UPSC Necessities | Mains reply apply — GS 1 : Questions on Ken-Betwa Hyperlink Challenge and 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami (Week 83) | UPSC Present Affairs Information

QUESTION 2

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami highlighted the necessity for robust early warning techniques in disaster-prone areas. Talk about.

Common factors on the construction of the solutions

Introduction

— The introduction of the reply is important and needs to be restricted to 3-5 strains. Bear in mind, a one-liner will not be a typical introduction.

— It might encompass fundamental info by giving some definitions from the trusted supply and genuine information.

Physique

— It’s the central a part of the reply and one ought to perceive the demand of the query to supply wealthy content material.

— The reply have to be ideally written as a mixture of factors and quick paragraphs reasonably than utilizing lengthy paragraphs or simply factors.

— Utilizing information from genuine authorities sources makes your reply extra complete. Evaluation is vital primarily based on the demand of the query, however don’t over analyse.

QUESTION 1: The Ken-Betwa Hyperlink Challenge is a giant step ahead in India’s efforts to interlink rivers and ease water shortage within the Bundelkhand area. Talk about.

Note: This isn’t a mannequin reply. It solely offers you with thought course of which you’ll incorporate into the solutions.

Introduction:

— The Ken-Betwa Hyperlink Challenge (KBLP) envisions shifting water from the Ken to the Betwa rivers, each of that are tributaries of the Yamuna.

— The Ken-Betwa Hyperlink Canal shall be 221 km lengthy, together with a 2-kilometer tunnel. In line with the Jal Shakti Ministry, the mission will present yearly irrigation to 10.62 lakh hectares (8.11 lakh ha in MP and a couple of.51 lakh ha in UP), provide consuming water to about 62 lakh individuals, and create 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW of solar energy.

Physique:

You might incorporate a number of the following factors in your reply:

— The Ken-Betwa Hyperlink Challenge contains two phases. Section I’ll comprise the development of the Daudhan Dam advanced and its element models, together with the Low Stage Tunnel, Excessive Stage Tunnel, Ken-Betwa Hyperlink Canal, and energy crops. Section II will embrace three elements: Decrease Orr Dam, Bina Complicated Challenge, and Kotha Barrage.

— The notion of becoming a member of the Ken and the Betwa obtained a big enhance in August 2005, when the Centre and the 2 states signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding for the creation of an in depth mission report (DPR). In 2008, the Centre designated the KBLP as a Nationwide Challenge. Later, it was added to the Prime Minister’s bundle for the event of the drought-prone Bundelkhand area.

— The mission is in Bundelkhand, which incorporates 13 districts in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. In line with the Jal Shakti Ministry, the mission will significantly help the water-stressed area, notably the districts of Panna, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Sagar, Damoh, Datia, Vidisha, Shivpuri, and Raisen in Madhya Pradesh, and Banda, Mahoba, Jhansi, and Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh.

— “It would pave the way in which for extra river interlinking tasks to make sure that shortage of water doesn’t change into an inhibitor for improvement within the nation,” in accordance with a press launch from the Ministry.

Conclusion:

— The river-linking mission has come underneath appreciable examination for its potential environmental and socioeconomic influence. The mission will contain intensive deforestation within the coronary heart of the Panna Nationwide Park and Tiger Reserve.

— PM Modi not too long ago laid the muse stone for the Daudhan Dam. Daudhan Dam is 2,031 metres lengthy, with 1,233 metres being earthen and the remaining 798 metres being concrete. The dam’s top shall be 77 meters. In line with the Jal Shakti Ministry, the mission will sink round 9,000 hectares of land, affecting ten communities.

— It’s the first mission underneath the Nationwide Perspective Plan for River Interlinking, which was created in 1980. This plan contains 16 tasks underneath its peninsular element, together with the KBLP. Except for this, 14 linkages are envisioned within the Himalayan Rivers Growth Plan.

(Supply: PM Modi lays basis stone: What’s the Ken-Betwa river linking mission, environmental issues round it by Harikishan Sharma and Nikhil Ghanekar)

Factors to Ponder

Different river linking tasks in India

What are the mission’s possible environmental and social impacts?

Associated Earlier 12 months Questions

The interlinking of rivers can present viable options to the multi-dimensional inter-related issues of droughts, floods, and interrupted navigation. Critically study. (2020)

(a) Carry out the causes for extra frequent occurrences of landslides within the Himalayas than within the Western Ghats. (b) There is no such thing as a formation of deltas by rivers of the Western Ghats. Why? (2013)

QUESTION 2: The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami highlighted the necessity for robust early warning techniques in disaster-prone areas. Talk about.

Note: This isn’t a mannequin reply. It solely offers you with thought course of which you’ll incorporate into the solutions.

Introduction:

— The tsunami created by the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake of magnitude 9.3 was principally attributable to vertical displacement of the seafloor attributable to slip on the inter-plate thrust fault.

— The earthquake and tsunami within the Indian Ocean impacted a number of Southeast Asian and different nations, together with Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, the Maldives, Somalia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Seychelles, and extra.

— When one plate is pressured to sink beneath one other, the one technique to do it’s with some vertical movement, which creates a tsunami.

Physique:

You might incorporate a number of the following factors in your reply:

— It was the deadliest pure catastrophe of the twenty first Century and one of many deadliest in recorded historical past.

— The insufficient capabilities of early warning techniques contributed to the tsunami’s large destruction. In line with Euronews, the tsunami threat was minimal in Indonesia, one of many worst-hit nations. There was no information on sea floor ranges within the area. Because of this, consultants have been unable to “see” the wave.

— Nonetheless, during the last 20 years, a lot has been performed to handle the state of affairs. There are numerous early warning techniques within the area presently, and their capabilities have considerably improved. In line with a World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) analysis, these applied sciences can minimize damages by as a lot as 30% with simply in the future’s discover.

— Shortly after the catastrophe struck, the United Nations took the initiative to enhance preparedness in susceptible nations like Indonesia. Immediately, worldwide establishments and nations monitor earthquakes around the globe 24 hours a day.

— “There are presently roughly 150 stations within the world community. Deep-ocean Evaluation and Reporting of Tsunamis, or DART buoys, monitor strain adjustments on the seafloor to find out whether or not a tsunami has occurred, in accordance with EuroNews.

— A number of technological developments have additionally occurred. For instance, improved algorithms in early warning techniques have allowed info to be transmitted significantly quicker. Sooner supercomputers have resulted in quicker modelling.

Conclusion:

— Though nations reminiscent of Indonesia have deployed extra and higher early warning techniques to mitigate the results of pure catastrophes, greater than half of the world’s nations nonetheless lack satisfactory early warning techniques, even for frequent phenomena like as rainfall or cyclones.

— These are largely creating nations the place pure catastrophes have a disproportionately excessive influence—”climate-related disasters trigger fifteen instances extra deaths in comparison with different components of the world,” in accordance with the UN.

(Supply: How the 2004 tsunami modified early warning techniques, ndma.gov.in)

Factors to Ponder

How are tsunamis fashioned?

Examine different pure disasters

Associated Earlier 12 months Questions

What’s sea floor temperature rise? How does it have an effect on the formation of tropical cyclones? (2024)

On December 2004, tsunami introduced havoc on fourteen nations together with India. Talk about the components answerable for prevalence of tsunami and its results on life and economic system. Within the mild of tips of NDMA (2010) describe the mechanisms for preparedness to cut back the danger throughout such occasions. (2017)

Earlier Mains Reply Apply

UPSC Necessities: Mains reply apply — GS 1 (Week 81)

UPSC Necessities: Mains reply apply — GS 1 (Week 82)

UPSC Necessities: Mains reply apply — GS 2 (Week 82)

UPSC Necessities: Mains reply apply — GS 2 (Week 83)

UPSC Necessities: Mains reply apply — GS 3 (Week 82)

UPSC Necessities: Mains reply apply — GS 3 (Week 83)

Subscribe to our UPSC e-newsletter and keep up to date with the information cues from the previous week.

Keep up to date with the newest UPSC articles by becoming a member of our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and observe us on Instagram and X.