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What's the article about?
- It talks about the recent disaster of heat waves in UP-Bihar which caused more than hundred casualties.
Relevance:
- GS3: Disaster and Disaster Management;
- Prelims
Context:
- The recent heat wave-induced disaster in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar resulted in the deaths of more than 100 people.
- While climate change is blamed for such extreme heat waves, the poor management of the disaster, lack of infrastructure, and overall failed efforts of the states are also equally responsible for the loss of lives.
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What are heat waves?
What is criterion for declaring heat wave?
a) Based on Departure from Normal:
b) Based on Actual Maximum Temperature:
If above criteria met at least in 2 stations in a Meteorological sub-division for at least two consecutive days and it declared on the second day. Impact of rising average temperature and heat waves:
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Analysis:
- The rise in the numbers of extreme events such as cold waves, heat waves, droughts, floods, etc. shows that climate change is indeed a reality, and we should at least now take it seriously.
- Well, these extreme events turn into fatal disasters when the government, disaster management agencies, and society at large fail to respond to them properly.
- This is what happened in the Ballia district of UP. While heatwaves of the same intensity swept across several districts in UP and Bihar, it was Ballia district that saw the most casualties.
Reasons:
- Lack of facilities to cool people suffering from the heatwaves. Contaminated water supply.
- Heat’s deadliness depends on an individual’s general well-being, acclimatisation, physical exertion, comorbidities, location, relative humidity, and extent of heat exposure. Due to such complexities, literacy among the people greatly helps to reduce casualties.
- Literacy needs to be rooted in a simple fact: heat is deadly when our bodies are unable to shed it as quickly as it accumulates. This can happen due to poor living conditions, adherence to caste- and gender-based strictures, or even in overcrowded hospitals.
- Amenities that can help include access to drinking water, indoor ventilation, health care, regular work breaks, and protections against wage loss. If a person dies in a heatwave, it is only fair to ask whether he/she was able to access these amenities.
Some suggestions:
- Follow the proper codes of the most recent revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems.
- Under this, state authorities need to register all heat-related deaths, assign the cause, and ensure the medical certificates of the cause of death (MCCDs).
- Next, the Office of the Registrar General should compile and release MCCD data every year to facilitate independent research and policy input and to prevent time-wasting disputes over official versus actual figures.
Way Forward:
- Ballia’s disaster is a timely reminder that a heatwave is only half heat; the other half is bad public infrastructure, inadequate social security, and a lack of awareness among the local communities.
- Thus, the disaster management authorities should also include these aspects in their strategy to manage disasters.
