Unnatural disaster: On the Wayanad landslides
Kerala must restore denuded flora (वनस्पति) and rehabilitate (पुनर्वास करना) people in vulnerable (असुरक्षित) areas
Climate change (जलवायु परिवर्तन) can encourage unprecedented (अभूतपूर्व) weather, precipitating natural disasters of magnitudes (परिमाण, आकार) that may surprise local responders (प्रत्युत्तर देने वाला, उत्तरदाता). The calamitous (विनाशकारी) landslides (भूस्खलन) in Wayanad district in Kerala on July 30 are not necessarily (अनिवार्य रूप से) such disasters. Parts of Kerala have been bearing the brunt of heavy rains during the southwest monsoon and landslides are a yearly affair (घटना, मामला). But deadly (घातक) landslides are new. This week, heavy rains triggered (cause, lead to, result in, produce, bring about, generate) multiple landslides that have killed 200 people and laid waste to a few villages. The region is a tourist destination and incentivises (प्रोत्साहित करना) infrastructure (the basic physical or organisational structure or framework that a country or organization needs in order to function properly. For a whole nation, it includes all the physical systems such as buildings, roads & railways networks, utilities, etc) development to maximise revenue potential (prospects, chances, expectations). The Chaliyar river here springs (originate from, start from, come from, arise from, stem from, emanate from) from an altitude (height, elevation, distance above the ground/sea) of around 2 km and flows in a sheer (very steep, vertical, perpendicular, sharp, precipitous) path down towards Vellarmala, bringing fast waters that also sweep (flood, engulf, overwhelm, flow across, surge over) relatively (comparatively, somewhat, reasonably, in a certain degree, more or less) more sediment (silt, dregs, remains/deposited earth/mud) downstream ((a community/area situated) in the direction in which a stream/river flows). The rains this year further (additionally; to a greater extent) increased the river’s volume and force, which swept up debris (scrap, remains, broken pieces, rubble, wreckage, trash, rubbish) and deposited (dump, leave behind, let settle, set down) it in the villages settled on less steep land where many of the deaths have been reported. But the tragedy is compounded (aggravate, make worse, worsen, exacerbate, intensify, increase) by the fact that (used to refer to a particular situation under consideration) heavy rains here in 2020 had caused the Chaliyar to strip (remove, clear, clean out, empty, spoil) swaths of its upstream ((of an area) situated in the direction opposite to the flow of a river) areas of plant cover, leaving more rocks and humus (the dark organic matter that forms in soil when dead plant and animal matter decays) vulnerable to being displaced.
The geographical peculiarities (characteristic, nature, particularity, quality/aspect; oddity, anomaly, abnormality) of landslide-prone (susceptible to landslide, vulnerable to landslide; at the risk of landslide) Idukki, Kottayam, Malappuram, and Wayanad have been evident (obvious, apparent, noticeable, palpable, striking, glaring) for years; they also feature (appear, present) prominently (mainly, importantly, particularly, conspicuously, noticeably) on landslide risk maps. Blame for the landslides’ deadly recurrence (repetition, reoccurrence, reappearance, reemergence) must thus be shared by climate change and a State that has been repeatedly (frequently, again and again, invariably, constantly, regularly, consistently) caught off-guard. A recurring (continuous, constant, recurrent, perpetual, frequent, repeated, periodical, cyclical, unceasing) issue is an abject (miserable, hopeless, woeful, awful, appalling, pathetic) lack (unavailability, absence, non-existence) of advance warning and emergency preparedness (readiness, alertness, preparation, awareness, carefulness). Landslides are more common in ecologically (environmentally) fragile (weak, delicate, frail, infirm, feeble) areas. The monsoons have been producing more short bursts (outbreak, outburst, outpouring, discharge) of intense rain, resulting in some soil types becoming easier to dislodge (remove, displace) while quarrying (the process of removing rock, sand, gravel or other minerals from the ground in order to use them to produce materials for construction or other uses); linear infrastructure development, construction activities, and monocropping (the agricultural practice of growing a single crop year after year on the same land) have compromised ecosystems (a complex situation/environment)’ ability to cope with changing natural conditions. For these reasons, patterns of land use must not change and the State must restore denuded flora and rehabilitate people in these areas to ensure they have other opportunities for their welfare (well-being, good health, comfort, safety, protection). As recommended by the Western Ghats (The mountain range that runs along the west coast of peninsular India from Tamil Nadu through Kerala, Karnataka and Goa to Maharashtra is known as the Western Ghats. Spread across six states, Western Ghats is a treasure trove of biodiversity and source of major rivers, including Godavari, Krishna and Cauvery) Ecology (the branch of biology which studies the interactions among organisms and their environment. The distributions, abundance and relations of organisms and their interactions with the environment) Expert Panel, Kerala must also decline engineering projects in ecologically sensitive areas and their surroundings, and constitute (establish, create, set up, form), equip, staff, and empower (authorize, enable, equip, give the power/means to) expert committees that deliberate (think about, ponder, consider) the feasibility (practicality, viability (to work successfully)) of other projects here. Indeed (in fact, actually), the panel’s recommendations were designed to tame (control, make less powerful, mitigate, moderate, soften) the effects of unpredictable weather without also denting (reduce, diminish, lessen, weaken, erode, undermine, impair) economic growth, but Kerala today is sliding past the point of having an option to balance development (progress, progression, advancement, improvement, growth) needs with environmental concerns.
Courtesy: The Hindu
Important Word List With Meaning
1.unnatural (adjective)
Hindi Meaning - अप्राकृतिक
English Meaning - man-made, artificial.
2.landslide (noun)
Hindi Meaning - भूस्खलन
English Meaning - a landslide is defined as the movement of a mass of rock, debris, or earth down a slope. Landslides are a type of “mass wasting,” which denotes any down-slope movement of soil and rock under the direct influence of gravity; landslip, rockfall, mudslide, earthfall/slip.
3.flora (noun)
Hindi Meaning - वनस्पति
English Meaning - the plants in a particular region.
4.rehabilitate (verb)
Hindi Meaning - पुनर्वास करना
English Meaning - restore to normality; restore to healthy condition.
5.vulnerable (adjective)
Hindi Meaning - असुरक्षित
English Meaning - endangered, unsafe, unprotected, ill-protected, unguarded.
6.climate change (noun)
Hindi Meaning - जलवायु परिवर्तन
English Meaning - a long-term change in the Earth’s climate, or of a region on Earth.
7.unprecedented (adjective)
Hindi Meaning - अभूतपूर्व
English Meaning - not done or experienced before.
8.magnitude (noun)
Hindi Meaning - परिमाण, आकार
English Meaning - size, extent, measure, strength, immensity.
9.responder (noun)
Hindi Meaning - प्रत्युत्तर देने वाला, उत्तरदाता
English Meaning - reporter, witness, respondent.
10.calamitous (adjective)
Hindi Meaning - विनाशकारी
English Meaning - destructive, ruinous, disastrous, catastrophic.
11.necessarily (adverb)
Hindi Meaning - अनिवार्य रूप से
English Meaning - certainly, surely, definitely, unquestionably, inevitably.
12.affair (noun)
Hindi Meaning - घटना, मामला
English Meaning - incident, event, episode, occurrence.
13.deadly (adjective)
Hindi Meaning - घातक
English Meaning - fatal, lethal, life-threatening.
14.lay waste to (phrase)
Hindi Meaning - बर्बाद करना
English Meaning - devastate, wipe out, destroy, flatten, wreak havoc on, ruin completely.
15.incentivise (verb)
Hindi Meaning - प्रोत्साहित करना
English Meaning - encourage, motivate, galvanize.
16.denude (verb)
English Meaning - divest, strip of, deprive of (something); remove the covering of something.
17.denuded (verb)
English Meaning - removed, stripped (of); defoliated, deforested, despoil.
18.precipitate (verb)
English Meaning - bring about, cause, lead to, give rise to.
19.bear the brunt (phrase)
English Meaning - to suffer/get the worst (bad) part of some action.
20.trigger (verb)
English Meaning - cause, lead to, result in, produce, bring about, generate.
21.infrastructure (noun)
English Meaning - the basic physical or organisational structure or framework that a country or organization needs in order to function properly. For a whole nation, it includes all the physical systems such as buildings, roads & railways networks, utilities, etc.
22.potential (noun)
English Meaning - prospects, chances, expectations.
23.revenue potential (noun)
English Meaning - the capability of a potential income source to generate profit.
24.spring (from) (verb)
English Meaning - originate from, start from, come from, arise from, stem from, emanate from.
25.altitude (noun)
English Meaning - height, elevation, distance above the ground/sea.
26.sheer (adjective)
English Meaning - very steep, vertical, perpendicular, sharp, precipitous.
27.sweep (noun)
English Meaning - flood, engulf, overwhelm, flow across, surge over.
28.relatively (adverb)
English Meaning - comparatively, somewhat, reasonably, in a certain degree, more or less.
29.sediment (noun)
English Meaning - silt, dregs, remains/deposited earth/mud.
30.downstream (noun/adjective)
English Meaning - (a community/area situated) in the direction in which a stream/river flows.
31.further (adjective)
English Meaning - additionally; to a greater extent.
32.sweep up (phrasal verb)
English Meaning - remove, clean, scrub, wipe.
33.debris (noun)
English Meaning - scrap, remains, broken pieces, rubble, wreckage, trash, rubbish.
34.deposit (verb)
English Meaning - dump, leave behind, let settle, set down.
35.compound (verb)
English Meaning - aggravate, make worse, worsen, exacerbate, intensify, increase.
36.the fact that (phrase)
English Meaning - used to refer to a particular situation under consideration.
37.strip (of) (verb)
English Meaning - remove, clear, clean out, empty, spoil.
38.swath (noun)
English Meaning - a broad strip of area, region; stretch, territory, piece of land, parcel of land.
39.upstream (adjective)
English Meaning - (of an area) situated in the direction opposite to the flow of a river.
40.humus (noun)
English Meaning - the dark organic matter that forms in soil when dead plant and animal matter decays.
41.peculiarity (noun)
English Meaning - characteristic, nature, particularity, quality/aspect; oddity, anomaly, abnormality.
42.landslide-prone (adjective)
English Meaning - susceptible to landslide, vulnerable to landslide; at the risk of landslide.
43.evident (adjective)
English Meaning - obvious, apparent, noticeable, palpable, striking, glaring.
44.feature (verb)
English Meaning - appear, present.
45.prominently (noun)
English Meaning - mainly, importantly, particularly, conspicuously, noticeably.
46.recurrence (noun)
English Meaning - repetition, reoccurrence, reappearance, reemergence.
47.repeatedly (adverb)
English Meaning - frequently, again and again, invariably, constantly, regularly, consistently.
48.catch someone off guard (phrase)
English Meaning - surprise someone by doing something they do not expect.
49.off guard (phrase)
English Meaning - unprepared, by surprise, unwary, unwatchful, unready, unexpectedly, without warning, suddenly, unprepared, unawares.
50.recurring (adjective)
English Meaning - continuous, constant, recurrent, perpetual, frequent, repeated, periodical, cyclical, unceasing.
51.abject (adjective)
English Meaning - miserable, hopeless, woeful, awful, appalling, pathetic.
52.lack (noun)
English Meaning - unavailability, absence, non-existence.
53.preparedness (noun)
English Meaning - readiness, alertness, preparation, awareness, carefulness.
54.ecologically (adverb)
English Meaning - environmentally.
55.fragile (adjective)
English Meaning - weak, delicate, frail, infirm, feeble.
56.burst (noun)
English Meaning - outbreak, outburst, outpouring, discharge.
57.result in (verb)
English Meaning - cause, lead to, bring about, give rise to.
58.dislodge (verb)
English Meaning - remove, displace.
59.quarrying (noun)
English Meaning - the process of removing rock, sand, gravel or other minerals from the ground in order to use them to produce materials for construction or other uses.
60.linear (adjective)
English Meaning - sequential, consecutive, continuous, back-to-back.
61.monocropping (noun)
English Meaning - the agricultural practice of growing a single crop year after year on the same land.
62.compromise (verb)
English Meaning - undermine, weaken, damage, be detrimental to.
63.ecosystem (noun)
English Meaning - a complex situation/environment.
64.cope with (verb)
English Meaning - deal with, encounter, grapple with.
65.welfare (noun)
English Meaning - well-being, good health, comfort, safety, protection.
66.Western Ghats (noun)
English Meaning - The mountain range that runs along the west coast of peninsular India from Tamil Nadu through Kerala, Karnataka and Goa to Maharashtra is known as the Western Ghats. Spread across six states, Western Ghats is a treasure trove of biodiversity and source of major rivers, including Godavari, Krishna and Cauvery.
67.ecology (noun)
English Meaning - the branch of biology which studies the interactions among organisms and their environment. The distributions, abundance and relations of organisms and their interactions with the environment.
68.panel (noun)
English Meaning - advisory group, body, committee, council.
69.constitute (verb)
English Meaning - establish, create, set up, form.
70.empower (verb)
English Meaning - authorize, enable, equip, give the power/means to.
71.deliberate (verb)
English Meaning - think about, ponder, consider.
72.feasibility (noun)
English Meaning - practicality, viability (to work successfully).
73.indeed (adverb)
English Meaning - in fact, actually.
74.tame (verb)
English Meaning - control, make less powerful, mitigate, moderate, soften.
75.dent (verb)
English Meaning - reduce, diminish, lessen, weaken, erode, undermine, impair.
76.slide past (phrase)
English Meaning - go/move past something.
77.development (noun)
English Meaning - progress, progression, advancement, improvement, growth.