Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Jan 2: The climate change seems to be taking a toll on Orissa’s economy as the state is bearing the brunt of natural calamities like floods, drought and cyclone for the past 39 years out of 52 years.
According to a report on economic impact of climate change in Orissa, frequent droughts and floods were creating havoc in the economic and social life of people. Nearly 85 per cent of people live in rural Orissa, contributing to over 20 per cent of the Net State Domestic Product (NSDP).
The report said around 9.19 lakh hectares of cropped area were extensively damaged by floods between 2001 and 2008 which is the cause of concern for the government. It suggested that adaptive measures should be initiated by the government to minimise the impact of climate change.
According to the Directorate of Agriculture, Orissa, except in 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1997, the state had witnessed droughts, floods, cyclone and hailstorms (from 1961 to 2012). Interestingly, for the past 16 years in a row, climate shocks have hit the state.
As per the report of special relief commissioner (SRC, Orissa), 82.48 lakh hectares of cropped area was damaged while 10,305 people had lost their lives due to floods, cyclones and droughts between 1999 and 2008.
The state is frequently bearing the destructive effect of natural calamities. With ever increasing global warming and climate change, if oceanic storms assume greater destructive power, Orissa will face the devastating impact on livelihood, ecology and economy, the report states.
A report prepared by Pranay Swain of National Institute of Education and Research said Orissa has been declared disaster-prone for 95 years out of the past 105 years — floods have occurred for 50 years, droughts for 32 and cyclones 11 years including super cyclone of 1999, Phailin (2013) and Hudhud (2014).
“Orissa’s climate change conditions are signs of global warming,” said Murari Lal, member of inter-governmental panel of climate change (IPCC).
