Date:05/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/05/stories/2008120550520200.htm

Other States - Orissa

Experts warn on climate change

Staff Reporter

‘All stakeholders must get their act together to minimise impact’

BHUBANESWAR: Experts and academicians here on Thursday warned about a possible catastrophic impact of climate change on agriculture, water use and health in coming decades.

Calling for complete reforms in policies concerning all sectors, they said all stakeholders must get their act together to minimise impact of climate change.

Experts, academicians and grassroot-level volunteers assembled at a workshop on ‘Climate Change: Impact on Drinking’, organised by WaterAid, international advocacy group and Sambalpur-based voluntary organisation MASS, here.

Speaking at the seminar, Chandan Mahanta from IIT Guwahati, said change in climate had already started to show its impact in different rivers such as Gnages and Brahmaputra.

Moreover, the groundwater was also getting contaminated due to rise in temperature, Prof Mahanta said.

Indira Khurana, director of police and partnership of WaterAid, said glacier was melting at an accelerating rate which may cause increased flooding in Himalayan rivers and subsequent.

“Rising sea levels and coastal erosion will gobble up land . A Government of India study reveals that 23 per cent of Indian coast has already been swallowed by Sea. It leads large scale displacement and coastal freshwater aquifers are turning saline,” Ms. Khurana said adding that all this would have impact on drinking water.

“As temperature soar, humidity increases, water becomes scarce and disasters such as flood increase. Similarly, diarrhoea, cholera, malaria and other vector borne diseases would spread to newer areas,” she warned.