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Business News/ Politics / Policy/  The year the impact of climate change stared us in the face
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The year the impact of climate change stared us in the face

While heavy rains lashed the capital city of Tamil Nadu, floods in West Bengal, Assam and Gujarat claimed lives of both humans and animals

A flooded area in Chennai following heavy rains. At least 280 people were killed and damage worth hundreds of crores of rupees was incurred. Photo: PTIPremium
A flooded area in Chennai following heavy rains. At least 280 people were killed and damage worth hundreds of crores of rupees was incurred. Photo: PTI

The horror of Nepal’s devastating earthquake had barely receded when we saw extreme weather events in India. These have been on the rise, but never before had they been so explicitly linked to climate change by policy makers as the way Prime Minister Narendra Modi did when he linked heavy rains in Chennai to climate change in his ‘Mann ki Baat’ radio programme prior to his Paris climate summit visit.

Heavy rains lashed the capital city of Tamil Nadu, leading to severe flooding and resulting in the deaths of at least 280 people and damage worth hundreds of crores of rupees. Floods in West Bengal, Assam and Gujarat claimed lives of both humans and animals, including several lions—an endangered species only found in Gujarat in India.

But probably one of the most devastating examples of climate change affecting Indian weather was unseasonal rains between February and April that damaged the winter harvest, primarily the wheat crop, across 15 states.

A farmer harvests damaged wheat in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, after unseasonal rains destroyed crops. Photo: Pradeep Gaur/Mint
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A farmer harvests damaged wheat in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, after unseasonal rains destroyed crops. Photo: Pradeep Gaur/Mint
People wade through a flooded street in West Bengal’s West Midnapore district in August. Photo: Reuters
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People wade through a flooded street in West Bengal’s West Midnapore district in August. Photo: Reuters
Villagers commute in local boats in a flooded village in Morigaon district of Assam in August. Photo: PTI
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Villagers commute in local boats in a flooded village in Morigaon district of Assam in August. Photo: PTI
In April, a massive earthquake rocked Nepal. Here, rescuers use a makeshift stretcher to carry an injured person after an avalanche triggered by the earthquake flattened parts of the Everest Base Camp. Photo: Roberto Schmidt/AFP
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In April, a massive earthquake rocked Nepal. Here, rescuers use a makeshift stretcher to carry an injured person after an avalanche triggered by the earthquake flattened parts of the Everest Base Camp. Photo: Roberto Schmidt/AFP

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Published: 29 Dec 2015, 08:05 AM IST
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