Topic 1 : Is the Katchatheevu islet disputed?
Context
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 31 raised again the controversial matter of Katchatheevu, a few weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha poll in Tamil Nadu.
Katchatheevu and Sri Lanka
- During the year 1974, the then Prime Ministers of India and Sri Lanka, Indira Gandhi and Sirima R.D. Bandaranaike, signed an agreement to demarcate the boundary between the two countries in the historic waters from Palk Strait to Adam’s Bridge.
- A joint statement issued on 1974, stated that a boundary had been defined “in conformity with the historical evidence, legal international principles and precedents.
- It also pointed out that “this boundary falls one mile off the west coast of the uninhabited” Katchatheevu.
- The pact brought to a close the talks held between the two sides since October 1921.
Importance to Fisherfolk
- Fisherfolk of the two countries have been traditionally using the islet for fishing.
- Though this feature was acknowledged in the 1974 agreement, the supplemental pact in March 1976 made it clear that fishing vessels and fishermen of the two countries “shall not engage” in fishing in the historic waters, territorial sea and exclusive zone or exclusive economic zone of either of the countries without the express permission of Sri Lanka or India.
- St. Anthony’s Church there holds an annual festival drawing devotees from both sides of the Palk Bay, a tradition which has been going on.
The issues
- Sri Lanka claimed sovereignty over Katchatheevu on the ground that the Portuguese who had occupied the island during 1505-1658 CE had exercised jurisdiction over the islet.
- India’s contention was that the erstwhile Raja of Ramnad [Ramanathapuram] had possession of it as part of his zamin.
- According to a recent news article in Hindu, Katchatheevu was under the jurisdiction of the zamin from time immemorial and it was the “last post’ of the Ramnad estate.
- The zamin had been collecting taxes till 1947 when it was taken over by the State government following the Zamindari Abolition Act.
- However, replying to the debate on the matter in Lok Sabha in July 1974, the then External Affairs Minister Swaran Singh asserted that the decision had been taken after exhaustive research of historical and other records on the islet.
Stand of Union government
- In August 2013, the Union government told the Supreme Court that the question of retrieval of Katchatheevu from Sri Lanka did not arise as no territory belonging to India was ceded to Sri Lanka.
- It contended that the islet was a matter of dispute between British India and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and there was no agreed boundary, a matter which was settled through 1974 and 1976 agreements.
- In December 2022, the Union government asserted that Katchatheevu lies on the Sri Lankan side of the India-Sri Lanka International Maritime Boundary Line.
Conclusion
The transfer of Katchatheevu triggered opposition and debates in both Indian Houses of Parliament. Leaders of Tamil Nadu have periodically raised the demand for the island’s retrieval. The demand evolved over the years, with suggestions of a “lease in perpetuity (a lease deed in which no specified time period)” for the island.
Topic 2 : Will India experience more heat wave days this summer?
Context
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday announced above-average heat wave days for India, impacting southern, central, east, and northwestern regions.
The forecast
- The IMD forecast has said most of India will experience above-normal maximum and minimum temperatures.
- The El Niño event, which causes weak rainfall and more heat over India, has weakened since the beginning of the year, the forecast noted.
- However, moderate El Niño conditions still exist over the equatorial Pacific, increasing the sea surface temperature.
- The heat redistribution affects airflows above the ocean. Since the Pacific Ocean covers almost a third of the earth, changes in its temperature and changes in wind patterns can disrupt weather worldwide.
- The El Niño is, however, likely to weaken during the upcoming season.
- Some models have even predicted the possibility of La Niña conditions developing during the monsoon, which can intensify rainfall across South Asia.
Heat wave
- A period of abnormally high temperatures is called a heat wave.
- The IMD declares a heat wave if the maximum temperature of a weather station reaches at least 40 degrees C in the plains and at least 30 degrees C in hilly regions, with a departure of around 4.5-6.4 degrees C from the normal maximum temperature.
- The IMD can also declare a heat wave if the actual maximum temperature crosses 45 degrees C, and a ‘severe heat wave’ if it crosses 47 degrees C. Qualitatively, a heat wave can also occur when the temperature of the air becomes fatal to the human body.
- Heat waves in India are typically recorded between March and June and tend to peak in May.
Increase in heat waves and it’s effects
- A study published in 2023 found heat waves all over the world are getting more “recurrent, intense and lethal” due to climate change.
- Data from April 2022 used in the study also showed abnormal temperatures could have a severe impact on over 90% of India.
- An increase in the number of heat-wave days and their intensity can exact steep costs affecting livelihoods, food production, disease spread, and more, the study noted.
- Higher temperatures can affect human health by causing heat stress and even death, according to the World Health Organization.
- Hydroelectric output will remain low in the coming months, leading to a greater dependence on coal at a time when India has, in its Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement, promised to reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 45% by 2030, compared to the 2005 level.
Managing heat waves in elections
- The Election Commission (EC) has issued an advisory to manage the impact of heat waves during voting, including carrying a water bottle and protecting oneself from direct sunlight.
- The heat itself can be deadly outside a heat wave if the wet bulb temperature crosses 30-35 degrees C.
- The wet bulb temperature is the lowest temperature to which a surface can be cooled by water evaporating from it. In other words, it’s the lowest temperature at which the surface of the skin can be cooled by sweating.
Conclusion
Heatwaves can burden health and emergency services and also increase strain on water, energy and transportation resulting in power shortages or even blackouts. Food and livelihood security may also be strained if people lose their crops or livestock due to extreme heat.
