Victims of summer heat cross all records

By Sudhansu R Das. Dated: 5/29/2016 12:49:19 AM

Every year hundreds of people in India die of heat during summer. The majority of the victims are farm labours, daily wagers and people in unorganised sectors who have no option but to brave the weather for livelihood. Though India has grown up into a trillion dollar economy, lacks much needed finer human emotions like love, compassion and moral courage among the majority of educated people. This year number who died of summer heat has broken all records.
According to National Disaster Management Authority data, as many as 22,563 people have died in the summer heat across the country between 1992 and 2015. The authority stated the death toll in summer heat rose from 612 in 1992 to 2,422 in 2015. More than 137 people have been reportedly died in summer heat in Telangana followed by Andhra Pradesh and Orissa in 2016. The summer temperature in India is going up close to Arab countries where it crosses 48 degree. The mercury touches 48 degree centigrade in Khamam of Telangana, in Allahabad, in Churu of Rajasthan and in Titlagarh of Orissa. The rise in temperature not only kills people but it erodes away productivity hours, creates farm labour scarcity, increases electricity consumption on Air conditioners and creates health hazards.
Death due to sun strokes and dehydration happens mainly due to wanton destruction of surface water, ground water and tree lair. Non-availability of emergency medical facility to treat sun stroke patients and lack of awareness among general public how to give first aid to the victims. Political economists and planners' lack ability to assess the economic potential of the rich bio diversity make them fall prey to market forces who overexploit the natural resources until it turns into a crisis. The mining activities in India have gone far beyond the area allocated for the purpose due to lack of proper monitoring. The forest fire in Uttarakhand which is widely believed to be the handiwork of politico real estate agents has not only destroyed nearly 300 hectors of forest it has seriously affected the religious tourism potential. Scientists say the heat would melt glacier's and create water crisis. The black soots from forest fire has already polluted many perennial rivers. Twenty years back Lonavla had hundreds of springs leaping into the roads. The Lonavla lake surrounded by green hills was woven with sparkling springs pouring water into the lake from all sides. It was a spectacular sight. Today many of the hills have been sliced like birth day cakes for real estate growth. Majority of springs have disappeared along with the greenery. Lonavla which was a water rich area will enter into a water crisis zone in a few years. Environmentalists predict with 44 rivers, 900 tributaries and seven huge lakes, Kerala may enter into a dry phase due to sand mining, reclamation of flood plains, encroachment of forest and destruction of hills for real estate development. The looming drought situation which has reportedly affected 330 million people originate from a sick development vision.
Wanton destruction of lakes, water bodies, rivers and tree lairs is the main reason why maximum people die in Telangana region. Thirty years back, Hyderabad was a beautiful city with cool climate, grape gardens, natural springs, mango orchards, green hills, tree covered roads and huge lakes. Unprecedented real estate growth and infrastructure development has converted one of the world's most beautiful cities into a torture chamber. Water scarcity, air and water pollution has only helped hospital sector, drinking water bottle industries and air conditioner makers. Scientists predict the ground water in Hyderabad will go bone dry in a few years. The ground water profile done by Central Ground Water Board(CGWB) in 2015 found the aquifers in Hyderabad are laden with chemicals namely nitrates, excides of sulphur and heavy metals like cadmium which are very harmful for human health. Once Hyderabad had 3000 water bodies which has reduced to 438 today. Roof top rain water harvesting, tree plantation, ground water recharging, de-concretisation and reverse migration to villages could save Hyderabadis from unbearable heat and thirst in the next few years. Instead of widening roads, building fly over and metro rails with massive public expenditure, the state should build dedicated cycle track connecting all parts of the city. Politicians should be educated about sustainable development and should know how to improve the quality of life.
The heat-wave deaths in India have increased 296% over the last 23 years as per National Disaster Management Authority. The period coincides with the globalisation phase. A large part of the global trade was not healthy. It was infested with maximize profit mantra by fraudulent means. This has contributed to the phenomenal rise in temperature. Millions of trees of more than 50 year have been cut down across the country for road widening, for building new roads, housing complexes and shopping malls. Trees could have been replanted with modern technology. According to Ministry of Water Resources, a total of 85807 water bodies in India are not in use and out of which 8152 water bodies have totally dried up. The point is whether we have removed poverty with all these losses?
The Kakatiya rulers had constructed many lakes in Adilabad district. Today a few of them have survived in a dilapidated condition. The ground water has depleted to rock bottom. The fodder and milch animals are fast disappearing from the district. Influential farmers over exploit ground water in the villages which had got water harvesting treatment with huge public expenditure. Once there was a green cover on the National Highway No 5 connecting Puri and Balasore. Today the lush green paddy field, the coconut jungle, mango orchards and fish ponds have given way to godowns, housing complexes and company show rooms. The tree canopy over the National Highway is gone due to road widening. Once those tree lair gave shed to thousands of cyclists who used to provide services to residents of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Balasore and Puri. Some thirty years back the water in wells and ponds were portable. Today the water has dried up and the remaining water has become contaminated in most of the places. Water conservation should start on the hills, forest and river catchment basin. Over damming of river should be stopped immediately. All kinds of water conservation work should be audited by a dedicated monitoring agency. Public representatives should go back to school where they can learn natural resource management, audit, monitoring analytical and supervision skill. The deaths due to summer heat can be reduced considerably if every conscious individual works to protect the water sources, the forest and tree lairs around him. Let us build a cool summer.
—[IFS]

 

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