FLASH FLOODS

2. What is a Flood

• Flood is an overflow of a large amount of water beyond its normal limits, especially over what is normally dry land.
• Flooding is an overflowing of water onto land that is normally dry. 
• Floods can happen during heavy rains, when ocean waves come on shore, when the snow melts quickly, or when dams or levees break. 
• Damaging flooding may happen with only a few inches of water, or it may cover a house to the rooftop. 
• Floods can occur within minutes or over a long period, and may last days, weeks, or longer. 
• Floods are the most widespread of all weather-related natural disasters.

3. Common causes of floods can be divided into the factors triggering them.

These factors include -

• Meteorological factors

• Physical factors

• Human factors

 3.1 Meteorological Factors

The natural causes of floods are discussed below -

• Heavy Rainfall: The season of monsoon
• Cloud Burst: Cloud Burst occurs due to intense precipitation in a short duration which can sometimes be accompanied by hail and storms and can cause a flood.

• Climate Change: According to the International Panel for Climate Change, the rainfall intensity, duration and frequency are going to increase in the future.
• Skewed Rainfall Pattern: 80% of the precipitation takes place in the monsoon months
• Trans-National Rivers: The fact that some of the rivers (like the Brahmaputra, many tributaries of Ganga) causing damage in India to originate in neighbouring countries, adds another complex dimension to the problem
• Cyclone & Heavy rainfall

3.2. Physical Factors.

• Insufficient Drainage Management: Improper planning of the drainage system of an area can cause excess water due to heavy rainfall to get stuck and lead to a flood.

• Catchment Area: Catchment area is an area from where the rainfall water flows into a river. This can be a lake or reservoir. During monsoon, when excess water exceeds the limited holding capacity of the catchment area, it leads to floods.

3.3. Human Factor

• Siltation: Siltation refers to the flow of silt and sediments in the riverbed. As particles remain suspended in the river and accumulated in the riverbed, it disrupts the flow of the river, causing a flood.

• Improper Agricultural Practices: If farmers are not cautious of the effects of farming practices meaning if they leave the waste material in the river or cannot handle water management properly, it can lead to a flood. 

• Deforestation: Deforestation is one of the major human causes of floods. Trees act like a sponge that helps to hold soil and water and prevent flooding. As trees are being cut down at a fast pace to make way for urbanisation to grow, more water runs towards a river during heavy rainfall. As a result, a flood occurs.

• Collapse of Dams: Dams are built to store water and provide water to people. As dams are human-made, these can be worn out and subsequently collapse causing floods. Also, if heavy rainfall sustains for a long time, State Governments often declare to open dam gates which can lead to a dangerous flood.- Temples of Modern India to Water Bombs

• Unplanned Development

• Neglect of Pre-Disaster Planning

 4.Types of Flood

• Coastal Floods: Coastal floods occur when strong winds or storms move towards the coast during high tide.

• Flash Floods: Flash floods usually occur in hilly areas in limited space. Here the sudden heavy rainfall or snow thaws are the causes of flooding. The fast-moving torrent of Flash floods can sweep large objects such as cars, rocks and everything that comes in their path.

• River Floods: River floods occur due to the inflow of water from heavy rainfall, snowmelt or powerful storms.

• Pluvial Floods: Pluvial floods occur in areas that cannot hold rainwater and end up forming puddles and ponds. eg- rural areas.

• Urban Floods: When the drainage system of urban areas fails to absorb rainwater.

The impacts of floods affect both individuals and communities and have social-environmental consequences. 

• Human Loss and Property Loss: Every year, millions of people become homeless and washed away due to floods.

• Spread of Communicable Diseases: Waterborne diseases like cholera, typhoid fever, hepatitis, and leptospirosis spread in flood-affected areas. Floods also lead to vector-borne diseases, transmitted through parasites and pathogens such as a mosquito. As a result, the health of flood victims deteriorates.

• Destruction of Crops: Every year, floods destroy a large number of crops.

• Loss of Livestock: Like humans, livestock also get displaced during floods and dies due to the loss of their habitats.

• Disruption of Communication Link and Transportation: Flood causes damage to transportation links such as bridges, rail, power plants etc., thus causing communication disruption in those areas.

• Economic and Social Disruption: The economy comes to a standstill as people are forced to move to another place, and revival of this situation takes time.

Approaches to dealing with floods may be any one or a combination of the following available options:

• Attempts to modify the flood
• Attempts to modify the susceptibility to flooding damage
• Attempts to modify the loss burden
• Bearing the loss.
• The main thrust of the flood protection programme undertaken in India so far has been an attempt to modify the flood in the form of physical (structural) measures to prevent the floodwaters from reaching potential damage centres and modify susceptibility to flooding damage through early warning systems.

6.1 Structural measures

The following structural measures are generally adopted for flood protection:

• Embankments, flood walls, sea walls
• Dams and reservoirs
• Natural detention basins
• Channel improvement
• Drainage improvement
• Diversion of flood waters.

6.2 Non-structural measures

Non-structural measures include:

• Flood forecasting and warning
• Floodplain zoning
• Flood fighting
• Floodproofing
• Flood insurance.

7.What are Flash Floods

• Flash floods are the most dangerous kind of floods because they combine the destructive power of a flood with incredible speed. 
• Flash floods occur when heavy rainfall exceeds the ability of the ground to absorb it. They also occur when water fills normally dry creeks or streams or enough water accumulates for streams to overtop their banks, causing rapid rises of water in a short amount of time. 
• They can happen within minutes of the causative rainfall, limiting the time available to warn and protect the public.

 8. Status of Floods in India

8.1 NDRF Report

• 40 million hectares (10% of the land mass) in India are prone to floods.
• On average every year, 5 million hectares of land are affected, 1600 lives are lost and more than Rs. 1,800 crores is incurred.

8.2 Statistics

• Between 1970 and 2004, 3 floods occurred per year on average. However, between 2005 and 2019, the yearly average rose to 11. 19 districts were affected annually on an average until 2005. After 2005, the number jumped to 55.
• 2017 analysis suggests that 4.48 million Indians are exposed to riverine floods, the highest in the world.

9. What areas are at risk from flash floods?

• Densely populated areas are at high risk for flash floods. The construction of buildings, highways, driveways, and parking lots increases runoff by reducing the amount of rain absorbed by the ground. This runoff increases the flash flood potential.
• Areas near rivers are at risk from floods. Embankments, known as levees, are often built along rivers and are used to prevent high water from flooding bordering land. 
• Dam failures can send a sudden destructive surge of water downstream. 
• Mountains and steep hills produce rapid runoff, which causes streams to rise quickly. 
• Saturated soils can also lead to rapid flash flooding. 
• Sometimes the thunderstorms that produce heavy rainfall may happen well upstream from the impacted area, making it harder to recognize a dangerous situation.
• Very intense rainfall can produce flooding even on dry soil.
• Additional high-risk locations include recent burn areas in mountains and urban areas from pavement and roofs which enhance runoff.
• Ice jams and snowmelt can help cause flash floods. A deep snowpack increases runoff produced by melting snow. Heavy spring rains falling on melting snowpacks can produce flash flooding.

10. The impact of floods in India

11. Impact of flood on wildlife

12. Government actions regarding flood management

12.1.The National Flood Management Commission

• Launched in 1954
• Different structural and non-structural methods have been applied by various states under it.

• To evolve a scientific, integrated and coordinated approach to flood control
• It recommended Flood plain zoning and management to regulate human activities.

• It was set up to review the impact of the recommendations of Rashtriya Barh Aayog.
• It recommended large flood moderation projects, following up the enactment of flood plain zoning.

12.4.National Water Policy, 2002

• It recommended
• Basin-wise plan for flood control and management.
• Flood control to be given overriding consideration in reservoir regulation policy.
• More emphasis on non-structural measures.
• Strict regulation of settlements and economic activities in flood plains.

12.5. K. Mittal Committee, 2003
Its main recommendations were

• Afforestation and treatment of catchment area, right land-use practices and others.
• In the river itself a construction of suitable hydraulic structures that may trap silt.
• Embankment along the aggrading river should be constructed, only after proper studies are made on its behaviour especially due to sedimentation load and resultant morphological changes.

 

For Prelims: Cloudbursts, flash floods, landslides, Cumulonimbus Clouds, Water Vapour, Floodplain Zoning, Green Infrastructure. For Mains: 1. What is a cloudburst, and how does it differ from regular rainfall? Explain the causes and meteorological factors that contribute to the occurrence of a cloudburst.

 

 

Previous year Questions 1. Which of the following statements with regard to Cloudburst is/are correct? (UPSC CDS 2017) 1. It is defined as sudden localized very heavy downpour with cloud thunder and lightning. 2. It mostly occurs in the hilly areas. 3. It results in a very high intensity of rainfall, i.e., 250 mm-300 mm in a couple of hours. 4. It occurs only during the daytime. Select the correct answer using the code given below.  A. 1, 2 and 3 B. 1, 3 and 4 C. 2 and 3 only D. 2 only Answer: A

 Source: The Indian Express

 

 

 

CHIEF ELECTION COMMISSIONER

 

 

1. Context

 

Questioning the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (ECs) by a three-member committee comprising the Prime Minister, a Union Minister and the Leader of Opposition, the Supreme Court on Thursday asked “should there be no show of fairness” in the procedure

 

 

2. Who appoints Chief Election Commissioner of India?

 

 

• The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India is appointed by the President of India under Article 324(2) of the Constitution of India. Article 324 vests the superintendence, direction, and control of elections to Parliament, State Legislatures, and the offices of the President and Vice-President in the Election Commission of India.
• While the Constitution provides that the Chief Election Commissioner and the other Election Commissioners shall be appointed by the President, it also states that Parliament may enact a law prescribing the manner of their appointment.
• For several decades after the Constitution came into force, there was no specific parliamentary law governing the appointment process. During this period, the President appointed the Chief Election Commissioner on the advice of the Union Council of Ministers.
• To establish a statutory framework, Parliament enacted the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, which came into effect on 2 February 2024.
• Under this Act, the President continues to be the appointing authority, but the appointment is made based on the recommendation of a Selection Committee.
• The committee is chaired by the Prime Minister and includes the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha (or the leader of the largest opposition party if there is no recognised Leader of the Opposition) and a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister.
• The committee considers eligible candidates and recommends one name to the President, who then formally appoints the Chief Election Commissioner.
• The constitutional design ensures that although the President makes the formal appointment, the process is carried out within a legal framework established by Parliament.
• This arrangement seeks to maintain transparency and institutional continuity while preserving the independence of the Election Commission, which is entrusted with conducting free and fair elections in the country.
• The Chief Election Commissioner enjoys significant constitutional safeguards to ensure independence from executive influence.
• The CEC holds office for six years or until attaining the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
• Moreover, the Chief Election Commissioner can be removed from office only through the same procedure and on the same grounds as a judge of the Supreme Court, making the office one of the most secure constitutional positions in India.
• These safeguards enable the Election Commission to function impartially and uphold the integrity of India's democratic electoral process

 

 

3. How the Chief Election Commissioner appointed earlier?

 

 

• Before the enactment of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, there was no specific law enacted by Parliament prescribing the procedure for appointing the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).
• Although Article 324(2) of the Constitution stated that the Chief Election Commissioner and the other Election Commissioners would be appointed by the President of India, it also provided that the appointment would be made subject to the provisions of any law made by Parliament.
• Since no such law existed for more than seven decades, the appointments were made through the executive process.
• In practice, the President appointed the Chief Election Commissioner on the advice of the Union Council of Ministers, headed by the Prime Minister, in accordance with the constitutional principle that the President acts on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers under Article 74 of the Constitution.
• Typically, the Ministry of Law and Justice initiated the process by identifying eligible candidates, generally from among senior civil servants or serving Election Commissioners.
• The proposal was examined within the government and, after approval by the Prime Minister and the Union Cabinet, it was forwarded to the President for formal appointment.
• This executive-driven process continued from the establishment of the Election Commission in 1950 until 2024.
• Since there was no statutory selection committee or legally prescribed consultation mechanism, the appointments were effectively made by the Union Government through executive decision-making.
• Over the years, concerns were raised that such a system gave the executive significant influence over the appointment of the country's top election officials.
• In March 2023, the Supreme Court, while deciding Anoop Baranwal v. Union of India, observed that Parliament had not enacted the law contemplated under Article 324(2).
• To safeguard the independence of the Election Commission until such a law was enacted, the Court directed that appointments to the posts of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners should be made by the President on the recommendation of a committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha (or the leader of the largest opposition party), and the Chief Justice of India.
• This arrangement was explicitly described as an interim measure that would remain in force until Parliament enacted a law.
• Subsequently, Parliament passed the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, which came into force on 2 February 2024.
• The Act replaced the Supreme Court's interim mechanism with a statutory Selection Committee consisting of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister.
• The President continues to be the constitutional appointing authority, but appointments are now made in accordance with the procedure prescribed by this law.

 

 

4. How other Election Commissioners are appointed?

 

 

• The other Election Commissioners (ECs) of the Election Commission of India are appointed by the President of India under Article 324(2) of the Constitution of India. The Constitution does not distinguish between the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and the other Election Commissioners.
• It provides that the President shall appoint the Chief Election Commissioner and such number of other Election Commissioners as may be determined from time to time, subject to any law made by Parliament.
• For many decades after the Constitution came into force, there was no specific law governing the appointment process.
• Consequently, the President appointed the Election Commissioners on the aid and advice of the Union Council of Ministers, following the executive procedure.
• The Ministry of Law and Justice generally initiated the process, identified suitable candidates, and forwarded the proposal through the Prime Minister and the Union Cabinet to the President for formal appointment.
• To provide a statutory framework, Parliament enacted the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, which came into force on 2 February 2024.
• Under this law, the President appoints the Election Commissioners based on the recommendation of a Selection Committee consisting of the Prime Minister as Chairperson, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha (or the leader of the largest opposition party if there is no recognised Leader of the Opposition), and a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister.
• Before the Selection Committee makes its recommendation, a Search Committee, headed by the Cabinet Secretary, prepares a panel of eligible candidates for consideration.
• Once the Selection Committee recommends the names, the President formally appoints the Election Commissioners. Like the Chief Election Commissioner, the Election Commissioners hold office for six years or until they attain the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
• Although the Chief Election Commissioner and the Election Commissioners enjoy equal powers in decision-making within the Election Commission, there is an important difference in their constitutional protection.
• The Chief Election Commissioner can be removed only through the same process and on the same grounds as a Judge of the Supreme Court, ensuring a high degree of independence.
• In contrast, an Election Commissioner can be removed by the President only on the recommendation of the Chief Election Commissioner. This safeguard is intended to protect Election Commissioners from arbitrary removal while preserving the institutional independence of the Election Commission

 

5. Election Commission of India- Powers and Functions

 

 

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) is an independent constitutional body established under Article 324 of the Constitution of India.
• It is entrusted with the superintendence, direction, and control of the preparation of electoral rolls and the conduct of elections to Parliament, State Legislatures, and the offices of the President and the Vice-President of India.
• Its primary objective is to ensure that elections in India are conducted in a free, fair, transparent, and credible manner, thereby safeguarding the democratic process.
• One of the Election Commission's most important functions is the preparation, revision, and maintenance of electoral rolls.
• It ensures that every eligible citizen who has attained the age of eighteen years is given the opportunity to register as a voter, while removing duplicate, deceased, or ineligible entries. Accurate electoral rolls are the foundation of free and fair elections, and the Commission regularly updates them before every election.
• The Commission is responsible for conducting elections at the national and state levels. It announces election schedules, issues notifications, oversees the nomination process, scrutinises nomination papers, allots election symbols, arranges polling stations, deploys polling personnel, supervises voting through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) systems, and declares election results.
• Through these responsibilities, it ensures that elections are conducted efficiently, peacefully, and in accordance with the law.

• Another significant function of the Election Commission is the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). Once elections are announced, the MCC comes into force and lays down guidelines for political parties, candidates, ministers, and governments regarding election campaigns, public announcements, transfers of officials, and the use of government resources.
• Although the Model Code of Conduct is not a statutory law, the Commission effectively enforces it to ensure a level playing field and prevent the misuse of official machinery during elections.
• The Election Commission also registers political parties under the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and grants recognition to them as National or State Parties based on their electoral performance.
• It also allocates and reserves election symbols for recognised political parties and allots free symbols to registered unrecognised parties and independent candidates. The election symbol system is particularly important in India because it enables voters, including those with limited literacy, to identify candidates easily.
• The Commission exercises quasi-judicial powers in matters relating to political parties and elections.
• It adjudicates disputes concerning the recognition of political parties, decides claims regarding rival factions seeking the same party symbol, and advises the President or the Governors on the disqualification of Members of Parliament or Members of State Legislatures under the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act, wherever such advice is constitutionally required

 

 

For Prelims: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.   For Mains: General Studies II: Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies

 

 

 

Previous Year Questions   Prelims   1) Consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE, 2017) 1. The Election Commission of India is a five-member body. 2. Union Ministry of Home Affairs decides the election schedule for the conduct of both general elections and bye-elections. 3. Election Commission resolves the disputes relating to splits/mergers of recognised political parties. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 3 only Answer (d) 2) With reference to the Constitution of India, prohibitions or limitations or provisions contained in ordinary laws cannot act as prohibitions or limitations on the constitutional powers under Article 142. It could mean which one of the following? (UPSC CSE, 2019) (a) The decisions taken by the Election Commission of India while discharging its duties cannot be challenged in any court of law. (b) The Supreme Court of India is not constrained in the exercise of its powers by laws made by the Parliament. (c) In the event of a grave financial crisis in the country, the President of India can declare a Financial Emergency without the counsel from the Cabinet. (d) State Legislatures cannot make laws on certain matters without the concurrence of the Union Legislature. Answer (b)

 

 

Source: Indianexpress