At a time when national attention has been cast either on Covid rise, vaccination progress or ongoing assembly elections, the news that the just-concluding month of March has been the third warmest in last 121 years in India has captured people’s imagination, diverting discussions to a topic that hardly dies down-global warming. It’s a matter of concern that the new phenomenon has a ubiquitous presence almost all across the country and it’s feared that the changing climate pattern is going to exert a negative impact not only on people’s health, but also on nature, ecology and agriculture. The impact of global climate change triggered primarily by global warming is already terrible and that the effects are going to follow fast is evident from the March temperature record. There is an urgent need to address the issue globally and within the geographical parameters of the country, the steps considered as safety shields must be pursued with greater zeal. At any cost, the country’s environment must be saved.

The temperature chart shared by the IMD on Monday can aptly be called a ‘warning chart’. The country’s monthly average maximum, minimum and mean temperature during March were 32.65 degrees, 19.95 degrees and 26.30 degrees Celsius respectively, when the normal ones are supposed to be 31.24, 18.87 and 25.06 degrees Celsius based on the 1981-2010 climatology period. The all-India average monthly maximum temperature during this month was 32.65 degrees Celsius which was the warmest in last 11 years and third warmest in last 121 years with 2010 and 2004 as the most warmest and second warmest months with 33.09 and 32.82 degrees Celsius respectively. The heat waves that normally visit the northern and eastern swathes of the country in May have arrived two months earlier and environmental engineers and ecology experts have predicted that water crisis this summer will surpass all previous records. The current IMD report for March can be understood better if placed vis-à-vis its earlier report. Recalling it can be learnt that not only March 2021, preceding January and February were also the third warmest since 1901 in terms of mean temperatures and the second warmest in last 120 years in terms of minimum temperatures. In a way thus, the March development was not totally unexpected and rather a continuation of what will gradually be the new normal- more and more shorter winters. India as an individual nation can do little if the ‘main players’, for whom the primary priority is industrial output and bigger GDPs remain apathetic.

All that can be done is saving the environment and although it’s necessity is chanted periodically, a nation-wide mass movement is still not visible. Arunachal has been blessed with green and it’s high time to save and expand it.  

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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