Extreme weather event is a weather event such as snow, rain, drought, flood, or storm that is rare for the place where it occurs. If you remember the news, the Nagaland State Disaster Management Agency (NSDMA) had earlier this month declared “draught of a moderate nature” in the entire state of Nagaland for six months citing conditions arising from rainfall deficiency and poor crop conditions. And now we have the news of snowfall coming in from several parts of Nagaland. There are reports of snowfall in the districts of Kohima, Phek, Kiphire, Noklak, Shamator and our immediate neighbor, Zunheboto.
The sight of snow covered landscapes looks good on the frame, but, once the snowfall start disrupting the normal lives of the people who live there, the real challenges will emerge. Nagaland government, as of now, does not have the resources nor the expertise to tackle calamities in snowy situations and it is hoped that the snowfall does not turn to snowstorm. The extreme climatic conditions the world has been experiencing during recent times makes one pray that Nagaland does not experience blizzards.
The first few days of snowing will be charming. Several weeks into it and the fleeting charm will give way to ‘alarm’ as we are simply not adapted to the snowy environment. We are simply not equipped to survive, let alone thrive, in snowy weather conditions. Let us hope that the snowfall in various parts of Nagaland is just a result of a cold snap and not a permanent phenomenon. Meanwhile, the Government of Nagaland, and the NSDMA, must swing into action immediately and come up with an action plan for effective disaster management in the wake of the unprecedented reports of snowfall in the state.
Spring season is setting in and we will soon live to see another summer soon. Climate change and consequent increase in heatwave trends have become commonplace of late. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) in 2021 warned of above normal temperatures in most of the regions in North, Northwest, Central and East India during the summer. Climate scientists have also said that, over the past decades, such high temperature extremes have become more prevalent. Twelve out of the 15 warmest years recorded in India since 1901 were during the past 15 years, between 2006 and 2020. Going by the trend, the next summer will not be any less hotter than most summers and heatwaves are foreseen.
Snowfall in the winter and heatwave in the summer is the last thing we want, but that happens with extreme weather conditions. It requires the concerted effort of all stakeholders, from the government down to the last citizen, to adapt to the changing climatic conditions and to prepare for extreme weather events.