Hyderabad, Andhra Prabha Bureau: The fear of fire this year is already haunting the poor communities. Meteorological department officials say that the temperature is likely to cross 40 degree Celsius in the month of March itself. In the wake of the warnings of astronomers, the people of Telugu states are already panicking about the flares. Even in lush green Kerala, temperatures have soared before the start of summer this year. In the wake of the weather department’s early predictions warning that the whole country is bound to face a sun disaster this year, there is widespread concern that it will be a tough time for those who regularly go to work, construction workers and laborers. Schools in Goa have been closed since the beginning of this month due to intense heat. The heat has increased in Goa for the last two days. In summer, people get suffocated only when the sun exceeds 45 degrees.
The Indian Meteorological Department has predicted that hot winds are likely to increase in the coming days. It is believed that the temperature may reach 50 degrees in March itself in many areas. The intensity of sun is high in the state of Kerala. Major parts of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Kozhikode and Kannur recorded temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius. The maximum summer temperatures in those areas never exceed 40 to 45 degrees. Health experts suggest that people take extra care when going outside, protect themselves from the sun and drink more water. From January 1 to September 30, 2022, 241 severe weather events occurred in the country out of 273 days. These include hailstorms, cold winds, storms, lightning, heavy rains, droughts, floods and landslides.
According to a report released by the Delhi-based Center for Science and Environment and Down to Earth (DTE), an incident occurred every second day in Madhya Pradesh during the same period. Telangana recorded 41, while 45 productions occurred in AP. Although there are estimates of loss of life and property, they have not been fully surveyed. Floods in Telangana due to heavy rains have inundated at least 15 lakh acres of crops in the Godavari region. The Telangana government did not study the losses in those areas. Farmers were ignored. No attempt was made to seek compensation from the central government. There is a situation of not knowing when, in what form and with what severity these natural disasters will occur.
Fear of serial products..
The serial productions occurring in the country are indicators of climate change on earth. What used to be considered a change in hundreds of years, now we are seeing extreme weather events like this once in five years or less. In a study, Christian Aid, an organization affected by the climate crisis, has identified 10 extreme weather events that will cause major damage in the world in 2022. Each caused a loss of over Rs.25 thousand crores. The report also examines 10 other extreme weather events that have caused massive loss of life and environment in poor countries. Floods in Pakistan last June killed 1700 people and displaced 70 lakh people.
Caused more than 30 billion dollars in damage. Hurricane Ian, which hit the United States and Cuba in September, cost 100 billion dollars, and summer hail and drought, which destroyed Britain and Europe, left 20 billion dollars in losses. Floods, storms and droughts have killed millions of people around the world. The report urges all countries to make quick decisions on an agreement on reparations at COP-27 in Cairo, Egypt.
Severe impact on the poor.
Due to the pollution caused by the use of fossil fuels like coal, petrol and diesel, these natural disasters are fast approaching. Each country has declared its own targets to reduce their use. According to studies by international astronomers and environmental scientists, these targets are insufficient. The Paris Agreement of 2015 set a goal of keeping temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels. However, there has been no discussion in this direction since the COP-27 climate summit held in Egypt. Despite the series of events in 2022 reminding us of the need for urgent action by all countries, the inaction of the heads of state is surprising.
Climate change is causing extraordinary economic and social risks. Common people face many health conditions in daily life. Governments of developing countries are not in a position to support them. Pakistan is an example of that. The government of Pakistan is at a loss as to what the people who were badly affected by last year’s floods and the loss of infrastructure in those areas cannot do. The aid received from other countries is only marginal.
Experts say that the Center should pay attention.
Many geographies are already undermining global food security. Covid-19, geopolitical, energy and cost of living crises are exacerbating food insecurity. A recent Lancet Countdown 2022 report said 9.8 crore people will suffer from moderate or severe food insecurity in 2020 compared to the 1981-2010 average. The pressure on food security is likely to increase with extreme events such as hailstorms and droughts in 2022. The extreme weather events that we have seen around the world for two years should be a wake up call for the international community.
In the countries of Europe, America and China, heavy snow, floods, landslides and severe hail are putting people there under pressure. The political system there is in a state of turmoil due to this pressure. Surprisingly, the political leaders and parties in India’s democratic system have none of this. They treat these products as normal. Experts warn that the Indian government and state governments should keep people alert and prepare advance plans for mitigation measures in the wake of warnings that the sun may be extreme in the coming summer.