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Disaster Management

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June 21, 2018

Examine the factors responsible for the occurrence of dust storms in Delhi and parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plains and discuss how to reduce the impact of such dust storms. (200 words)

Refer – Financial Express

Enrich the answer from other sources, if the question demands.

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IAS Parliament 6 years

KEY POINTS

Dust storm

·         A dust storm is a strong, turbulent wind that carries clouds of fine dust, soil, and sand over a large stretch, which mainly occurs in arid and semi-arid regions.

·         In case of a dust storm, due to excessive heating, the water from the clouds evaporates before it could land.

·         So soil is dry and the severe winds lift this soil up to 500 metres above the land.

·         While wind speed is normally around 50 kmph in a thunderstorm, in case of dust storm, it reaches up to 100 kmph and in some cases it can touch 130 kmph, making conditions severe.

Factors causing dust storm

·         According to IMD, there were primarily four reasons that lead to the dust storm –

a)     excessive heating

b)     availability of moisture

c)      instability in atmosphere

d)     a trigger for the storm

·         The north Indian plains have been witnessing temperatures of over 40 degree Celsius.

·         There were two sources of moisture – a western disturbance over north Pakistan and adjoining Jammu and Kashmir and easterly winds from the Bay of Bengal.

·         These two systems destabilised the equilibrium between the upper and lower layers of atmosphere – making it conducive for the thunderstorm.

·         The cold winds from the western disturbance was making atmosphere unstable. The trigger was a cyclonic circulation over Haryana.

Mitigation Measures

·         Public infrastructure needs to be upgraded and construction of huge structures must be regulated in the northern region by allowing for wind breakers.

·         The IMD has to convey early warnings to centre, the states concerned as well as disaster management teams which helps in coordination and rescue work.

·         Administrators and personnel have to be adequately qualified to handle rescue and rehabilitation to reduce the damage to the vulnerable lives.

·         Awareness should be spread to people in the hotspot regions to take precautions against extreme weather and renovate old buildings which may not be safe in such weather conditions.

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