Vision Ias Mains 2022 Test-06-E - Answer

DOWNLOADED FROM TELEGRAM https://t.
me/visioniastestseriess
VISION IAS
www.visionias.in

APPROACH – ANSWER: G. S. MAINS MOCK TEST - 1817 (2022)

Answer all the questions in NOT MORE THAN 200 WORDS each. Content of the answers is more
important than its length. All questions carry equal marks. 12.5X20=250
1. Enumerate the achievements of the National Green Tribunal (NGT). Also give an account of the
issues associated with its functioning.
Approach:
• Give a brief overview of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
• Write about the achievements of the NGT.
• Discuss the issues regarding the functioning of the NGT.
• Conclude with a suitable way forward.
Answer:
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) is a statutory and quasi-judicial body established for effective
and expeditious disposal of cases that are related to the protection and conservation of the
environment, forests, and other natural resources. It aims to give relief and compensation for any
damages caused to persons and properties. An order/decision/award of Tribunal is executable as a
decree of a civil court.
The achievements of the NGT are:
• Speedy justice in environmental matters: Since it began operations in July 2011, the NGT has
heard 32,626 cases, of which 29,760 have been disposed of till May, 2020.
• Strengthening the concept of environmental justice in India: Over the years, the NGT has
emerged as a vital player in environmental regulation, passing strict orders on issues including
pollution, deforestation, waste management, protection of the rights of tribal communities etc.
o For example, the NGT, in 2017, imposed an intervening time ban on plastic bags of less than
50-micron thickness in Delhi.
• Incorporation of technical aspects in judgments: The NGT has employed legal and scientific
methods and has assessed environment impact assessment reports before deciding on cases.
• New set of legal practitioners: The NGT has created a new breed of legal practitioners with
expertise in environmental laws.
Despite its achievements, there are several challenges/issues associated with its functioning. These
include:
• Lack of institutional mechanism: There is no specific mechanism to ensure compliance of its
orders or to re-work its orders if found infeasible to implement.
o Most of the landmark orders of the NGT related to Ganga water pollution, Delhi air pollution,
illegal mining, and solid waste management remain unenforced.
• Generic orders: Since July 2018, the Tribunal has disposed of over 700 cases, all at different
stages of hearing, while directing the concerned authorities “to look into the matter and take
appropriate action in accordance with law”.
• Large number of dismissals: Since 2018, the NGT dismissed many appeals filed before it, most
of them on procedural grounds.
• Restricted jurisdiction: Two important legislations i.e. Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and
Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act,
2006 have been kept out of NGT’s jurisdiction.
1 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS
ALL FREELY PROVIDED BY THANOS(UPSC HELPER)@MODERNDAYTHANOSBOT
Download More Test Series & ebooks in Hindi & English from our telegram channel- https://t.me/upsc_success_time1
DOWNLOADED FROM TELEGRAM https://t.me/visioniastestseriess
• Obstacle to development: Decisions of the NGT have been criticized and challenged due to
their repercussions on economic growth.
• Vacancies: The NGT has only three judicial and three expert members against the sanctioned
strength of ten each. This forces the Tribunal to outsource most of its technical work and
constitute external committees to look into various aspects of cases.
Therefore, amendments should be made to the NGT Act to give powers to the Tribunal to follow up
on its directions and to widen its scope for effective protection of the environment, while
maintaining the balance with developmental activities.

2. Identify the major reasons behind forest fires and challenges faced in managing them in India.
Also, highlight various steps taken for forest fire management in India.
Approach:
• Give a brief overview about the recent forest fire outbreaks in India.
• Mention the reasons behind forest fires.
• State the challenges in managing forest fires in India.
• Discuss the various steps taken by the government for managing forest fires.
• Conclude accordingly.
Answer:
According to the forest inventory records, 54.40% of forests in India are exposed to occasional fires,
7.49% to moderately frequent fires and 2.405% to high incidence levels. In recent years, forest fires
were witnessed in Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. Uttarakhand alone has
witnessed over 1,000 incidents of forest fire over the last six months.
Reasons behind forest fires include:
• Natural causes: High atmospheric temperatures and dryness (low humidity) offer favorable
circumstances for a fire to start. Other natural causes are lightning, friction of bamboos
swaying due to high wind velocity and rolling stones that result in sparks setting off fires in
highly inflammable leaf litter on the forest floor.
• Anthropogenic causes: It includes practice of shifting cultivation, throwing burning
bidis/cigarettes, flushing tendu leaves, etc. More than 95% forest fires are caused either by
negligence or unknowingly by humans.
Challenges of forest fire management in India are:
• Lack of appropriate policy and planning to tackle forest fire: Existing forest policy and
other documents, including plans etc. lack clear guidelines for forest fire management.
• Lack of proper institutional mechanisms: A proper institutional mechanism with the sole
responsibility of fire management is lacking within the forest department.
• Emphasis on response only: Very less or negligible importance is given to other issues
regarding forest fires i.e., mitigation, preparedness, human resource development, awareness
creation, etc.
• Lack of scientific approach to collect fire data and document it: The Forest Survey of India
has recently started compiling forest fire data, however, at the State level, there is no concrete
effort to collect and document such data and use them in research and planning.
• Other issues: These include lack of initiatives to involve the local communities, irresponsible
behaviour of citizens, lack of funding and coordination with minimal information sharing etc.
Steps taken by the government for forest fire management in India:
• National Plan for forest fire management:
o Strengthening of organizational framework: Through appropriate modification and
alteration in State Forest Departments’ structural framework and provision for sufficient
human power.
o National Forest Fire Danger Rating System: Designing uniform system of Forest Fire
Danger Rating and reporting for all States/Union Territories.
For More Visit -https://upscpdf.com
o Creation of a national forest fire control board: With the task of supervising the control
of devastating forest fire in exigencies in fragile areas like the Himalayan zone, Western
Ghats etc.
o Promotion of people’s participation: Through involvement of NGOs, Voluntary
Organisations, Village Forest Committees (VFCs) etc.
• Forest Fire Prevention & Management Scheme (FFPMS): It is a centrally sponsored
scheme with an aim to focus solely on the issue of forest fire prevention and management and
related activities, to address the growing concern over adverse effects of forest fires.
• Real time data monitoring: The Forest Survey of India has developed the Forest Fire Alert
System to monitor forest fires in real time. The system uses satellite information gathered from
NASA and ISRO.
In this context, investing in modern technologies for fire detection, as well as adequate fire
suppression and safety equipment, while at the same time, working to build capacity across the
ranks of forest officers and improving accountability will help India to control forest fires.

3. Explaining the meaning of Gross Environment Product (GEP), highlight its significance.
Approach:
• Give a brief introduction about GEP.
• Highlight the need for it.
• Discuss the issues in capturing GEP in GDP.
Answer:
Gross Environment Product (GEP) is the total value of final ecosystem services supplied to
human well-being in a region annually and can be measured in terms of biophysical value and
monetary value.
• Ecosystems that can be measured include natural ecosystems such as forests, grassland,
wetland, desert, freshwater and ocean, and artificial systems that are based on natural
processes like farmland, pastures, aquaculture farms and urban green land, etc.
• GEP indicates the overall health of the environment as it measures prime indicators such as
forest cover, soil erosion, air quality and dissolved oxygen in river water.
• Unlike Green GDP, which is obtained after deducting the damage to the environment from the
total production of the state, GEP assesses the improvement in the environment
components in a year.
• It also tells how much work the state has done in reducing the loss of the ecosystem in
environmental protection and resource use.
Significance of GEP:
• Better indicator of economic development: Economic growth alone cannot represent true
economic development as:
o Human well-being can be worsened when economic growth is accompanied by growing
inequity and environmental degradation.
o Resource depletion during industrial growth impacts rural growth disproportionately as
the rural economy is more dependent upon natural resources. GEP thus forms a balanced
development approach where ecology is given equal space.
o Accounting GEP into GDP will give a true measure of the nation's growth towards
sustainable development.
• Shortcomings of conventional systems: The Traditional Systems of National Accounts (SNA)
like GDP/GNP neither accounts for the value of natural resources and ecosystem services nor
the value of environmental/resource degradation taking place during the developmental
process.
• Framing adequate policies: GEP helps in understanding the impact of anthropological
pressure on our ecosystem and natural resources. This will enable us to make policies that will
balance ecology and economy.

https://upscpdf.com
o It can be applied as a scientific basis for eco-compensation and public financial

transfers as the market does not include money transfer from regions that benefit from
ecosystem services to regions which produce them. Including GEP in national accounting
would help the central government in performing this transfer.
• It can be used to measure the progress of eco-civilization i.e., the final goal of social and
environmental reforms within a society.
Recently, the Uttarakhand government has decided to provide monetary value to four of its critical
natural resources i.e., air, water, forest, and soil to determine the GEP and include it while
evaluating its GDP. However, assigning monetary value to an ecosystem service would be a
challenging task because research is still going on to understand the overall ecological services
being provided by a particular resource.

4. Highlight the various factors that contribute to biodiversity loss. Also mention various
approaches of biodiversity conservation.
Approach:
• Provide a brief understanding of biodiversity loss.
• Bring out various factors that contribute to biodiversity loss.
• State the various approaches of biodiversity conservation.
Answer:
Biodiversity loss describes the decline in the number, genetic variability, and variety of species,
and the biological communities in a given area. This loss in the variety of life can lead to a
breakdown in the functioning of the ecosystem where decline has happened. Researchers estimate
that the current rate of species loss varies between 100 and 10,000 times the background extinction
rate which was 1 to 5 species per year. The IPBES, 2019 Report noted that up to one million plant
and animal species are facing extinction due to human activities.
Various factors contributing to biodiversity loss are:
• Natural causes: With the change in season or due to catastrophic events like wildfire, flood, or
volcanic eruption, some biodiversity loss may take place, however these losses are often
temporary in contrast to the permanent changes brought out by anthropological factors.
• Habitat loss and fragmentation: Destruction of habitat or its thinning and fragmentation
reduces or eliminates the food
resources and living space for
most species e.g., the tropical
rainforests are the areas of
highest biodiversity on earth.
They once covered more than
14% of the earth’s land surface
but have now been reduced to
just 6%. It has led to an immense
loss of biodiversity. When large
habitats are fragmented, the
species which require large
territories or are unable to
migrate often get wiped out.
• Over-exploitation: Over-
hunting, overfishing, or over-
collecting of a species or their
illegal hunting and poaching can quickly lead to their decline. Many species’ extinctions in the
last 500 years was due to overexploitation.
• Alien species invasion: When alien species are introduced unintentionally or deliberately,
some of them turn invasive and cause decline or extinction of indigenous species.
https://upscpdf.com
• Co-extinctions: When a species becomes extinct, the plant and animal species associated with it
in an obligatory way also become extinct. When a host fish species becomes extinct, its unique
assemblage of parasites also meets the same fate.
• Global climate change: Both climate variability and climate change cause biodiversity loss.
Species and populations may be lost permanently, if they are not provided with enough time to
adapt to the changing climatic conditions.
There are two approaches of biodiversity conservation:
• In-situ conservation: It is the
approach of protecting an
endangered plant or animal
species in its natural habitat, either
by protecting or cleaning up the
habitat itself, or by defending the
species from predators. Some
examples include Biosphere
Reserves, National Parks and
Wildlife Sanctuaries.
• Ex-situ conservation: In this
approach, threatened animals and
plants are taken out from their
natural habitats and placed in special settings where they can be protected and given special
care. Zoological parks, botanical gardens and wildlife safari parks serve this purpose.
In recent years, ex-situ conservation has advanced beyond keeping threatened species in
enclosures. Now, gametes of threatened species can be preserved in viable and fertile conditions for
long periods using cryopreservation techniques, eggs can be fertilized in-vitro and plants can be
propagated using tissue culture methods.

5. Describe the different types of biological disasters and highlight the challenges in their
management in India. Suggest measures to address them as well.
Approach:
• Give a brief introduction of biological disasters.
• Describe different types of biological disasters.
• Highlight the challenges in their management in India.
• Suggest measures to address them.
Answer:
Biological disasters are natural scenarios involving disease, disability or death on a large scale
among humans, animals and plants due to microorganisms like bacteria, viruses or toxins.
Biological disasters can be of two types:
• Epidemic: It affects a disproportionately large number of individuals within a population,
community or region at the same time. E.g., Cholera, plague etc.
• Pandemic: It is an endemic that spreads across a large region, that is, a continent, or even
worldwide of existing, emerging or reemerging diseases and pestilences, example being
Influenza H1N1 (Swine Flu) or more recently COVID-19.
Major sources of biological disasters can be water-borne diseases, vector-borne epidemics like
dengue, person-to-person transmissions like AIDS, and air-borne diseases like Covid 19. Further,
bio-terrorists use agents like aerosols, animals, and food and water contaminations to disseminate
biological agents.
The recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that no country or region is safe from
epidemics/pandemics. India also faces threats of biological disasters and various challenges in
managing them:

https://upscpdf.com
• Lack of infrastructure in terms of laboratories for prompt detection of incipient outbreaks

and mobilization of investigational and therapeutic countermeasures.
• Lack of indicators and field tested variables for various vulnerable locations and absence of
standard risk and vulnerability assessment plans.
• Lack of Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) and dedicated human resource for investigative
and emergency response efforts.
• Non-availability of risk zonation maps, especially for computing the trans-frontier spread.
Also, no comprehensive studies have been conducted to assess the linkage between various
global attacks and enhanced risk potential in the Indian context.
• Dense population especially in slum areas, low hygiene standards and lack of robust
healthcare system also makes it difficult for India to manage disease outbreaks.
Measures required to address the issues:
• Legal reforms: A legal framework/procedure needs to be adopted to empower the state to
intervene in biological emergencies. Moreover, there is a need for inclusion of specific legal
provisions which deal with the prevailing and foreseeable public health issues including
emergencies such as bioterrorist attacks and use of biological weapons by an adversary, cross-
border issues, and international spread of diseases.
• Operational framework: A comprehensive policy on biological disasters should be adopted at
the national level since the existing contingency plan of MoH&FW is a decade old. Further,
coordination with other sectors like communication, media, etc. and Ministries like Animal
Husbandry, Home Affairs, and Health should be strengthened on a continuous basis for the
management of outbreaks and epidemics.
• Augmentation of human resources: The government should appoint more medical and
paramedical staff at the district and sub-district levels along with public health specialists,
epidemiologists, clinical microbiologists and virologists.
• Basic infrastructural setup: Biosafety laboratories for prompt diagnosis, network of sub
centres, PHCs and CHCs, dispensaries with sufficient supplies of essential vaccines and
medicines should be expanded to handle epidemic/pandemic outbreaks.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health, 2020 stated in a report that formulating effective
laws to counter bio-terrorism is one of the important lessons to be learnt from the COVID-19
pandemic. The government should enact a comprehensive law covering prevention, control and
management of epidemics, bio-terrorism and biological disasters.

6. Discuss the significance of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in context of India.
Approach:
• Briefly, introduce disaster risk reduction.
• Highlight India’s vulnerability to disasters.
• Discuss the significance of DRR in India.
• Conclude appropriately.
Answer:
India is vulnerable to a large number of natural as well as human-made disasters owing to its
unique geo-climatic and socio-economic conditions. Around 59 per cent of the landmass is prone to
earthquakes of moderate to very high intensity; over 12 percent of its land is prone to floods
and river erosion; close to 5,700 km of the 7,516 km long coastline is vulnerable to cyclones
and tsunamis; 68 per cent of the cultivable area is vulnerable to drought and hilly areas are at
risk from landslides and avalanches.
In this context, Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) gains significance especially for a disaster prone
country like India. DRR is that part of the broader Disaster Management Cycle that aims to
reduce the risks of disaster occurrence through systematic efforts to analyze and reduce the causal
factors of disasters.

https://upscpdf.com
Need for DRR in India:

• Disproportionate effects on developing countries: Mortality and economic losses from
disasters become disproportionately higher for developing countries like India owing to
mitigation and recovery costs bearing a greater proportion of the country’s resources.
• High Incidence: India ranks among the top three countries in the world that bore the maximum
brunt of natural disasters in recent years.
• High Impact on Human Life: As per UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, around 79,732
people lost their lives and 108 crore people were affected in 321 incidents of natural disasters
in India between 2000-2019.
• Huge Economic Costs: As per the Weather, Climate & Catastrophe Insight Report, the global
economy suffered a loss of $232 billion due to natural disasters in 2019, out of which, India’s
losses form a sizable part.
Significance of DRR for India:
• Promotes better understanding of disaster risk: Systematic study and analysis of disaster
risk and vulnerabilities shall help in better understanding of risk profile of any marked area.
• Strengthens disaster management governance: It shall promote more effective integration of
disaster risk knowledge into sustainable development policies, planning and programming at all
levels of governance.
• Encourages investment in disaster reduction for resilience: By advocating for development
and strengthening of institutions and mechanisms at all levels, especially community level, it
can contribute to building disaster resilience.
• Enhances disaster preparedness: It involves systematic incorporation of risk reduction
approaches into the design and implementation of emergency preparedness, response and
recovery programs in the reconstruction of affected communities.
Keeping in view the role and significance of Disaster Risk Reduction, India has aligned its National
Disaster Management Plan with the approaches promoted globally by the United Nations, in
particular the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. In addition, India
recently adopted the Prime Minister's ten point agenda on Disaster Risk Reduction in India.

7. Give an account of the various issues related to e-waste management in India. What measures
are required by different stakeholders to address these issues?
Approach:
• Give a brief introduction about the current scenario of e-waste management in India.
• Highlight issues related to e-waste management in India.
• Highlight various measures that are required on the part of different stakeholders in its value
chain to address these issues.
• Give a brief conclusion.
Answer
India is the third largest electronic waste generator in the world after China and the USA as per the
Global E-waste Monitor 2020. Even though the e-waste management policies have been in place
since 2011 in India, there remain certain issues.
• Informalization: Some 95% of e-waste is managed by the informal sector which operates
under inferior working conditions and relies on crude techniques for dismantling and recycling.
• Wasteful Processes: There is loss of resources, energy wastage and environmental pollution as
a result of the crude backyard recycling activities.
• Inadequate Funds: There is a lack of funds and investment to finance profitable improvements
in e-scrap recycling. EPR targets remain short of being met due to unsteady inflow of new funds
from producers to meet their EPR targets.
• Infrastructural issues: Lack of sufficient metal processing infrastructure pushes recyclers to
export materials to global smelters thus never fully realizing the true value of extraction.

https://upscpdf.com
• Lack of awareness of e-waste hazards and recycling in consumers: Further, inadequate

repair options or awareness about deposit refund policies, consumers tend to dispose of
electronic goods along with other household waste, thus leading to issues of segregation.
• Tardy Implementation: There is near absence or ineffective implementation of existing
regulations/legislation relating to e-waste. For instance, the informal network is well-
established and rests on social capital ties that PRO’s are yet to establish.
• Oversight: Lack of funds coupled with missing enforcement, transparency, and traceability of e-
waste flows has led to perverse market incentives.
Measures required by different stakeholders
• Electronic Sector/Producers: Safer, more durable, repairable and recyclable electronic
products should be designed. Companies should design programs to ensure that e-waste easily
makes its way to formal recyclers.
• Recycling facilities: They should be established locally to reduce transport & energy cost,
generate greater usage of the facility and empower people to influence formal market channels
of waste collection.
• Administration: Enforcement of EPR targets and comprehensive monitoring of formal
recycling flows and processes by administration would help avoid leakage of valuable materials
to an uncontrolled informal sector and holding all stakeholders accountable for their actions.
• Government: It has to play the role of catalyst in the entire process from instigating demand for
e-waste recycling through levies and subsidy packages to increasing supply to formal recyclers
to closing the infrastructure deficit to improve dismantling and extraction in the country.
• Consumers: Lifespan of devices is getting shorter with the rapid pace of technological
advancements, consumers must responsibly consume the product.
• Media networks: They can make people aware of the repercussions of a product entering an
informal chain and its effect on vulnerable and most exposed workers in the sequence.
• NGOs and community-based organizations: They can further the cause of ensuring safe
disposal practices as well as monitor health and safety adherence by corporates and recyclers.
Since India is highly deficient in precious mineral resources, there is a need for a well-designed,
robust and regulated e-waste recovery regime that would generate jobs and wealth.

8. What are the major reasons behind the occurrence of industrial disasters in India? Suggest
measures to prevent such disasters.
Approach:
• Give a brief introduction about industrial disasters in India.
• Discuss the major reasons for industrial disasters in India.
• Suggest measures to prevent occurrence of such disasters.
• Give a brief conclusion.
Answer:
India has continued to witness a series of industrial disasters especially during the last three and a
half decades after the Bhopal gas tragedy. According to the Ministry of Labour and Employment,
during 2014-2016, more than 3500 workers lost their lives while more than 50,000 were injured in
industrial accidents.
Reasons for industrial disasters in India
Apart from natural reasons such as earthquake or a cyclone, major reasons for this can be following:
a. On Part of Industry
o A lot of chemical manufacturing is in the small and medium sectors, whose ability to invest
in industrial and environmental safety as well as occupational health is limited.
o There is also an increasing tendency to skip long-term training and skill development by
resorting to casual labour, without adequate PPE and other support in the operational area.
o The poor management systems and even poorer reporting systems aid to the problem.
Many accidents and deaths go unreported.
https://upscpdf.com
b. On part of Government
o Since labour falls in the concurrent list, there is multiplicity of legislations and changing
regulations from state to state often pose compliance problems.
o There is a focus on relaxing industrial regulations since they are perceived as a barrier to
ease of doing business in India.
o The inability of states to strengthen their labour bureaus and environment protection
units caused unsafe factories to mushroom.
o The Government has failed to stop urban population from encroaching upon spaces that
were originally demarcated for industry, including the buffer (and green) zones.
Measures to prevent such disasters
• Understanding the risk: It involves strengthening Information Systems, Monitoring, Research
which include Zoning/ Mapping of industrial zones on the basis of hazard potential,
Comprehensive Hazard Risk Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (HRVCA).
• Inter-Agency Coordination: Preparation and implementation of Disaster Management (DM)
plans and ensure effective coordination and seamless communication in the functioning of
central and state agencies with DM tasks.
• Investing in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) – Structural Measures
o Shelters, evacuation, and support facilities
o Multiple routes for reliable access and escape
o Decontamination facilities
• Investing in DRR – Non-Structural Measures
o Formulate/ strengthen rules, norms, and laws such as factories rules
o Review land use norms for the siting of hazardous industries
o Empower factory inspectorates to take legal actions for noncompliance of Manufacture
Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemicals (MSIHC) Rules
o Review rules to grant compensation to chemical accident victims to improve them in favour of
victims.
Further, in order to avoid repetition of Vizag gas leak, recently the National Disaster Management
Authority (NDMA) has issued guidelines related to storage of raw materials, manufacturing
processes, storage and guidelines for workers and inspection of all equipment as per the safety
protocol. Such directives must be strictly adhered to all times and the government must take strict
action against the defaulters.

9. Identify the different sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agricultural activities.
Also suggest measures to reduce these emissions.
Approach:
• Introduce by giving some facts/figures on agricultural emissions.
• Mention the various sources of agricultural emissions.
• Mention the various measures to reduce these emissions.
Answer:
In India, agriculture and livestock accounts for 18% of gross national GHG emissions, the third-
highest sector after energy and industry. Most of this takes place from states like Punjab, Haryana,
UP, Bihar, West Bengal etc.
The different sources of agricultural emissions are:
• Enteric fermentation: It is a natural part of the digestive process in ruminant animals wherein
microbes in the digestive tract, or rumen, decompose and ferment food, producing methane as a
by-product.
• Rice cultivation: GHG emissions from rice cultivation consist of methane gas from the
anaerobic decomposition of organic matter in paddy fields due to standing water in the rice
fields.

https://upscpdf.com
• Manure management: GHG emissions from manure management consist of methane and
nitrous oxide gases from aerobic and anaerobic manure decomposition processes.
• Synthetic fertilisers: GHG emissions from synthetic fertilisers such as urea consist of nitrous
oxide gas from synthetic nitrogen additions to managed soils due to volatilisation.
• Crop residues: GHG emissions from crop residues consist of nitrous oxide gas deriving from the
decomposition of nitrogen in crop residues and burning of crop residues. Eg. stubble burning in
the outskirts of Delhi causing rise of particulate matter.
• Energy use: Irrigation uses highly inefficient water pumps and accounts for around 70% of the
energy consumption of agriculture causing emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous
oxide gases associated with fuel burning and the generation of electricity used in agriculture.
These emissions have a harmful impact on the environment as they exacerbate the greenhouse
effect leading to global warming. Some of the measures to reduce these emissions are:
a. Technological measures
• Adoption of zero tillage (no till farming) to minimise disturbing the soil by tillage and reduce
emissions from fuel that would have been consumed for tillage operations.
• Deep placement of manure and fertilizers into the soil using fertilizer guns to increase
nitrogen use efficiency and reduce N2O emissions.
• Managing rice water by letting the field dry after irrigating rather than keeping rice fields
continuously flooded will reduce methane emissions without compromising yield. This also
requires less energy for water pumping.
b. Institutional measures
• Strengthening of private and public research and development for sustainable development
of agriculture.
• Timely, simultaneous, and adequate availability of credit, input, and extension support.
c. Policy measures
• Counterproductive policies should be avoided, like that of heavy subsidies provided by the
government to nitrogen fertilisers.
• Emphasis on biogas production and maximizing aerobic fermentation of manure. Also,
promotion of vermicomposting and keeping decomposed manure in an airtight container or
with a proper cover.
d. Other Measures
• Less dependence on ruminant animals, feeding of good-quality feed to reduce
methanogenesis and addition of yeast culture in feeds, supplementing green fodder to
reduce enteric emissions.
• Mass awareness about climate change, global warming, and the role of the livestock sector
in climate change and the impact of climate change on the livestock sector.
However, certain challenges such as poor availability of alternate resources, awareness of the
farmers etc. would have to be addressed while implementing these measures.

10. Highlighting the reasons behind the occurrence of landslides, discuss various methods to
mitigate their impact.
Approach:
• Define Landslides.
• Discuss the causes of landslides.
• Discuss measures to mitigate their impact.
Answer:
Landslides are a type of "mass wasting", which means any down-slope movement of soil and rock
under the direct influence of gravity.

https://upscpdf.com
Causes of landslides
• Water and flooding: Water reduces the friction between the bedrock and the overlying
sediment, and gravity sends the debris sliding downhill. In sand and clay soils, a small amount of
water may increase stability. However, the sediment gets heavier as more water is added and
that can cause it to flow downhill.
• Earthquakes: If the Earth's crust vibrates enough to disrupt the force of friction holding
sediments in place on an incline, a landslide can strike. Seismic activity can also make it easier
for water to seep into the soil, further destabilizing the slope.
• Wildfires and deforestation: Plants help keep the soil stable by holding it together like glue
with their roots. When this glue is removed, the soil loosens, and gravity acts upon it much more
easily. The loss of vegetation after a fire or deforestation makes the razed land susceptible to
slides.
• Anthropogenic activities: External loads such as buildings, reservoirs, highway traffic,
stockpiles of rocks, accumulation of alluvium on slopes, etc.
Landslides cause a wide range of impacts on the socio-economic systems and ecology of the area. It
can lead to significant loss of life and vegetation. For instance, Kedarnath landslide in Uttarakhand
in June 2013, caused by flash floods that resulted in huge property and live losses.
Measures to mitigate the impact of landslides
• Geological reconnaissance of landslide-prone areas: Hazard mapping to locate areas
commonly prone to landslides.
• Using monitoring and early warning systems at the selected sites.
• Site investigation with borings and test pits, slope stability analyses, seismic analysis of slopes
to ensure development on slopes is sustainable.
• Restriction on the construction and other developmental activities such as roads and
dams, limiting agriculture to valleys and areas with moderate slopes, and control on the
development of large settlements in the high vulnerability zones, should be enforced.
• Large-scale afforestation programmes and construction of bunds to reduce the flow of
water
• Physical structures for instance retaining walls can be built on mountain slopes to stop land
from slipping.
National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) in India follows an on site-specific landslide
mitigation that involves making geological investigations on selected sites. Its approach is based on
co-operation with various government agencies such as the Geological Survey of India to designate
certain areas as landslide-prone areas.

11. What are Bioindicators? Using examples, illustrate their importance in the assessment of
quality of environment.
Approach:
• Introduce by giving the definition of Bioindicators.
• Highlight importance of bioindicators in the assessment of quality of the environment.
• Support your arguments with appropriate examples.
Answer:
BioIndicators are living organisms (any species or group of species) whose function, population,
or status can reveal the qualitative status of the environment. For example, crustaceans that are
present in many water bodies can be monitored for changes (biochemical, physiological, or
behavioural) that may indicate a problem within their ecosystem.

https://upscpdf.com
Importance of bioindicators in the assessment of quality of environment:

• Bioindicators respond to different types of changes through biological responses like changes
in shape, density etc. Environmental scientists observe these changes in the bioindicator species
to assess the health of the environment. For example:
o Lichens and bryophytes serve as effective bioindicators of air quality because they have
no roots, no cuticle, and acquire all their nutrients from direct exposure to the atmosphere.
Their high surface area to volume ratio further encourages the interception and
accumulation of contaminants from the air.
o Mollusca indicate water pollution status and are thus used as bioindicators to monitor the
health of an aquatic environment, either fresh- or seawater.
o Frogs can be bioindicators of environmental quality and changes, which occur in terrestrial
and freshwater habitats.
• Bioindicator species effectively indicate the condition of the environment because of their
moderate tolerance to environmental variability. They monitor synergistic and antagonistic
impacts of various pollutants on a creature.
• They can be used in early stage diagnosis as well as monitoring of harmful effects of toxins to
plants, as well as human beings.
• Their capacity to accumulate and store heavy metals and other toxins/pollutants can be
applied in predicting the impact of anthropogenic activities particularly pollutants and
predicting environmental change in a timely manner.
However, there is limited applicability of bioindicators in heterogeneous environments since it
cannot be determined with certainty whether changes happen via natural variability or due to
human impact. Also, populations of indicator species may be influenced by factors other than the
disturbance or stress (e.g., disease, parasitism, competition, predation). Despite their limitations,
bioindicators can be employed at scale, from the cellular to the ecosystem level, to evaluate the
health of a particular ecosystem.

12. What do you understand by community based disaster management (CBDM)? Highlight its
significance for disaster preparedness in India.
Approach:
• Introduce by briefly explaining the meaning of community based disaster management.
• Discuss its significance for disaster preparedness in India.
Answer:
Community-based disaster management (CBDM) is a bottom-up approach to building the
capacity of communities to assess their vulnerability to both human-induced and natural hazards
and develop strategies and resources necessary to mitigate their impact. In India, CBDM has been
modified to CBDRM, where ‘R’ is ‘risk’- to include working with the community in vulnerable areas
to mitigate risks.
Significance of CBDM for Disaster Preparedness:
• It allows the community to make their own preparedness to deal with any disaster rather
than depending on the support of government or NGOs.
• It facilitates a bottom-up local approach for disaster management rather than the
conventional approach of a uniform national policy application for all.
• It enables the community to use the indigenous and local skills gained from the past
experience to respond to the disaster.
• It promotes the community to accept the new technical input from outside to assimilate in
the local conditions.
• It ensures efficient and faster utilization of locally available sources for rescue and
rehabilitation.
• It allows building of community infrastructure for mitigation based on past experience of
hazards.
https://upscpdf.com
• CBDM therefore ensures local ownership, addresses local needs and promotes a culture of
mutual help to prevent and minimize damage
CBDM efforts in India have borne results through effectively preparing communities w.r.t mitigating
disaster risks. For example, two coastal villages in Odisha, Venkatraipur in Ganjam district and
Noliasahi in Jagatsinghpur district have earned the recognition of being ‘Tsunami Ready’ from
the UNESCO-Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, and have established high levels of
disaster preparedness at the community level.
CBDM strategies have become increasingly important in the face of global climate change,
increased populations expanding into more vulnerable regions, and the heightened recognition of
the need for greater linkages between top-down governmental and community level
responses. Imparting skills, effecting change in attitude of members of the community and
adopting Odisha as a case study of CBDM will be beneficial for India in its efforts to integrate
community involvement within mainstream disaster management.

13. Enumerate the various abiotic factors that lead to variations in the conditions of different
habitats. Also, elaborate upon the ways in which organisms respond to such changes.
Approach:
• Start with a short note on the abiotic factors.
• List the various abiotic factors that create variations in a habitat.
• Highlight the ways in which organisms respond to changes created by abiotic factors.
Answer:
In ecology, abiotic factors are non-living chemical or physical components of the environment
such as sunlight, soil, climate etc. that affect living organisms and the functioning of ecosystems.
Their regional and local variations within each biome may lead to the formation of a wide variety of
habitats.
The important abiotic factors that lead to variations in the physical and chemical conditions of
different habitats include:
• Temperature: Average temperature on land varies seasonally, decreases progressively from
the equator towards the poles and from plains to the mountain tops. It ranges from sub-zero
levels in polar areas and high altitudes to greater than 50 degree Celsius in tropical deserts in
summer.
• Water: Various characteristics of water like chemical composition, pH etc. vary across water
bodies. Similarly, salt concentration of water bodies can range from less than 5 parts per
thousand in inland waters, 30-35 in the sea and > 100 in some hypersaline lagoons.
• Light: The availability of light varies across different biomes, for instance, across tropical forests
and water bodies. Similarly, there may occur diurnal and seasonal variations in light intensity
and duration (photoperiod) and in the spectral quality of solar radiation. For instance, not all
colour components of the visible spectrum are available for marine plants living at different
depths of the ocean.
• Soil: Various characteristics of soil such as soil composition, grain size and aggregation
determine the percolation and water holding capacity of the soil. These characteristics along
with parameters such as pH, mineral composition and topography determine to a large extent
the vegetation in any area.
Variations across abiotic factors affect various living organisms by disturbing their relatively
constant internal environment that permits all biochemical reactions and physiological functions
to proceed with maximal efficiency. In response, the organisms respond in the following ways:
• Regulate: All birds and mammals, and a very few lower vertebrate and invertebrate species are
able to maintain homeostasis by physiological/behavioural means to ensure constant body
temperature, osmotic concentration, etc. through thermoregulation and osmoregulation.
However, plants do not have such mechanisms to maintain internal temperature.
https://upscpdf.com
• Conform: Some animals and almost all plants that cannot maintain a constant internal
environment, change their body temperature with the ambient temperature. In aquatic animals,
the osmotic concentration of the body fluids changes with that of the ambient water osmotic
concentration.
• Migrate: If the stressful external conditions are localised or remain only for a short duration,
organisms may move away temporarily from the stressful habitat to a more hospitable area and
return when the stressful period is over. For instance, Siberian migratory birds visit Keoladeo
National Park (Bharatpur) every winter.
• Suspend: Some organisms wait for favourable conditions to restore their metabolic activity. For
instance, in higher altitude, plants, seeds and some other vegetative reproductive structures
germinate to form new plants under favourable moisture and temperature conditions. They do
so by reducing their metabolic activity and going into a state of ‘dormancy’. Similarly, animals
might avoid stress by escaping on time. For instance, bears go into hibernation during winter.
To cope with such extremes in their environment, some organisms respond through certain
physiological adjustments while others respond behaviourally in the long term. Such responses are
called adaptations.

14. Explain the Disaster Management Cycle by stressing upon the significance of each of its critical
stages with examples.
Approach:
• Define Disaster Management Cycle.
• Highlight the various stages involved in a Disaster Management Cycle.
• Elaborate upon the significance of each stage.
Answer:
The concept of Disaster Management Cycle integrates
isolated attempts on part of different stakeholders i.e.
government and non- government, towards
vulnerability reduction or disaster mitigation as
phases occurring in different time periods in the
disaster management continuum.
A typical disaster management continuum consists of
three phases:
• Pre disaster which includes prevention,
mitigation and preparedness.
• During a disaster to ensure that the needs and
provisions of victims are met to alleviate and minimise suffering; and
• Post disaster crisis management which includes relief, response, rehabilitation,
reconstruction and recovery.
The significance of each of these three key stages of activities that are taken up within disaster risk
management is as under:
• Pre disaster phase: In this period, the potential hazard risk and vulnerabilities can be assessed
and steps taken for preventing and mitigating the crisis. Risk reduction measures taken under
this stage are termed as mitigation and preparedness activities. These may include both:
o Short term measures such as carrying out awareness campaigns, ensuring enforcement of
building codes etc. to assist in mitigation.
o Long term measures such as construction of embankments and disaster resistant
structures, afforestation, adoption of watershed management etc.
For example, better preparedness in terms of prediction, cyclone shelters etc. has helped Odisha
reduce the loss of lives significantly from over 10,000 deaths in the 1999 cyclone to double
digits in the last 6-7 years.
https://upscpdf.com
• Disaster occurrence phase: When a crisis actually occurs, those affected by it require a speedy
response to alleviate and minimize suffering and losses. In this phase, certain ‘primary
activities’ become indispensable. These are evacuation, search and rescue, followed by
provision of basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, medicines and other relief material.
In India, NDMA guidelines prescribe certain minimum standards of relief.
o For example, drones, ground penetrating radars, remote cameras, sonar systems and VSAT
antennae were used to search for nearly 200 people who remained missing during the
Uttarakhand floods in 2021.
• Post disaster phase: This stage assumes significance in the aftermath of a disaster occurrence.
It involves:
o Recovery: It refers to a set of policies, tools and procedures to enable the recovery or
continuation of vital technology infrastructure and systems following a disaster.
o Rehabilitation: Rehabilitation consists of actions taken in the aftermath of a disaster to
enable basic services to resume functioning, assist victims’ self-help efforts to repair
dwellings and community facilities, and to facilitate the revival of economic activities.
o Reconstruction: This includes construction of damaged infrastructure and habitats and
enabling sustainable livelihoods.
o Development: The inclusion of development as a phase in the disaster cycle is intended to
ensure that following the natural disaster, societies factor hazard and vulnerability
considerations into their development policies and plans in the interest of overall progress.
It is sometimes also referred to as the ‘disaster-development cycle’.
Therefore, the concept of Disaster Management Cycle imparts a holistic perception to disaster
management and has served to integrate disaster management with development planning.

15. Harmful algal bloom (HAB) not only has adverse economic and environmental effects but is
also detrimental to human health. Discuss.
Approach:
• Briefly explain what you understand by harmful algal bloom (HAB).
• Explain its impact on the environment, economy and human health.
• Conclude by highlighting few potential remedies, in brief.
Answer:
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) refers to the rapid growth of algae or cyanobacteria in a water body. It
is mostly caused by the presence of large amounts of nutrients especially nitrogen and phosphorus
in the water body. Also, a change in ambient temperature of the water body due to thermal
pollution and climate change support their growth.
India's marine resources provide livelihood to more than 3.5 million people and an estimated
income of worth $7 billion in a year through recreation, fishing, tourism and other economic
activities. However, these blooms can have devastating consequences on the environment, economy
and human health:
• Impact on environment:
o HABs limit the penetration of sunlight causing deaths of plants in littoral zones and their
dependent population causing major breakdown of the food chains. To decompose these
dead organisms, a large quantity of oxygen is consumed. This increases the Biological
Oxygen Demand (BOD) of water. A decrease in dissolved oxygen results in fish-kills. In
worst cases, it leads to hypoxia of water-bodies, further leading to formation of dead-
zones where water can no longer support life causing immeasurable harm to the fisheries
sector.
o Increased photosynthesis can deplete the dissolved inorganic carbon and raise pH of water
to extreme levels during the day. Elevated pH can, in turn, ‘blind' chemosensory abilities of
organisms.
• Impact on economy: Aggregations of these organisms discolour the water, impart a distinct
reddish/green colour and a foul, obnoxious smell. Thus, HAB makes the water unfit for

https://upscpdf.com
drinking purposes. It also takes away the aesthetic beauty of a water body which hinders
tourism and habitation in the region. Further, it affects the fishing industry in the region due
to the fish-kills.
• Impact on human health:
o Human illnesses caused by HABs are rare but they can be debilitating or fatal. For example,
eating seafood contaminated by toxins from algae called alexandrium can lead to paralytic
shellfish poisoning. Pseudo nitzschia – an algae - produces a toxin called domoic acid that
can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, confusion, seizures, permanent short term memory loss, or
death, when consumed at high levels.
o Consumption of aquatic resources from the regions of HAB may result in accumulation of
toxic wastes in the human body through biological processes such as bioaccumulation
and biomagnification.
In view of this, the formation and proliferation of HABs needs to be curtailed, for which following
methods can be employed:
• Mechanical control: The traditional approach involves application of clay during blooms. The
clay particles ‘flocculate’ the HAB cells and sink them.
• Chemical control: Nutrient remediation through phosphorus binding products such as copper
sulphate, aluminium sulphate and alum prevent the growth of HABs.
• Environmental control: Introducing pond aeration, ‘xeriscaping’ to increase ground water-
filtration and use of phosphorus free fertilisers and detergents limit nutrient-rich runoff. It will
help prevent algal bloom.

16. Explaining the reasons behind recurring droughts in India, highlight the challenges faced in
drought management.
Approach:
• Briefly mention some statistics related to occurrence of droughts in India.
• Explain the factors responsible for frequent droughts in India.
• Mention the reasons that make drought management a difficult exercise.
Answer:
Drought is characterized by a lack of precipitation—such as rain, snow, or sleet—for a protracted
period of time, resulting in a water shortage. While droughts occur naturally, human activities, such
as poor water use and management, can exacerbate dry conditions. Over 68% of India is vulnerable
to drought. The 'chronically drought-prone areas' – around 33% – receive less than 750 mm of
rainfall, while 35%, classified as 'drought- prone areas' receive rainfall of 750-1,125 mm. As has
been the trend, a severe drought strikes every eight to nine years in India.
Factors behind recurring droughts in India include:
• Considerable seasonal/regional variations in rainfall: In spite of a high average annual
rainfall of around 1,150 mm, there is a relatively short window of less than 100 days during
the South-West Monsoon season (June to September) when about 73% of the total annual
rainfall of the country is received.
• Uneven distribution of rainfall: In India, some parts bear an inordinately high risk of
shortfalls, while others tend to receive excessive rainfall.
• Low average annual rainfall: Average rainfall of 750mm over 33% of cropped area heightens
susceptibility to drought.
• Over-exploitation: Exploitation of ground water and sub-optimum conservation of surface
water leads to runoffs and inadequate water availability for irrigation. Also, the traditional
water harvesting systems have been largely abandoned.
• Limited irrigation coverage and poor irrigation techniques: The total net irrigated area in
the country is less than 50%. This exacerbates the impact of drought on account of complete
dependence of agriculture in such areas on rainfall. Additionally, India’s farm water efficiency is
presently amongst the lowest in the world.
https://upscpdf.com
Challenges that make drought management a cumbersome exercise in India include:

• Reactive and relief-centric approach: India’s drought management has been focused on post
disaster relief works. There is a need to shift from a relief-centric approach to integrated
management emphasising on prevention, mitigation and preparedness, to minimise losses.
• Issues in assessment and early warning: Forecasts are general in terms of space and time,
whereby timing does not match user needs, information received from different sources
sometimes has conflicting messages etc.
• Lack of proper, reliable data on water: Data in the water sector exists in silos, with very little
horizontal and vertical data sharing across the value chain of water thereby reducing efficiency
of water-use and its management.
The Composite Water Management Index by the NITI Aayog highlighted that about two lakh people
die in India every year due to inadequate water and sanitation. It states that 6% of GDP will be lost
by 2050 due to the water crisis. Given the high economic and social impacts of droughts, India needs
to overhaul its drought management policy framework with the focus on timely prevention,
preparedness and mitigation strategies.

17. Enumerating the major causes of land degradation, highlight the remedial measures, which
can be taken in this context.
Approach:
• Briefly explain the meaning of land degradation and bring out some facts about the same.
• State the major causes behind it.
• Suggest measures to combat the issue.
Answer:
Land degradation refers to the loss of life-supporting land resources through soil erosion,
desertification, salinization, acidification etc. Land degradation is a global concern, which is evident
from the fact that more than 75 percent of earth's land areas are substantially degraded and if
this trend continues, 95 per cent of the earth’s land areas could become degraded by 2050.
As per a 2016 report by the ISRO, India faces a growing crisis of land degradation as approximately
30% of India’s total geographical area (around 97 million hectares) is affected by it.
Some of the major causes of land degradation include:
• Natural factors: These include excess rainfall, heavy wind, high temperature, droughts etc.
which erode the surface of the land, lead to vegetation losses etc.
• Poor agricultural practices: These include overuse of fertilizers and pesticides, extensive
practice of shifting cultivation, improper crop rotation etc.
• Deforestation: This is mainly due to mining, urbanisation, increase in demand for land to grow
crops and firewood, among others. It leads to surface runoff, removal of topsoil, loss of retention
of water for vegetation growth etc. and may also lead to desertification.
• Increasing urbanisation: This is driven by increasing population pressure and has led to
diversion of land for infrastructure, agriculture, tourism etc.
• Overgrazing: Unsustainable grazing practices lead to soil erosion, destruction of pasture and
land cover, and desertification.
The above factors also lead to cumulative aggravation of the land degradation process. As land is
degraded and in some places deserts expand, food production is reduced, water sources dry up and
people are pressured to move to more hospitable areas. In this context, the remedial measures
include:
• Agricultural practices should be modified by decreasing the use of chemical fertilizers and
pesticides, adopting micro-irrigation practices, adopting crop production based on soil type,
availability of water etc.

https://upscpdf.com
• Catchment areas or watersheds must be thickly vegetated. This would hold rainwater and
recharge springs, rivers, etc. Further, there should be emphasis on aquifer recharge and water
budgeting.
• Windbreaks should be created by planting trees and through ecosystem restoration
programmes that can function as ‘green walls’ and ‘green dams’ that reduce dust and
sandstorms.
• Indigenous population and local communities should be involved in the design,
implementation and evaluation of sustainable land management practices.
• Grazing of cattle in forests should be checked. Also, focus should be on reclamation of
wastelands for pasture development.
• Strategic spatial planning regarding land use, containment of spread of urban sprawl through
government interventions, infrastructure development in a sustainable manner etc. should be
prioritised in urban areas.
Reversal of land degradation is important for countries not just for economic gain but also for
achievement of SDGs and Paris Agreement goals. Various steps have been taken in this regard
including UNCCD’s convention’s 2018-2030 strategic framework to attain Land Degradation
Neutrality, Drought toolbox, International coalition for action on sand and dust storms etc.
India has also reiterated its commitment to achieving Land Degradation Neutrality by 2030 (SDG
target year). It also joined the voluntary Bonn Challenge (COP 25, UNFCCC) and pledged to bring
13 million hectares of degraded land into restoration by 2020 and an additional 8 million hectares
by 2030.

18. What do you understand by Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)? How does it differ from
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)?
Approach:
• Explain what you understand by Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Environmental
Impact Assessment (EIA).
• State the differences between Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and. EIA.
• Conclude on the basis of the above points.
Answer:
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) refers to a range of analytical and participatory
approaches that aim to integrate environmental considerations into policies, plans and
programmes and evaluate their inter-linkages with economic and social considerations.
Environment Impact Assessment (EIA), on the other hand, is a narrower concept, in that the EIA
is a process of evaluating the likely environmental impacts of a proposed project or development,
taking into account inter-related socio-economic, cultural and human-health impacts, both
beneficial and adverse.
While both SEA and EIA aim for the same i.e. sustainable development, there are important
differences between the two concepts:
• SEA, by its nature, covers a wider range of activities or a wider area and often over a longer
time span than the EIA. EIA focuses on specific projects only.
• SEA might be applied to an entire sector (such as a national policy on energy for example)
or to a geographical area (for example, in the context of a regional development scheme).
SEA does not replace or reduce the need for project-level EIA (although in some cases it can),
but it can help to streamline and focus the incorporation of environmental concerns
(including biodiversity) into the decision-making process, often making project-level EIA a more
effective process.
• SEA is commonly described as being proactive and ‘sustainability driven’, whilst EIA is often
described as being largely reactive.
• SEA assesses the cumulative impacts and identifies implications and issues for sustainable
development while EIA assesses the direct impacts and benefits.

https://upscpdf.com
• SEA focuses on maintaining a chosen level of environmental quality while EIA focuses on
the mitigation of negative impacts.
• There is no single approach to SEA, which can take different forms according to the specific
needs. For the most part, an SEA is conducted before a corresponding EIA is undertaken.
Both SEA and EIA are complementary to each other and work in tandem for environment
protection, biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. However, despite its benefits
SEA is still a rarely used tool owing to low level of awareness of SEA and its benefits among public
authorities, weak legislative and institutional framework for its application and lack of
understanding of the roles and responsibilities of various authorities in the SEA process.

19. Despite its comprehensive coverage, the National Disaster Management Plan has several
drawbacks, which act as impediments in achieving its objectives. Discuss.
Approach:
• Give a brief overview of the National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP).
• State the various features of the NDMP underlining its coverage.
• Discuss the drawbacks of NDMP.
Answer:
The first National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) was released in 2016 to make the country
disaster resilient and ensure minimisation of loss of lives and assets during disasters. The objectives
of NDMP are aligned with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-30). It
provides a comprehensive coverage to the domain of disaster management, as underlined by the
following features:
• It covers both natural and man-made disasters and suggests ways to protect animals besides
humans.
• It covers all phases of disaster management i.e. prevention, mitigation, response and
recovery.
• For each hazard, the NDMP incorporates the four priorities enunciated in the Sendai
Framework into the planning framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) under five
thematic areas for actions, including:
o Understanding Risk
o Inter-Agency Coordination
o Investing in DRR – Structural Measures
o Investing in DRR – Non-Structural Measures
o Capacity Development
• It plans for short, medium and long run i.e. 5, 10, and 15 years respectively to deal with
disasters.
• It provides for horizontal and vertical integration among all government agencies and
departments and spells out their roles including those of Urban Local Bodies, Panchayats and
district agencies. Further, Ministries are given roles for specific disasters e.g. Ministry of Earth
Sciences is responsible for cyclones.
• It states ethical guidelines for the media for coverage of disasters and self-regulation to
respect the dignity and privacy of the affected people.
• To prepare communities to cope with disasters, it emphasises on a greater need for
Information, Education and Communication (IEC). Further, to stop rumours and spread of
panic, it directs the authorities to schedule regular media briefing.
• It focuses on training, capacity building and incorporating best international practices.
The NDMP is a dynamic document, which will be periodically improved (as was done in 2019)
keeping up with emerging global practices and knowledge bases in disaster management. It also
identifies major activities such as early warning, information dissemination, medical care,
transportation, search and rescue, etc. to serve as a checklist for agencies responding to disasters.

https://upscpdf.com
However, despite its comprehensive coverage, the plan has several drawbacks. These
include:
• Division of work among tiers of government has not been specifically stated. It can lead to
overlap of jurisdiction during disasters. Similarly, inter-ministerial coordination needs to be
specified.
• Unlike the Sendai framework, it does not set targets and goals and there is no framework for
monitoring and evaluating the plan.
• Source and means of mobilisation of funds have not been stated. Further, there is no avenue
for pre-estimation of expenditure. Both need to be appraised for proper planning.
• The NDMP does not focus on specific problems faced by women, children, elderly, differently-
abled etc. i.e. vulnerable groups worst hit by disasters.
• The Plan refrains from providing a time frame for undertaking disaster management
activities beyond vaguely prescribing that these must be taken up on a short, medium, and long-
term basis.
While the NDMP is a step forward in tackling multifarious disasters, the drawbacks need to be
addressed for coordinated response of authorities and fewer casualties during disasters.

20. Enumerating the reasons behind depleting groundwater levels in India, highlight the steps
taken by the government to address this issue.
Approach:
• Highlight the depleting status of ground water in the introduction.
• Mention the reasons behind it.
• Mention the key steps taken by the government.
Answer:
As per 2017 assessment by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), total annual ground water
recharge in India stands at 432 BCM, of which, the Annual Ground water extraction for all uses is
249 BCM. As per CGWB report, almost 22% of groundwater in the country has either dried up or is
in the ‘critical’ and ‘over-exploited’ categories.
The reasons behind depleting ground water levels in India are as follows:
• Increasing population: This has led to more demand for water and food products. At 260 cubic
km per year, India has become the highest user of groundwater in the world and the third
largest exporter of groundwater through export of grains etc.
• Electricity subsidy: The use of HYV seeds requires heavy irrigation through pumps/borewells.
Over pumping of groundwater because of availability of subsidised electricity has become one
of the major reasons for its depletion.
• Support Price: To fulfil the objectives of NFSA and PDS, the government incentivises the
production of food crops (such as wheat and rice) and sugarcane with the help of MSPs and
FRPs. These crops are water intensive and become a source of depletion of groundwater.
• Deforestation and concretization of ground surface: Due to rapid deforestation, runoff time
of surface water has decreased thus allowing less percolation of water to recharge groundwater
aquifer. Similarly, rapid urbanization has led to concretization of ground surface thus making it
difficult for surface water to percolate.
• Other factors: Factors like climate change leading to frequent droughts, lack of adequate
regulations against over exploitation of groundwater etc. are aggravating the situation.
To address the decline in groundwater, the government has taken following key steps:
• Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA): It has been constituted under “Environment
(Protection) Act, 1986” for the purpose of regulation and control of ground water development
and management in the country.

https://upscpdf.com
• National Water Policy (2012): It promotes conservation of rain water, rivers, and other water
bodies and restricts their encroachment.
• Catch the Rain’ campaign: It has been launched in 2021 to nudge the states and stakeholders
to create rain water harvesting structures suitable to the climatic conditions and subsoil strata
before monsoon.
• Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA): It was launched in 2019 to improve water availability including
ground water conditions in the water stressed blocks of 256 districts in India.
• Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Groundwater- 2020: It has been prepared by CGWB in
consultation with States/UTs, which is a macro level plan indicating various structures for the
different terrain conditions of the country including estimated cost.
• Aquifer mapping and management program: It has been taken up by CGWB to delineate
aquifer disposition and their characterization for preparation of aquifer/area specific
groundwater management plans.
• National Building Codes 2016: It contains updated provisions for rainwater harvesting.
• Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY): It was launched in 2019 in association with the World Bank to
improve ground water management in 7 states - Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
Other than these key steps, the government has launched National Water Awards to
incentivize good practices in water conservation and ground water recharge. It has also brought
Mission Water Conservation to ensure synergies in MGNREGA, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee
Yojana (PMKSY), and Command Area Development & Water Management (CADWM) programs to
seek water conservation and ground water recharge.
Copyright © by Vision IAS

All rights are reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior
permission of Vision IAS.

https://upscpdf.com

Vision Ias Mains 2022 Test-06-E - Answer

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Vision Ias Mains 2022 Test-06-E - Answer

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

DOWNLOADED FROM TELEGRAM https://t.

APPROACH – ANSWER: G. S. MAINS MOCK TEST - 1817 (2022)

DOWNLOADED FROM TELEGRAM https://t.me/visioniastestseriess

3 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

DOWNLOADED FROM TELEGRAM https://t.me/visioniastestseriess

o It can be applied as a scientific basis for eco-compensation and public financial

DOWNLOADED FROM TELEGRAM https://t.me/visioniastestseriess

5 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

DOWNLOADED FROM TELEGRAM https://t.me/visioniastestseriess

• Lack of infrastructure in terms of laboratories for prompt detection of incipient outbreaks

DOWNLOADED FROM TELEGRAM https://t.me/visioniastestseriess

Need for DRR in India:

7 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

DOWNLOADED FROM TELEGRAM https://t.me/visioniastestseriess

• Lack of awareness of e-waste hazards and recycling in consumers: Further, inadequate

DOWNLOADED FROM TELEGRAM https://t.me/visioniastestseriess

9 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

DOWNLOADED FROM TELEGRAM https://t.me/visioniastestseriess

DOWNLOADED FROM TELEGRAM https://t.me/visioniastestseriess

DOWNLOADED FROM TELEGRAM https://t.me/visioniastestseriess

Importance of bioindicators in the assessment of quality of environment:

DOWNLOADED FROM TELEGRAM https://t.me/visioniastestseriess

DOWNLOADED FROM TELEGRAM https://t.me/visioniastestseriess

DOWNLOADED FROM TELEGRAM https://t.me/visioniastestseriess

15 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

DOWNLOADED FROM TELEGRAM https://t.me/visioniastestseriess

DOWNLOADED FROM TELEGRAM https://t.me/visioniastestseriess

Challenges that make drought management a cumbersome exercise in India include:

17 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

DOWNLOADED FROM TELEGRAM https://t.me/visioniastestseriess

18 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

DOWNLOADED FROM TELEGRAM https://t.me/visioniastestseriess

19 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

DOWNLOADED FROM TELEGRAM https://t.me/visioniastestseriess

20 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

DOWNLOADED FROM TELEGRAM https://t.me/visioniastestseriess

Copyright © by Vision IAS

21 www.visionias.in ©Vision IAS

You might also like