Uttar Pradesh: Natural hazards & other related | Course for UPPSC Preparation - UPPSC (UP) PDF Download

Introduction

• Habitual natural disasters in the State over the years have been causing severe damage and adversely affecting human, plant and animal life, property and environment. Natural disasters that are of significance in Uttar Pradesh are Floods, Droughts, Fires and Earthquakes. Loss of life and property from these disasters, especially the former three, are in terms of hundreds of crores of rupees annually.
• Considerable efforts are made every year, both by the government and the public, to mitigate the losses encountered during a disaster. But recurring floods, droughts and fires have been pointers to the manifestation of increased vulnerabilities and inadequacy of the various sporadic mitigation measures attempted.
• The emerging context is an increase in frequency of disasters, their escalating cost, rising levels of vulnerability, narrowing differences between natural & manmade disasters amidst an increasingly fragile, environment. This underscores the dire need for a holistic approach to dovetail mitigation efforts with development programmes in the State. Emergency preparedness is crucial for recovery from disasters with minimal loss of life and property.
• Natural disasters that are of significance in Uttar Pradesh are – Floods, Droughts, Fires and Earthquakes. Loss of life and property from these disasters, especially the former three, are in terms of hundreds of crores of rupees annually.
• UP is vulnerable from the aspect of man made hazards too i.e. stampede, chemical, radiological and other hazards.

Flood
Eastern part of the state is traditionally flood prone but since last few years western Uttar Pradesh has also experienced massive flood situation. Approx 7.34 million hectare area gets affected annually due to Floods. Annual approx. loss due to floods is Rs. 432 crores.
Number of human loss due to floods & thunder storm is 380 in the year 2013.

Drought

• Drought is another major disaster affecting Uttar Pradesh. The State has been divided into two meteorological sub-divisions, viz. U.P. East, and U.P. West.
• The recurrence of highly deficient rainfall in East U.P. occurs approximately every 6 to 8 years whereas in West U.P. it is 10 years.
• The loss due to drought in the State depends upon the severity of the drought.
• In the recent past, the year 2002, 2004 and 2009 have been severe in terms of drought, with losses to crop, livestock and property amounting to Rs.7540 crores and Rs. 7292 crores respectively.
• In 2009, 59 districts were declared drought affected.
• Bundelkhand & Vindhya region of Uttar Pradesh is traditionally drought prone. Recurrent period of deficient rainfall is 3-4 years

Earthquake
The Terai belt districts of UP and entire districts of Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Bagpat, Bijnor, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Gautambuddh Nagar, JP Nagar, Rampur, Moradabad, Bulandshar, in western UP are in Earthquake High Damage Risk Zone-IV. 31 Districts of Uttar Pradesh are in Earthquake Risk Zone -III

Chemical & Industrial Hazard
There are 2,456 factories of hazardous nature in the state.