Saturday, 28 October 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Uttarakhand urgently needs the implementation of rules on construction, muck dumping and drainage. The State needs studies on the carrying capacities of the mountains and towns along with more high-quality data on its ecosystem. Experts expressed these views while speaking at a workshop on decoding sustainable development amidst climate risks organised by Climate Trends.
National Disaster Management Authority joint secretary Kunal Satyarthi said,“Climate change risks are multiplying with extreme precipitation leading to cloudbursts and flash floods. Snowfall patterns are following suit. Arabian Sea never witnessed cyclones but now two cyclones are brewing simultaneously while droughts are also on the rise. All these extreme events are happening simultaneously or in close succession, adding pressure on the administration,” he said.
Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board member secretary SK Pattnaik said that Extended Producer Responsibility regulations are in place but these are not being followed. “We need to give up on comfort and things for the sake of sustainability. Change in lifestyle is a must,” he stressed.
The Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology director Kalachand Sain said that the institute is preparing a landslide susceptibility map for Mussoorie and Nainital which can be used by the government to prepare land use maps.
State meteorological centre director Bikram Singh said that data shows that the frequency and intensity of climate events has increased. “The maximum and minimum temperatures are increasing in Uttarakhand. The number of rainy days is on the decrease. We know the causes and the solutions. The early-level weather warning systems have to be strengthened,” Singh said.
Additional principal chief conservator of forests (Environment) Kapil Kumar Joshi said, “In the last 23 years, there have been 4,500 cases of land transfer for development activities in Uttarakhand. Norms are already in place that we need to follow but people who develop the land do not follow these.”
