Bahraich (India)
Published by admin-microdis
 |
Location: Bahraich, India |
| Partner: University of Delhi |
|
| Partner involved: University Hospital Heidelberg, Northumbria University |
|
| Information: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| India is one of the oldest civilizations in the world with a kaleidoscopic variety and rich cultural heritage. It has achieved all-round socio-economic progress during the last 60 years of its Independence. It covers an area of 32,872,631 sq km, extending from the snow-covered Himalayan heights to the tropical rain forests of the south. As the 7th largest country in the world, India stands apart from the rest of Asia, marked off as it is by mountains and the sea, which give the country a distinct geographical entity. Bounded by the Great Himalayas in the north, it stretches southwards and at the Tropic of Cancer, tapers off into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west. Lying entirely in the northern hemisphere, the mainland extends between latitudes 8°4' and 37°6' north, longitudes 68°7' and 97°25' east and measures about 3,214 km from north to south between the extreme latitudes and about 2,933 km from east to west between the extreme longitudes. It has a land frontier of about 15,200 km. The total length of the coastline of the mainland, Lakshadweep Islands and Andaman& Nicobar Islands is 7,516.6 km. The Indian Subcontinent is among the world’s most disaster prone areas, with 54% of land vulnerable to earthquakes, 8% vulnerable to cyclones and 5% vulnerable to floods. 12% land is liable to severe earthquakes, 18% of land is liable to MSK VIII and 27% is liable to MSK VIIIts unique geo-climatic conditions make this region among the most vulnerable to natural disasters in the world. India is one of the most hazard prone countries in the world, and poor people are at high risk when disaster strikes. Floods, drought, landslides and cyclones occur regularly. Earthquake risk is extremely high. These hazards threaten millions of lives and can cause large-scale financial, infrastructure, crop, and productivity losses that hinder India’s development. In the decade 1990-2000, an average of about 4,344 people lost their lives and about 30 million people were affected by disasters every year. Over the past couple of years, the Government of India has brought about a paradigm shift in the approach to disaster management. The new approach proceeds from the conviction that development cannot be sustainable unless disaster mitigation is built into the development process. Another corner stone of the approach is that mitigation has to be multi-disciplinary spanning across all sectors of development. The new policy also emanates from the belief that investments in mitigation are much more cost effective than expenditure on relief and rehabilitation. Disaster management occupies an important place in this country’s policy framework as it is the poor and the under-privileged who are worst affected on account of calamities/disasters. Some Facts:
The Indian Subcontinent is among the world’s most disaster prone areas, with 54% of land vulnerable to earthquakes, 8% vulnerable to cyclones and 5% vulnerable to floods. 12% land is liable to severe earthquakes, 18% of land is liable to MSK VIII and 27% is liable to MSK VIIIts unique geo-climatic conditions make this region among the most vulnerable to natural disasters in the world. India is one of the most hazard prone countries in the world, and poor people are at high risk when disaster strikes. Floods, drought, landslides and cyclones occur regularly. Earthquake risk is extremely high. These hazards threaten millions of lives and can cause large-scale financial, infrastructure, crop, and productivity losses that hinder India’s development. In the decade 1990-2000, an average of about 4,344 people lost their lives and about 30 million people were affected by disasters every year. Over the past couple of years, the Government of India has brought about a paradigm shift in the approach to disaster management. The new approach proceeds from the conviction that development cannot be sustainable unless disaster mitigation is built into the development process. Another corner stone of the approach is that mitigation has to be multi-disciplinary spanning across all sectors of development. The new policy also emanates from the belief that investments in mitigation are much more cost effective than expenditure on relief and rehabilitation. Disaster management occupies an important place in this country’s policy framework as it is the poor and the under-privileged who are worst affected on account of calamities/disasters. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bahraich, India: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The third MICRODIS survey site in India is Bahraich. Bahraich is a city and a municipal board in Bahraich district in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Located on the Saryu River, a tributary of river Ghaghra, Bahraich is 125 km north-east of Lucknow - the state capital. Bahraich got its name from the Arabic word ‘bahr’ which means a large body of water. Situated on the bank of river Ghaghra, it was named Bahraich. Although a small town, Bahraich happens to be a very old town of India. It was inhabited around the 10th century. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Demography: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As of 2001 India census, Bahraich had a population of 168,376. Males constitute 53 percent of the population and females 47 percent. At least 15 percent of the population is under 6 years of age. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Geography: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| District Bahraich is situated in North eastern part of Devipatan Division. It is situated between the 28.24 and 27.4 latitude and 81.65 to 81.3 eastern longitude. According to census of 1991, the area of the district is 4,696.8 sq km which is 31.99 percent of the Devipatan Division. District Bahraich has an international border with Nepal on the northern part. Districts Barabanki and Sitapur are in south, Khiri in west, and Gonda and Srawasti are in eastern side of the district Bahraich. In the northern part of the district is the Tarai region which is covered by the dense natural forest. Chakia, Sujauli, Nishangara, Mihinpurwa, Bichia and Baghauli are the main forest areas of the district. Sarju and Ghaghra are the major rivers of the district. District Bahraich is connected with Railway and Road routes to the other parts of the nation. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Economy: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The main occupation of the residents of Bahraich is in the agricultural industry. In the British period, Bahraich was a famous market for grains and pulses. Even today, it is famous for agricultural products like pulses, wheat, rice, corn, sugar and mustard. Also, there are dense forests in the Nanpara and Bhinga regions which account for herbs and timber. Wheat, rice, sugar cane, pulse and mustard are the major crops. Sericulture is also being developed at District Bahraich. The climate and soil of this district are extremely suitable for sericulture. Bahraich is not a very developed district in terms of Industries. Industries based on Agricultural and Forest products exist here. There are three sugar mills: in Nanpara, Jarwal and Chilwarya. Besides sugar mills there are some rice and pulses mills. The pulses mills of Bahraich are quite famous for the latest techniques adopted by Industrialists. Besides these industries based on forest and Agriculture products, Awadh wood products and Awadh fertilizers are also established here. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Health: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bahraich has an average literacy rate of 59 percent, lower than the national average of 59.5 percent; with 57 percent of the males and 43 percent of females literate. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Religion: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Language: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Etnicity: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disaster experience: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In Uttar Pradesh, Bahraich is the most flood-affected district (according to the UP statistical department in 2007, Bahraich witnessed devastating floods). At the block level, the most flood-affected blocks are: Kaisarganj, Fakharpur, Mahsi, Shivpur and Mihinpurwa. Some 173 villages were affected by floods last year. There have been attempts on the part of the government and voluntary agencies to provide relief, but much more needs to be done. The certain areas of concern are: displacement of the villagers, misappropriation of relief materials, lack of potable water, problems faced by females during the floods, crime against women, etc. The district administration has its own way of dealing with floods by making people aware of the flood-related risks. They also are preparing populations to face floods by giving them some technical knowhow to make their own life jackets. This attempt is appreciated, but there are other areas that need attention as far as speedy and accurate implementation of such activities are concerned. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reference: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| - http://india.gov.in - http://osdma.org - www.dfid.gov.uk - www.concern.net - http://pdm.madicine.wisc - http://www.unicef.org/india/emergency_320.htm - http://news.indiainfo.com/2007/08/01/flood-up.html - http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/LSGZ-76RG7W? - Panchsheel Development Trust, Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Enumerator training in Bahraich Flood-affected area in Bahraich
|
