CONCEPT – NATIONAL CYCLONE RISK MITIGATION PROJECT

Excellent study material for all civil services aspirants - begin learning - Kar ke dikhayenge!

CONCEPT – NATIONAL CYCLONE RISK MITIGATION PROJECT

---

Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment

---

• The Indian situation: India is highly vulnerable to natural hazards especially earthquakes, floods, drought, cyclones and landslides. The cyclones that occur between Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn are known as Tropical Cyclones. Tropical cyclones are weather systems in which winds equal or exceed gale force (minimum of 34 knot, i.e., 62 kmph).
• Indian sub-continent: It is a major affected region of the world, having a coast line of 7516 kms. (5400 kms along the mainland, 132 kms in Lakshadweep and 1900 kms in Andaman and Nicobar Islands) exposed to nearly 10% of the world’s Tropical Cyclones.

1. There are 13 coastal states/UTs encompassing 84 coastal districts which are affected by cyclones.
2. Four States (Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal) and one UT (Pondicherry) on the East Coast and One State (Gujarat) on the West Coast are more vulnerable to cyclone disasters.
3. 40% of the total population lives within 100 km of coastline. Analysed data for the period 1980-2000 shows that on an average, annually 370 million people are exposed to cyclones in India.

• Seasonality: Cyclones occur in the month of May-June and October-November, with primary peak in November and secondary peak in May. Although cyclones affect the entire coast of India the East Coast is more prone compared to the West Coast. An analysis of the frequencies of cyclones on the East and West coasts of India during 1891-2000 show that nearly 308 cyclones (out of which 103 were severe) affected the East Coast. During the same period 48 tropical cyclones crossed the West Coast, of which 24 were severe cyclonic storms. Out of the cyclones that develop in the Bay of Bengal, over 58 percent approach and cross the East Coast in October and November.
• Details: Only 25 % of the cyclones that develop over the Arabian Sea approach the West Coast. In the pre-monsoon season, corresponding figures are 25 percent over Arabian sea and 30 percent over Bay of Bengal. Recurring cyclones account for large number of deaths, loss of livelihood opportunities, loss of public and private property and severe damage to infrastructure, thus seriously reversing the developmental gains at regular intervals. Broad scale assessment of population at risk suggests that an estimated 32 crore people, which accounts for almost third of the country’s total population, are vulnerable to cyclone related hazards. Climate change and its resultant sea-level rises can significantly increase the vulnerability of coastal population.
• Classification of Tropical Cyclones: The criteria followed by Meteorological Department of India (IMD) to classify the low pressure systems in the Bay of Bengal and in the Arabian Sea as adopted by World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) are as under: 

• Destruction caused by Cyclones: There are three elements associated with cyclones which cause destruction during its occurrence. These are:

1. Strong Winds/Squall: Cyclones are known to cause severe damage to infrastructure through high speed winds. Very strong winds which accompany a cyclonic storm damages installations, dwellings, communications systems, trees etc., resulting in loss of life and property. Gusts are short but rapid bursts in wind speed are the main cause for damage. Squalls on the other hand, are longer periods of increased wind speed and are generally associated with the bands of thunderstorms that make up the spiral bands around the cyclone.
2. Torrential rains and inland flooding: Torrential rainfall (more than 30 cm/hour) associated with cyclones is another major cause of damages. Unabated rain gives rise to unprecedented floods. Rain water on top of the storm surge may add to the fury of the storm. Rain is a serious problem for the people which become shelter less due to cyclone. Heavy rainfall from a cyclone is usually spread over wide area and cause large scale soil erosion and weakening of embankments.
3. Storm Surge: A Storm surge can be defined as an abnormal rise of sea level near the coast caused by a severe tropical cyclone; as a result of which sea water inundates low lying areas of coastal regions drowning human beings and life stock, causes eroding beaches and embankments, destroys vegetation and leads to reduction of soil fertility.

• Benefits of Tropical Cyclones: Although Tropical cyclones are known for destruction they cause, when they strike they also bestow certain benefits to the climatic conditions of that area such as

1. Relieve drought conditions
2. Carry heat and energy away from the tropics and transport it towards temperate latitudes, thus helps to maintain equilibrium in the Earth’s troposphere and
3. Maintain a relatively stable and warm temperature worldwide.

• Management of Cyclones: There are many structural and non-structural measures for effective disaster management of cyclones. The structural measures include construction of cyclone shelters, construction of cyclone resistant buildings, road links, culverts, bridges, canals, drains, saline embankments, surface water tanks, communication and power transmission networks etc. Non-structural measures like early warning dissemination systems, management of coastal zones, awareness generation and disaster risk management and capacity building of all the stakeholders involved. These measures are being adopted and tackled on State to State basis under National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) being implemented through World Bank Assistance.

• Introduction of NCRMP: The Government of India has initiated the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) with a view to address cyclone risks in the country.The overall objective of the Project is to undertake suitable structural and non-structural measures to mitigate the effects of cyclones in the coastal states and UT’s of India.

1. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) under the aegis of Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA) will implement the Project in coordination with participating State Governments and the National Institute for Disaster Management (NIDM).
2. The Project has identified 13 cyclone prone States and Union Territories (UTs), with varying levels of vulnerability. These States/UT have further been classified into two categories,based on the frequency of occurrence of cyclone,size of population and the existing institutional mechanism for disaster management. These categories are:
3. Category I: Higher vulnerability States i.e. Andhra Pradesh,Gujarat,Odisha,Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
4. Category II:Lower vulnerabilityStates i.e. Maharashtra,Karnataka,Kerala,Goa,Pondicherry,Lakshadweep,Daman and Diu, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

• Project Objectives: The Project development objective of the NCRMP is to reduce vulnerability of coastal communities to cyclone and other hydro meteorological hazards through

1. improved early warning dissemination systems
2. enhanced capacity of local communities to respond to disasters
3. improved access to emergency shelter, evacuation, and protection against wind storms, flooding and storm surge in high areas
4. strengthening DRM capacity at central, state and local levels in order to enable mainstreaming of risk mitigation measures into the overall development agenda.

• The Financing and Project Agreements: These relating to NCRMP were signed between the Department of Economic Affairs, World Bank and the State Governments of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha on 14.1.2011. The Project completion date of Phase-I is 31st March 2018. NDMA in co-ordination with the Govt. of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha and National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme at the cost of Rs. 2541.60 crore. The project will be funded by the World Bank as an Adaptable Programme Loan (APL) with an International Development Association (IDA) credit amounting to Rs. 1985.68 crore. The remaining amount of Rs. 555.91 crore will be contributed by Governments of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa (Under Component B only). Other components will be funded 100% by the Central Government. NCRMP (Additional Financing) has been formulated to fill up the infrastructural gaps observed during cyclone Phailin by creating additional infrastructure . The total Outlay under Additional Financing is Rs 835Cr. which includes Rs 645.79Cr credit from the World Bank and 25% contribution by State Governments totalling Rs 189.21Cr under Component-B on the same lines as in the NCRMP Ph-I. Government of India has approved Additional Financing in July, 2015 for the States of AP and Odisha with closure by October 2017. NCRMP Phase-II Government of India has approved Phase-II in July,2015 for five years up to March, 2020 covering States of Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerela, Maharashtra and West Bengal at an Outlay of Rs 2361.35Cr with the World Bank funding amounting to Rs1881.20Cr. The remaining amount of Rs480.15Cr. is being contributed by State Governments as their share. The sub-component of underground cabling has been included under NCRMP Phase-II.(Under Component-B)

Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment

---

---

---

Join UPSC Self Prep course | Online Course (PT Gurukul)  | Covid Special Course | Join PT courses

* Content sourced from free internet sources (publications, PIB site, international sites, etc.). Take your own subscriptions. Copyrights acknowledged.