularisation of science for 15 years and providing Meteorological Society Working towards myriad platforms to India's developmental concerns. advancement of met sciences. Contact IPPLTD for further details. 1584, B-1, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi Phone: +91-11-26122789, 26892275, 26122545, Fax: +91-11-14775126 Email: [email protected], Website: geographyandyou.com GEOGRAPHY AND YOU VOL. 15 ISSUE 93 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2015 Un-seasonal rain in March 2015 led to widespread crop failure, loss of life and property. It destroyed the rabi crop affecting about 182.38 million hectares as per the report of the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation in May 2015. INDIA’s VARIANT WeATheR 4 India’s Weather Extremes 58 Thunderstorm STAFF REPORTER L S RATHORE, D R PATTANAIK AND S C BHAN 10 The Monsoon INDIA OUTDOORS STAFF REPORTER 60 The Chambal 16 Tropical Cyclones SUMIT CHAKRABORTY AJIT TYAGI 22 The Science Behind the Tamil Nadu Floods Expert Panel J R KULKARNI Prithvish Nag Vice Chancellor, 26 Floods MG Kashi Vidyapeeth, STAFF REPORTER Varanasi. Y K Alagh 32 The Inevitable Yet Preventable Disaster: Chancellor, Central University The Chennai 2015 Floods of Gujarat, Professor Emeritus, SURYA PARKASH Ahmedabad. 38 Droughts in India B Meenakumari STAFF REPORTER Chairman, National Biodiversity Authority, 42 Heat Wave Chennai STAFF REPORTER Ajit Tyagi Air Vice Marshal (Retd) 46 Cold Wave Former DG, IMD, STAFF REPORTER New Delhi. B Sengupta 52 Hailstorms Former Member Secretary, STAFF REPORTER Central Pollution Control Board New Delhi. 56 Wettest Place in the World: Mawsynram Rasik Ravindra AJIT TYAGI AND P GUHATHAKURDA Former Director, NCAOR, Goa IN BRIEF 2 Letters 3 Editor’s note 21 Term power Saraswati Raju 45 Term power rating Professor, CSRD, Jawaharlal Nehru IN CONVERSATION University, New Delhi. Sachidanand Sinha M N RAJEEVAN Professor, CSRD, 50 Secretary, Jawaharlal Nehru Ministry of Earth University, New Delhi. Sciences, Government Dripto Mukhopadhaya of India. Director, Economic Research, Nielsen, New Delhi. GEOGRAPHY AND YOU . NOVEMBEr - DECEMBER 2015 1 EXPERT PANELLIST’S NOTE Extreme Weather Events Extreme weather events causing natural disasters GEOGRAPHY AND YOU in the current decade are occurring nearly five EDITOR times as often as they were in the 1970s. The SULAGNA CHATTOPADHYAY frequency of geophysical disasters—earthquakes, GUEST EDITOR tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and mass movements, K MOHANDAS remained broadly constant throughout this period, Ajit Tyagi LEGAL ADVISOR KRISHNENDU DATTA but a sustained rise in hydro-meteorological related Air Vice Marshal (Retd) COVER PHOTOGRAPH events (mainly floods and storms) pushed total Former Director General, GETTING COMFORTABLE occurrences significantly higher. Since 2000, on India Meteorological AFTER A SUDDEN DROP IN TEMPERATURE FOLLOWING an average of 341 hydro-meteorological related Department, New Delhi. a thunderStorM—don, disasters were recorded per annum, up 44 per cent CHAMPARAN, BIHAR, BY PRASAD from the 1994-2000 average and well over twice the level in 1980-1989. Of all hydro-meteorological disasters, about PHOTO TEAM PRASAD, VINOD M. 89 per cent were due to flooding and storms. The year 2015 will be remembered as the year of IRIS PUBLICATION PVT. LTD. extremes. The year turned out to be the warmest year; REGISTERED OFFICE record number of category 4 and 5 hurricanes formed in 111/9 K G, ARUNA ASAF ALI MARG, NEW DELHI -110070 the Northern hemisphere with Hurricane Patricia being the CORRESPONDENCE/ strongest till date. El Niño, the strongest in recent years, EDITORIAL OFFICE has been a major driver of anomalies in weather of many 1584, B-1, VASANT KUNJ, parts of the world. Summer was unusually severe over NEW DELHI-110070 south and Southeast Asia. Heat waves caused more than PHONE: +91-11-26122789 2000 deaths in India and about 2000 deaths in Karachi FOR NEW SUBSCRIPTIONS, and parts of Sindh state of Pakistan. The year 2015 RENEWALS, ENQUIRIES became year of deficient rainfall during monsoon season PLEASE CONTACT CIRCULATION MANAGER for the second consecutive year. While many parts of the E-MAIL: editor@ country are facing drought, Manipur, West Bengal, Gujarat geographyandyou.com and Tamil Nadu experienced floods. Rainfall in Chennai PLEASE VISIT OUR SITE AT www.geographyandyou.com broke a 100-year-old record. Landslides occurred in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. Manipur, Himachal, Jammu and Kashmir and ©IRIS PUBLICATION PVT. LTD. western Ghats. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Awareness about extreme weather phenomena helps in THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. REPRODUCTION IN ANY better preparedness and this issue of Geography and You MANNER, PART OR WHOLE, is dedicated to raising its understanding. IS PROHIBITED. PRINTED, PUBLISHED AND OWNED BY SULAGNA CHATTOPADHYAY. PRINTED AT INDIA GRAPHIC SYSTEMS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR PVT. LTD. F-23, OKHLA Issues and concerns INDUSTRIAL AREA, PHASE-I, GOOD ATTEMPT, I appreciate the effort of G’nY NEW DELHI - 110020. THE WATERWAYS ISSUE in undertaking weather station related PUBLISHED AT issue was not only training in Miranda House, Delhi University, IRIS PUBLICATION PVT. LTD. GEOGRAPHY AND easy to understand New Delhi. Many more universities should YOU DOES NOT TAKE ANY the complexities of also introduce initiatives like this, especially RESPONSIBILITY FOR managing the various Himalayan universities and not only RETURNING UNSOLICITED PUBLICATION MATERIAL. national waterways establish a automatic weather station but ALL DISPUTES ARE SUBJECTED TO but it touched me at also get trained in how to use it —RAVINDRA THE EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF a personal level with PANDEY, VIA FACEBOOK COMPETENT COURTS AND FORUMS pictures that reminded IN DELHI/NEW DELHI ONLY. me of my childhood days in Allepey, THE MODI GOVERNMENT’S new scheme ‘Pradhan Kerala.—CHERIAN, NEW DELHI Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana’, on crop For more details log on to our website www.geographyandyou.com insurance scheme is laudable and will be 2 NOVEMBEr - DECEMBER 2015 . GEOGRAPHY AND YOU EDITORIAL India’s Variant Weather Dear Readers, In the current decade, substantial change in the frequency and intensity of extreme events may be seen, with heat waves, floods, cyclones and more occurring in a grim cycle of climate related disasters. The pattern of precipitation too has changed, with fewer light and moderate rains being replaced by more heavy rain events. Almost every day the newspapers scream of a rarest and most extreme record being beaten by a new high or low. We know that weather anomalies are part of a normal climate cycle, yet when its frequency increases, recurrent disaster strikes with unnerving consequences. However unlike tectonic, climate disasters can be predicted with a fair amount of precision. Armed with data and an understanding of the ‘what-if’, we can not only make micro-level changes in our day to day living, but also participate holistically in the nation’s macro-level needs, such as change in cropping pattern, water conservation for drought scenarios, evacuating flood plains and more. As social scientists we recognise that personal experiences during extreme weather events play an active role in building public opinion in favour of proactive action. However, extreme events are rare and it would take decades before the political tipping point is achieved. Such events need to be recognised as plausible threats and without preparedness, developing countries such as our will continue to be beleaguered by rare to rarer climate disasters. This issue of Geography and You is dedicated to hydro- meteorological events that affect the Indian region—cyclones, floods, droughts, heat and cold waves, thunderstorm and hailstorm. The issue also covers plausible causes of Chennai floods and associated disaster management. Sulagna Chattopadhyay an ever-green scheme in India. I believe that it will be English both on your website. Students in rural areas are an efficient step taken by government and will increase starved for material in Hindi. —ASHA TANWAR, VIA FACEBOOK insurance coverage to 50 per cent.—KARAN JOSHI, VIA FACEBOOK EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS. It’s only after large scale devastation following natural calamities that makes us RURAL INDIA. If you really want to bring quality