Editorial 1: Improve technology to detect IEDs
Context
- Ten jawans and a civilian driver, who were returning in a van following an anti-Maoist operation, were killed in a blast caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada on April 26. The larger issue here is of the use of IEDs and of tackling such devices at different levels — the government, industry, the Maoists, and the security forces.
About IED
- An IED is a type of unconventional explosive weapon that can take any form and be activated in a variety of ways. They are among the world’s oldest types of weapons.
- An IED is a bomb fabricated in an improvised manner incorporating destructive, lethal, noxious, pyrotechnic, or incendiary chemicals and designed to destroy or incapacitate personnel or vehicles.
- IEDs are triggered by various methods, including remote control, infrared or magnetic triggers, pressure-sensitive bars or trip wires (victim-operated).
- In some cases, multiple IEDs are wired together in a daisy chain to attack a convoy of vehicles spread out along a roadway.
Limitations to detect IEDs
- The technical equipment used by the security forces to detect IEDs has its limitations. If the quantity of metal in the IED is low or the IED is planted deep under the road, mine detectors may fail to find it.
- Ground-penetrating radar, which can detect recent disturbances in the soil subsurface, has also not proved successful because it is susceptible to generating false alarms.
- As not much research and development has been undertaken in this field, the Central government and industry must join hands to improve technology to detect IEDs.
- Also, the details printed on boxes containing detonators are not sufficient to trace the source of the detonators and punish the guilty. The Central government must, therefore, amend rules and make the manufacturers accountable for unique identification of detonators.
Regulation
- India is a signatory to the Geneva and Hague Conventions which regulate the means employed during warfare, so that casualties are checked.
- The Maoists deliberately and grossly violate international humanitarian laws as the use of landmines is banned internationally as they are non-discriminatory, lack precision and cause unnecessary or excessive suffering.
Addressing the issue
- India must raise the issue of the use of IEDs by the Maoists at appropriate international platforms so that the Maoists are forced to respect international humanitarian laws and stop using these devices.
- The technical department of the Maoists seems to have gradually developed technology to remotely blast the IEDs. The use of technology such as unmanned aerial vehicles and drones may be useful to check suspicious movement, but the security forces need to improve their tactics too.
- Knowing that the Maoists have also blasted mine protected vehicles in the past, the use of vehicles should be permitted only after securing the road from ambushes and IEDs.
- Implementing stricter controls on the sale and distribution of explosive materials
- A visual search must be carried out cautiously or deep enough, up to about 100-150 metres on both sides of the road, to check the presence of suspicious elements or wire ends.
- Every effort needs to be made to detect, diffuse or avoid these brutal devices.
Conclusion
- Knowing that in addition to the security forces, many civilians, including children, and animals have also been victims of IED attacks, India must enforce stringent laws and preventive techniques to deal with the current havoc created by IEDs.
Editorial 2: India’s first national water-body census
Context
- The findings of the first-ever water body census, conducted by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, was published recently.
Necessity of water-body
- India is facing a water crisis with groundwater decline, biodiversity loss, and climate change increasing the frequency of floods and droughts. In this context, water bodies are important.
- They buffer against climate variability, holding flood waters for use in dry periods.
- They contribute to food and water security as well as livelihoods by recharging groundwater and providing water for irrigation and livestock.
- They also have cultural and ecological significance. Etc
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Degradation and management
- Water bodies are increasingly under threat from pollution, encroachment, urbanisation, and drying. If they are to be conserved and managed effectively, we need action plans which require baseline data.
- As water bodies are managed by different agencies from State to local to private entities, the data must be uniform and easily accessible.
- To actually manage water bodies, we need contextual and traditional knowledge of communities which are to be integrated with formal data.
- While data on reservoirs and rivers has been available on the India Water Resources Information System (WRIS) for the last few years, there has been no data on smaller water bodies that are the lifeline of rural India and critical cultural, flood-control and recreational spaces in cities.
The data
These are some of the observations based on the data:-
- Most water bodies in the country are very small — the vast majority of India’s water bodies are less than one hectare (ha) large.
- This means locating and keeping track of them is likely to remain a challenge.
- The traditional way to map these water bodies, using satellites, may not work, which is why the mammoth effort expended in ground-based tracking is very welcome.
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The water bodies show regional patterns that correlate with rainfall
- in general, in drier States like Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan, water bodies tend to be larger and publicly held.
- In the wetter parts of the country, like Kerala, West Bengal, and States in the northeast, more than three-quarters of the water bodies are privately owned.
- In drier States, the water bodies are primarily used for irrigation and groundwater recharge while in wetter States, domestic use and pisciculture dominate.
- Mid-sized water bodies are largely panchayat-owned.
- Most water bodies have never been repaired or rejuvenated.
Shortcomings of the census
- Water bodies have an important role in supporting biodiversity but the latest water body census does not address any questions about it.
- The report itself noted in its preamble that water bodies “support healthy ecosystems”, yet the focus was exclusively on human use, which means only pisciculture or fish farming, which is seeded and does not reflect natural biodiversity.
- There is possibility that the census questionnaire may have left out the most common reasons like eutrophication, sewage pollution, and solid waste dumping.
- As the census groups water bodies into five types: ponds, tanks, lakes, reservoirs, and water conservation schemes. Its glossary defines a pond as a smaller water body than a tank, while “water conservation structures” might include check dams and percolation tanks.
- The data was not standardised across States. This suggests differences in interpretation by the enumerators.
Way forward
Notwithstanding these shortcomings, it is crucial that the government continue such nationwide censuses of a vital resource, with modifications. If such censuses are conducted every five or 10 years, over time, they will accurately represent emerging trends and the state of water in the country as a whole.