Nagpur: Maharashtra state compensated ₹19,637 Cr to victims of climate change-related incidents over 6 years across 35 districts – Nanded, Beed, Jalna, Aurangabad, Nashik & Sangli districts most impacted by extreme weather, floods, cyclones etc. with over ₹1,000 Cr paid in compensation for each district.
Between 2016 and 2021, the state paid Rs. 8,126.96 crores for damages caused by untimely rains, hailstorms, and stormy winds, Rs. 4,126.04 crore for excessive rains and floods, Rs. 3,992.7 crores on heavy rains alone, Rs. 769.85 crore on flood damage mitigation, and Rs. 2,666.47 crores for damages caused by cyclonic storms.
➤ Mumbai is one of the 12 listed Indian cities at the risk of coastal submergence.
Causes:
1. Rising sea level: Average rate of sea level rise-
■ 1.3mm 1901-1971
■ 1.9mm 1971-2006
■ 3.7mm 2006- 2018 per year
2. Increasing Sea Surface Temperatures
3. Increased tendency of extreme rainfall events
4. Impact of rapid urbanisation:
■ Concretisation
■ Destruction of wetlands
■ Degradation
of mangroves
■ Loss of vegetation
➤ Heat Waves & Droughts across Vidarbha, especially Chandrapur – Chandrapur faced extreme heat during the summer months of 2021 with a record-breaking temperature of 47.8°C.
➤ Floods: Across Kolhapur, Sangli, Mumbai, Pune in 2019 led to the 38 people died; 7847 cattle; 28000 evacuated and 4 lakh hectare of crop damage. In 2020, floods across Vidarbha led to 92,000 people impacted with 53,000 people evacuated, 23000 houses damaged and 88,864 hectare of cropland destroyed. In 2021, Cyclone Taukte killed 21 people and injured 9, and 2542 buildings damaged, services disrupted, trees lost, and Mumbai airport closed for 11 hours.
➤ Top Sources of Greenhouse gas emissions in Maharashtra: Energy & Power (48%), Industry (31%), Transport (14%), Domestic cooking fuel (3%), Agriculture (2%) & others (2%)
If the world warms by 2°C-2.5°C (as per IPCC) the following impacts have been predicted:
Tropics will be worst impacted (Maharashtra), Severe impacts in coastal tropical areas including possibility of submergence (Mumbai and Konkan coast), Extreme droughts (Madhya Maharashtra & Vidarbha), Extensive forest fires that will make forests a source of greenhouse gas emissions rather than a carbon sink for such emissions.
