September 2014, more than 100 people were dead while thousands were left stranded in flood stricken Jammu & Kashmir.
In June 2013, flash floods marred the Alaknanda, Bhagirathi, Mandakini, Gori Ganga, Pindar, and Kali rivers. According to official data, 4,190 people died in the disaster, more than 2,500 buildings were completely destroyed, and 2,070 roads and 145 bridges were damaged.
In 2012, a landslide in Ukhimath and flash floods in the Assi Ganga and the Bhagirathi rivers killed about a 100 people and caused extensive damage to livestock and property.
Since the 2004 tsunami killed more than 10,000 in India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu, India has been trying to upgrade its disaster management systems but no results have been seen so far.
Even after so many costly wake-up calls and cities that have been left in shambles, proper weather monitoring equipment is missing in Indian coastal and hilly states. What is perhaps lacking in these states is an effective disaster monitoring, warning and management system.
Indian hilly states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and J&K are highly vulnerable to flash floods caused by heavy rains, cloudbursts and avalanches. The difficult terrain too makes the building and operation of big hydroelectric schemes tough. But is it impossible?
People living near coastal lines or villages in hilly regions are often the first ones to be hit in these natural disasters and lack of timely warning to these people even aggravate things further. But maybe a possible installment of weather forecasting technologies, radars and other equipment can improve the current condition to some extent.
After the catastrophe in Uttrakhand, central government approved a project for installing state-of-the-art automatic weather station and radar in the state. Under the project, Indian Meteorological Department also announced to install three dopplar radars. But the announcements have just remained announcements so far and have not seen the light of the day.
India is an intensive agrarian country where farmers largely depend on monsoon rain for their harvest. Due to lack of accurate or absolute absence of rain and weather related information; it has often led to farmers’ suicide in many parts of India including Vidharbha in Maharashtra, Punjab and Haryana.
Clearly, weather forecasting methods in India are under a dire need of an upgrade. What is required is perhaps improved planning and execution to enhance the quality of weather related information, crucial for farmers and public in general.
Though the government has announced a state-of-the-art automatic weather station in Uttarakhand, similar systems are required in the state of Himachal Pradesh and J&K that are equally exposed to the frequent occurrence of natural disasters. Timely weather alerts may not stop the occurrence of these disaster but can possibly avert such calamities in future.
