Governor’s Immunity, Safe drinking water standards, Moidams

(General Studies III – Environment Section – Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment. Disaster and Disaster Management.) 

• Climate change has emerged as one of the most pressing challenges for India in the 21st century.
• The warming of the planet, driven by global anthropogenic activities such as deforestation and the combustion of fossil fuels, has led to a marked increase in extreme weather events across the Indian subcontinent.
• These events pose significant risks to India’s economy, diverse ecosystems, and populous society, necessitating urgent and coordinated action at national and local levels.

Recent years have witnessed a notable surge in natural disasters such as –

1. Cyclones
2. Cyclone Amphan (2020): One of the strongest storms to hit the Bay of Bengal in over a decade, causing extensive damage in West Bengal and Odisha.
3. Cyclone Tauktae (2021): The strongest tropical cyclone to strike Gujarat since 1998, resulting in significant loss of life and infrastructure damage.
4. Floods
5. Kerala Floods (2018 and 2019): Unprecedented flooding caused by extreme rainfall events, leading to hundreds of deaths and massive economic losses.
6. Bihar Floods (2019): Affected millions of people, highlighting the vulnerability of India’s northern plains to extreme precipitation events.
7. Heatwaves
8. Northern India Heatwave (2022): Record-breaking temperatures across multiple states led to numerous deaths, crop failures, and increased energy demand for cooling.
9. Maharashtra and Odisha Heatwaves (2021): Prolonged high temperatures resulted in heat-related illnesses and deaths, particularly affecting vulnerable populations.
10. Droughts
11. Chennai Water Crisis (2019): Severe water shortages due to delayed monsoons and depleted reservoirs, affecting millions of residents.
12. Maharashtra Drought (2018-2019): Extended dry spell led to crop failures and water scarcity, impacting agricultural livelihoods.

Traditional methods of disaster risk management in India, such as relief-centric approaches and basic crop insurance, are proving inadequate in the face of increasing climate variability. Innovative approaches are urgently needed to enhance resilience and mitigation.

Innovative Measures for Adaptation and Mitigation in India –

1. Parametric Insurance Products
2. Definition: Parametric insurance provides payouts based on predefined triggers such as rainfall, wind speed, or temperature, rather than actual losses.
3. Benefits for India: Faster payouts, reduced administrative costs, and enhanced coverage for events where damage assessment is challenging in remote areas.
4. Implementation in India: The Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBCIS) introduced by the Indian government uses parametric triggers to provide quicker payouts to farmers affected by adverse weather conditions.
5. Community-Based Adaptation
6. Local Initiatives: Empowering Indian communities to develop and implement local adaptation strategies, such as flood defenses, drought-resistant crops, and early warning systems.
7. Example: The Odisha Disaster Recovery Project has worked with coastal communities to build cyclone shelters, improve early warning systems, and create community-based disaster management plans.
8. Green Infrastructure
9. Nature-Based Solutions: Utilizing ecosystems to mitigate the impacts of climate change, such as restoring mangroves along coastlines to reduce storm surge impacts.
10. Example: The Gujarat Green Corridor Project aims to create a green belt along the coast, including mangrove restoration, to protect against cyclones and sea-level rise.
11. Technological Innovations
12. Renewable Energy: Accelerating India’s transition to renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
13. Example: The Bhadla Solar Park in Rajasthan, one of the world’s largest solar parks, demonstrates India’s commitment to large-scale renewable energy adoption.
14. Climate-Resilient Agriculture: Developing and deploying crops that are more resistant to extreme weather conditions and improving irrigation and water management techniques.
15. Example: The Indian Agricultural Research Institute’s development of drought-tolerant and heat-resistant crop varieties, such as the PUSA-44 rice variety, which requires less water and matures faster.
16. Urban Resilience Planning
17. Sponge Cities: Implementing water-sensitive urban design to better manage floods and water scarcity in Indian cities.
18. Example: The Bhubaneswar Town Centre District project incorporates permeable pavements, rainwater harvesting, and green spaces to enhance the city’s resilience to both floods and droughts.
19. Integrated Water Resource Management
20. River Basin Approach: Managing water resources at the river basin level to address both floods and droughts.
21. Example: The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) incorporates flood management and ecological restoration along with pollution control, demonstrating an integrated approach to river basin management.

The escalating frequency and intensity of natural disasters due to climate change demand a paradigm shift in India’s approach to environmental and disaster management. Urgent action and unprecedented cooperation at all levels of Indian society are imperative to address this national challenge effectively and secure a sustainable future for generations to come.

• The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Union government and the State of West Bengal regarding a plea challenging the constitutional immunity claimed by West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose against a molestation complaint.
• Article 361 of the Indian Constitution grants the President and State Governors immunity from legal proceedings during their term in office. The petitioner argued that the Governor cannot claim “blanket immunity” and that an investigation should proceed.
• The Supreme Court has agreed to examine the extent of immunity granted to Governors under Article 361(2), which states that “no criminal proceedings whatsoever shall be prosecuted or continued against the Governor of a State in any court during his term of office.”
• The petitioner emphasized that without an investigation, victims are left without recourse due to the blanket immunity provided under Article 361. The Supreme Court’s involvement highlights the need for clear guidelines on the extent of immunity granted to constitutional functionaries, ensuring accountability and justice in cases of serious allegations like sexual harassment.
• This issue raises broader questions about balancing the protection of high offices with the need for accountability. The objective behind granting immunity is to protect high officials from malicious litigation, but it should not bar legitimate investigations, especially in serious allegations. Ensuring timely and fair investigation processes can help maintain the integrity of both the office and the legal system.

Dig Deeper: Powers of Governor under the constitution and comparison with powers of the President.

• The Centre is considering increasing the upper limit of short-term crop loans under the Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS) from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.
• The current ceiling allows farmers to avail Kisan Credit Card loans at a concessional annual rate of 7%, which can be further reduced to 4% with prompt repayment.
• State governments, including Uttar Pradesh, have been advocating for this increase. Under the existing MISS, farmers engaged in agriculture and allied activities can acquire Kisan Credit Card loans up to Rs 3 lakh at a benchmark rate of 9%.
• The benefit of the interest subvention scheme extends to post-harvest loans for small and marginal farmers with Kisan Credit Cards, aimed at preventing distress sales of produce.
• The Rs 3-lakh upper limit has remained unchanged since 2006-07, when the original Interest Subvention Scheme was introduced by then Finance Minister P Chidambaram.
• In the financial year 2023-24, the Centre set the agriculture credit target at Rs 20 lakh crore, focusing on animal husbandry, dairy, and fisheries. Initially, Rs 23,000 crore was allocated for interest subvention under MISS, which was later revised to Rs 18,500 crore.

Dig Deeper: Learn about Kisan Credit Card and other such initiatives

• A new study by scientists from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) concluded that a concentration of uranium up to 60 micrograms per litre (µg/l) in drinking water is safe, suggesting the recently adopted national standard of 30 µg/l could be counterproductive.
• For years, the acceptable level was 60 µg/l, set by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB). In 2021, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) aligned with WHO guidelines and reduced it to 30 µg/l.
• The BARC study argued that compliance with the new BIS standards would entail additional purification costs without health benefits.
• National standards vary across countries based on local factors. Finland and Slovakia have limits of 100 and 350 µg/l, respectively, while South Africa has a limit of 70 µg/l. Countries with large uranium deposits, like Canada and Australia, have limits of 20 and 15 µg/l, respectively.
• The BARC scientists emphasized the need to consider geological, socio–economic conditions, and population dynamics while setting national standards.
• The study recommended continuing with the AERB limit of 60 µg/l until comprehensive health-based and epidemiological studies are conducted in India. The study also pointed out that the uranium concentration in drinking water is natural and not due to mining activities.
• In a comprehensive mapping exercise by BARC researchers, about 94% of the 55,554 samples analysed were below the BIS standard of 30 µg/l, and about 98% were below the AERB standard of 60 µg/l. This highlights that uranium concentrations are generally lower in surface water compared to groundwater sources. 

Dig Deeper: Standards of water safety in India and use of chlorine or fluorine?

• Assam’s 700-year-old Moidams, the mound-burial system of the Ahom dynasty, are being considered for the UNESCO World Heritage List.
• The nomination dossier was submitted over a decade ago and is currently on the tentative list, which is the first step towards inclusion on the final list.
• If successful, it will be the first cultural site from northeastern India to achieve this status.
• The nomination will be reviewed during the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) in New Delhi, from July 21 to 31. This session marks the first time India is hosting the WHC.
• The WHC session will also examine 28 proposed sites for inscription, categorized as natural, mixed, and cultural.
• Additionally, the committee will discuss the conservation status of 124 already inscribed sites, including 57 listed as World Heritage in Danger.
• Currently, the World Heritage List includes 1,199 sites across 168 countries, with 44 of these located in India.

Dig Deeper: Read about Ahom history and their important leaders and battles