Ashok Kumar Rajagopal, Climate Change and Water Resources Specialist
Q1. Can you briefly describe your work in India.
I am a Climate Change Specialist and a Water Resources Specialist based at Chennai, India. I am basically a geologist and a coastal engineer by education and by profession a geophysicist worked in State Government of Tamilnadu in Water Resources Department practiced Groundwater Investigation related to Geophysical Exploration and on Monitoring Seawater Intrusion along the Coast of Tamilnadu and simultaneously researched on impacts of Groundwater Hydrology and its Impact on Climate Change for the last 25 years. Since July 2014, I am an independent consultant working towards water issues and its impact due to Climate Change.
Q2: What are the biggest challenges in the country regarding climate change?
The biggest challenges in the country is to monitor the Green House Gas Emissions and quantify its effect on agriculture, forest and other land use sectors. Every state in India should have a regulator specifically related to monitor these Green House Gases. Once this data is systemized and regularly monitored, it will throw much light on Climate Change and it will enable all the Policy Makers to give direction or propose for funds to mitigate and adapt all Climate Change Problems such as Extreme Droughts, Severe Cyclonic Storms along the Coasts of India during the South West Monsoon as well as during the North East Monsoons either from the National Government Budget or from the International Agencies like World Bank, Asian Development Bank , International Monitory Fund.,Etc.,
Q3: What are the biggest challenges in the country regarding salt water intrusion?
Salt water intrusion occurs mainly when there is excessive ground pumping of groundwater from the Coastal Aquifers. Any groundwater sample which has more than 250mg/L of Chloride is considered to be deteriorated with sea water. The source of “Chloride” is mainly from Seawater. This excessive pumping is done to mitigate the water supply demand due to failure of monsoons but it immediately it causes the groundwater to deteriorate. The salt water intrusion problem can be easily mitigated by installing low horse power pumps and see that that all the production wells are placed at specific intervals of spacing norms. Most of the problem of salt water intrusion is due to improper designing and construction of bore wells along the coasts. It can be avoided when the all the bore wells along the coasts are electrically logged and based on the electrical log data, we can eliminate the seawater intrusion problems. Further most of people confuse with the “salt water intrusion” with the “sea water ingression” that takes place during extreme cyclonic storms which cause flooding and rise in tide levels.
Q4: What is the government doing to support climate change preparation?
The Government of India is now concentrating on Low Emissions Investment Planning Schemes such Wind, Solar and Biomass. For this we need huge fund to tap these Renewable Energy Resources and funds have to be sort from the International Funding agencies such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, International Monitory Funds etc., this is to make the people and policy makers to use the large Renewable Energy and slowly reduce the usage of Fossil Fuels. This will pave way for Low Emission and Globally Warming reduction. Implementation phase for low emission take may up to 5 years and Capitalization period may take between 15 to 20 years to achieve the target of low emission India. This low emission will make India sustainable in food and agricultural produce will be self-sufficient by all means.
Q5: What is the general health impact of unsafe water and climate change?
The general health impact of unsafe water is mainly due to exceeding hardness, presence of E-Coli bacteria as well as Fluoride content in the groundwater and in surface water. Proper sanitation also another problem. This leads to Kidney Stone formation, Cholera and diarrhea etc. When the monsoon fails along the coast or when there is deficient rainfall along the coasts, all the Governments are forced to mitigate the water supply demand by Desalination of Seawater. This has helped to a great extent for all the Coastal Cities to cater the need of freshwater. This desalination once again may lead to environmental degradation bio diversity along the coasts and the energy consumption for these desalination plants is very high and this has some relevance and impacts in the Hydrological Cycle and increase in temperature along the Coastal Cities. This leads to deficient rainfall and change in rainfall patterns in the long run.
Q6: How well is the Indian government responding to issues of water rights, flooding and drought?
The water right is sought immediately and mitigated by discussing with all line departments and with the stake holders. Appropriate measures such as desilting, raising bunds, construction of check dams, ponds are implemented.
Q7: In India, who will be impacted the worst from climate change effects such as salt water intrusion, global warming and drought?
Mostly the poor who are below the poverty line will impacted worst. Still government is taking measures to construct appropriate safe places such as Storm Centre’s or Cyclone Shelter’s along the coast or in the low lying areas along the coasts. Further measures are taken by the Government during crisis on war footing by supplying water through Lorries. Also monitor the activities of supplying food, water and medicine’s.
Q8: To what extent does climate change and flooding affect children in poor communities?
Children’s poor sanitation awareness affects their health in the long run and continuing their education is partially affected.
I am a Climate Change Specialist and a Water Resources Specialist based at Chennai, India. I am basically a geologist and a coastal engineer by education and by profession a geophysicist worked in State Government of Tamilnadu in Water Resources Department practiced Groundwater Investigation related to Geophysical Exploration and on Monitoring Seawater Intrusion along the Coast of Tamilnadu and simultaneously researched on impacts of Groundwater Hydrology and its Impact on Climate Change for the last 25 years. Since July 2014, I am an independent consultant working towards water issues and its impact due to Climate Change.
Q2: What are the biggest challenges in the country regarding climate change?
The biggest challenges in the country is to monitor the Green House Gas Emissions and quantify its effect on agriculture, forest and other land use sectors. Every state in India should have a regulator specifically related to monitor these Green House Gases. Once this data is systemized and regularly monitored, it will throw much light on Climate Change and it will enable all the Policy Makers to give direction or propose for funds to mitigate and adapt all Climate Change Problems such as Extreme Droughts, Severe Cyclonic Storms along the Coasts of India during the South West Monsoon as well as during the North East Monsoons either from the National Government Budget or from the International Agencies like World Bank, Asian Development Bank , International Monitory Fund.,Etc.,
Q3: What are the biggest challenges in the country regarding salt water intrusion?
Salt water intrusion occurs mainly when there is excessive ground pumping of groundwater from the Coastal Aquifers. Any groundwater sample which has more than 250mg/L of Chloride is considered to be deteriorated with sea water. The source of “Chloride” is mainly from Seawater. This excessive pumping is done to mitigate the water supply demand due to failure of monsoons but it immediately it causes the groundwater to deteriorate. The salt water intrusion problem can be easily mitigated by installing low horse power pumps and see that that all the production wells are placed at specific intervals of spacing norms. Most of the problem of salt water intrusion is due to improper designing and construction of bore wells along the coasts. It can be avoided when the all the bore wells along the coasts are electrically logged and based on the electrical log data, we can eliminate the seawater intrusion problems. Further most of people confuse with the “salt water intrusion” with the “sea water ingression” that takes place during extreme cyclonic storms which cause flooding and rise in tide levels.
Q4: What is the government doing to support climate change preparation?
The Government of India is now concentrating on Low Emissions Investment Planning Schemes such Wind, Solar and Biomass. For this we need huge fund to tap these Renewable Energy Resources and funds have to be sort from the International Funding agencies such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, International Monitory Funds etc., this is to make the people and policy makers to use the large Renewable Energy and slowly reduce the usage of Fossil Fuels. This will pave way for Low Emission and Globally Warming reduction. Implementation phase for low emission take may up to 5 years and Capitalization period may take between 15 to 20 years to achieve the target of low emission India. This low emission will make India sustainable in food and agricultural produce will be self-sufficient by all means.
Q5: What is the general health impact of unsafe water and climate change?
The general health impact of unsafe water is mainly due to exceeding hardness, presence of E-Coli bacteria as well as Fluoride content in the groundwater and in surface water. Proper sanitation also another problem. This leads to Kidney Stone formation, Cholera and diarrhea etc. When the monsoon fails along the coast or when there is deficient rainfall along the coasts, all the Governments are forced to mitigate the water supply demand by Desalination of Seawater. This has helped to a great extent for all the Coastal Cities to cater the need of freshwater. This desalination once again may lead to environmental degradation bio diversity along the coasts and the energy consumption for these desalination plants is very high and this has some relevance and impacts in the Hydrological Cycle and increase in temperature along the Coastal Cities. This leads to deficient rainfall and change in rainfall patterns in the long run.
Q6: How well is the Indian government responding to issues of water rights, flooding and drought?
The water right is sought immediately and mitigated by discussing with all line departments and with the stake holders. Appropriate measures such as desilting, raising bunds, construction of check dams, ponds are implemented.
Q7: In India, who will be impacted the worst from climate change effects such as salt water intrusion, global warming and drought?
Mostly the poor who are below the poverty line will impacted worst. Still government is taking measures to construct appropriate safe places such as Storm Centre’s or Cyclone Shelter’s along the coast or in the low lying areas along the coasts. Further measures are taken by the Government during crisis on war footing by supplying water through Lorries. Also monitor the activities of supplying food, water and medicine’s.
Q8: To what extent does climate change and flooding affect children in poor communities?
Children’s poor sanitation awareness affects their health in the long run and continuing their education is partially affected.
