Odisha Flashcards
Where is Odisha
Odisha is one of the 28 states in the Republic of India. Odisha is located in the eastern part of the Indian peninsula and the Bay of Bengal lies to its East while Chhattisgarh shares its border in the west and north-west.
The coastline is 450km long.
It’s the largest state by area but 11th by population, most people live on the coastal areas.
How did cyclone Phailin affect Odisha
• October 2013
• 240 km/hour winds
• 44 deaths but successful evacuation of
1 million which is the biggest evacuation in Indian history.
• In the Ganjam district 50,000 ha of crops were destroyed - costing $7500
• Due to 1999 Odisha cyclone (strongest recorded in the Indian ocean) killed 10,000 so Odisha was forced to implement a mitigation system, so Phailin death toll was lower
What are opportunities in Odisha
•Marine plants and animals
•Fish, reptiles, sand dunes, seaweeds and lagoons
•Potential for wind and tidal power
•35% of coastline has sediment minerals and metal deposits
•North coastline has clay and limestone resources
•Chililka lake has a bird sanctuary with 150 migratory and resident species
What are risks in Odisha
• In 2011 the ministry of environment and forests released assessment of shoreline change showing erosion has increased in recent decades requiring human intervention
• Natural seasonal variation along the coast - accretion in summer and erosion in winter
why is Odisha prone to cyclones
•a combination of warm, dry air from northwest India and moist air from the Bay of Bengal creates low-pressure systems, making the Odisha coast prone to cyclones.
•Odisha has a flat coastal zone that is low lying so storm surges cause dramatic flooding
• Coastal communities have low resilience to the storms as they are poor and can’t repair damages from the storm
What industries are in Odisha
• Dairy and poultry
• Fishing
• Coil craft
• Ecotourism
They have multiple industries to diversity the economy so there are multiple income streams
What improvements are being made to improve quality of life
• Lake Chilikis water quality has been improved but measuring the physicochemical and biological parameters of the lake (this is their source of fresh water)
• Olive Ridley’s (endangered turtles) are nurtured
•mangroves are planted on banks to stabilise new land and generate income from the land
What has happend to the mangroves in Odisha: Management of Mahanadi Delta
50 years ago coastal villages in odisha had 5.1 km of mangroves protecting them- now 1.2 km.
During 1999 cyclone villages with 4+km width of mangroves reported no deaths but those with less that 3km had sharply rising death rates.
Sea levels are rising and cyclones are become more frequent
Project planting mangroves on river beds
