Bishnupada Sethi

Some technologies bring about disruptive changes in the way we lead our lives.

Rapid development in the solar energy sector in the recent years is countering the environmental concerns on climate change due to anthropocentric development activities.

Besides, it is giving birth to new possibilities and innovations.

Some of the recent researches in the development of solar energy are worth mentioning.

There is development of a paint having billions of pieces of light sensitive material in it. When applied to surface, it captures energy from the sun and converts into electricity.

Being only 3-8% efficient, it is commercially non-sustainable now. However, Experts believe the technology can be commercialized within the next five years.

Like solar paint, scientists are working on solar window innovation. Solar windows have the ability to convert sunlight into electricity, having potential to supply about 40 percent of our energy demands.

So also, the engineers are attempting to build Solar Car by capitalizing on the sunshine. As our roads are exposed to the sky about 80 percent of the time, if the solar panels are used on driveways, walking pathways, and parking lots, those could generate lot of power.

Likewise, it is possible to provide sufficient clean water by using solar desalination technology which utilizes nano-particle-assisted solar vaporization process in membrane distillation geometry.

The Scientists are working on solar thin film technology and such films can be printed in rolls. By greatly reducing the cost of manufacturing of PV and its installation, as well as opening up more opportunities for placement such as in shape of the roofing materials of buildings, dramatic development can take place on solar power.

However, much development in solar energy has happened due to solar PV technology until now. As per the Solar Energy Industry Association (US), the cost to install PV solar has dropped by more than 70% since 2010 and system efficiency is continuously improving.

Solar PV installation is going up day by day. Few months back, it was reported that around 500 GW grid connected power installation has been achieved worldwide, the top 4 solar markets being China (175 GW), Japan (55.5 GW), USA (49.7 GW), Germany (45.9 GW).

As against 2630 MW of solar power five years back, the installed capacity has gone up to 37505 MW as on 31 Dec 2019 in India, which is a significant growth by fourteen times.

India has an ambitious goal to achieve 175 GW renewable energy including 100 GW solar energy by 2022 and meet 40% of energy requirement through renewable sources by 2030.

Solar energy will bring a new era of different realities in daily life and industry.

Unlike fossil fuel based energy, there is no variable fuel cost and hence power cost will be uniform over the life time of the project. This brings stability in financial results for the solar power developers.

As solar power generation happens during the day time, there will be lower demand charges for the industry and commercial customers as daily performance curve of solar energy systems is highly co-related to their load profile.

The incentive is to run most of the businesses during the day time. When battery storage technology will become viable, there will be a shift towards distributed generation and consumption leading to energy independence.

Reduction in dependence on grid will pose new challenges for the grid management and modernisation including reliance on hydro sources, pumped storage projects and wind power.

Not only for the development of solar power plants, but also for maintenance and repair, new skill sets and knowledge have to be acquired by the engineers, technicians. The challenges for grid management, for capacity building, have to be addressed by the technical institutions.

If we take an average requirement of Rs.4 to 5 crores per MW of solar power, there will be huge investment for achieving the target set by 2022 in India.

This means a lot of opportunities for those associated in various activities of the solar power value chain like solar cell manufacturing and import, solar module assembly, solar inverter, solar mounting structure, solar PV monitoring system, solar plant etc.

Manufacturing and selling of various products like solar PV, solar thermal systems, solar attic fans, solar cooling systems, solar lights, solar gadgets and solar chargers are increasing day by day.

Many R& D activities are being aimed towards development of solar powered products like phones, computers, re-creational vehicles, solar powered boats etc.

An interesting development as regards to floating solar projects adds a new dimension in this sector. Close to 1 GW of solar power has been developed worldwide where China & Japan are the market leaders. In India, several projects have been initiated in different states.

Major advantage of floating solar PV technology on water bodies over land based projects is on account of conservation of land and the related cost to acquire & maintain the site.

Besides, the projects can be taken up in densely populated areas. It is a better alternative in locations with high land costs and the projects avoid using land, which are otherwise used for agriculture.

The technology offers great opportunity for country like India with significant number of bodies of water where availability of land for huge population is limited.

Due to the cooling effect of water, better efficiency in power generation is achievable. Placement of panels over the water body reduces water evaporation & improves water quality by reducing photosynthesis etc.

The prices of floating PV are equivalent to normal PV with some additional costs. Under the Indian context, the current investment is expected to be between Rs. 5 to 6 crores per MW though it is possible to expect it to be below Rs. 5 crore provided floating solar market picks up in India. Local manufacturing can bring down the cost.

A preliminary study on five hydro reservoirs and seven irrigation reservoirs of Odisha taken up recently led to discovery of levellised cost of energy of about Rs.4.00 per kWh.

However, in the case of 5% to 10% increase of yield due to the effect of cooling from the water body, a 4.8% to 9% decrease on LCOE is expected.

With cheaper finance, 30 to 40% tariff reduction is possible. It has been suggested that foreign investment might reduce tariffs by 20%. The study had recommended to develop 5500 MW of solar power from the floating solar in the first phase.

Humanity has responded to every challenge creatively. The development in clean and green energy i.e., in solar energy sector is an exciting example.

The supporting environment being provided by the governments would pay huge dividends to the mankind in general and those involved in particular.

The author is principal
Secretary , the department of Revenue and disaster management and Odia Language Literature & Culture Department, Government of Odisha government of Odisha . The opinions expressed are personal.

Man is a social animal and places society above self.

This becomes more evident during a disaster.

We see spontaneous actions by volunteers who at times even risk their lives to help the distressed population.

They play multiple roles in evacuation, search, rescue, relief activities, shelter management and meeting several needs of the affected population.

During cyclone Fani, in May 2019, Odisha government undertook one great evacuation exercise of more than 1.5 million people to safe shelters within a period of few hours, which is a kind of record in the history of disaster management.

Such a herculean and flawless task was accomplished with the involvement of countless number of volunteers who assisted in planning, transportation, arranging logistics, ensuring safety & security of people and taking care of the vulnerable groups while augmenting the efforts of government functionaries.

Promoting volunteerism is one important goal that Odisha has aimed to achieve after the super cyclone- 1999.

Odisha’sDisaster Management Policy of 2005 envisages to “promote a spirit of volunteerism and develop a cadre of well trained volunteers whose services will be utilized during emergencies”.

It sees distinct roles for the volunteers belonging to Nehru Yuva Kendras, National Social Services, Scouts & Guides, National Cadet Corps and stakeholders within civil society.

Mitigation of risks and consequences of disasters in communities remain the avowed objectives of community volunteers.

The core functions played by the volunteers include management of effects of floods, storms, tsunami, cyclone, drought etc which the communities face from time to time with increased frequency in recent times. The community based volunteers are most suited for immediate response to disasters like tsunami, bush fire, earth quake, landslides, whirl wind, boat tragedy, highway accidents because of the very nature of these calamities.

The disaster managers are using the network of volunteers for various functions like disaster awareness, community resource mapping, preparation of disaster management plans, constitution of disaster response teams, advocacy for risk mitigations, in school safety preparedness programs and involving them in different activities like providing medical first aid including psychological first aid, care of special people, control of communicable disease, information education communication, nutrition management, safe water and sanitation etc.

During the time of disasters, we get spontaneous volunteers who respond to their inner call to help the fellow countrymen and women to alleviate their sufferings.

Many corporate volunteers including universities and business entities offer their staff, skill, resources and incident management support to the government.

Several NGOs, CBOs, Red Cross, NSS, NYK, NCC, Civil Defence mobilize various resources and try to reach out to the distressed people.

However, it is observed that while relief may reach some areas abundantly, some areas remain without assistance.

Proper coordination becomes a difficulty and a challenge to be addressed.

Many countries around the globe have devised methods to utilize the community spirited volunteers in disaster management.

One great example one could cite is about the New South Wales State Emergency Service (SES). A sixty year old emergency and rescue service organization is dedicated to assisting the community.

This organization believes that key to community safety and resilience is trained and equipped community based volunteers.

It provides emergency assistance to the people of New South Wales round the clock.

With 9,000 volunteers across the state, 730 vehicles, 380 boats, 320 staff it operates from 250 locations.

NSW SES Volunteers come from all walks of life, bringing with them many different skills, interests and backgrounds.

They are united by the purpose of supporting their communities in times of need.

Their major responsibilities are for flood and storm emergencies.

They also provide the majority of general rescue effort in the rural parts of the state in road accident rescue, vertical rescue, bush search and rescue, evidence searches and other forms of specialist rescue that may be required due to local threats.

Volunteers in a number of isolated communities have been trained as Community First Responders by the Ambulance Service of NSW. The organizations trained rescuers also support the full-time emergency services during major disasters.

Operating under an Inter-service Incident Management System, SES is organized into five zones, which have further been divided into clusters and then units (base level) with division of responsibilities and functions.

An effective organizational structure led by the commissioner has a proper reporting system from the unit commander to local commander (cluster) level, then to deputy commander and zone commander.

The vision of SES is to be the best volunteer emergency service in Australia.

A dedicated training directorate looks after the streamlined volunteer training. The volunteers are recruited, trained, equipped and retained because of the positive, empowering, fulfilling and rewarding experience they get through their successful community engagement.

The volunteers make the communities safer and resilient due to their continuous engagement, partnership and planning.

By focusing on the core roles, incident management, technology & innovation, flexibility, responding to the capability needs, SES has become a role model in using the energy of volunteers in disaster management.

At the times of disasters, many people feel sad for not being able to help the community because of lack of an opportunity though the disaster management organization would need people with different skill sets and in diverse locations for different functions.

Studies show that volunteering improves the mental health of people due to the social connectedness with community.

Volunteering can also be exciting for youth as they become part of something bigger than themself and they become better citizens.

It remains a challenge for the disaster management organization show they recruit, train; utilize volunteers in their day to day activities like it has been done in case of NSW- SES.

We have different community based organizations doing different roles including disaster management.

Having a dedicated community based emergency response system may be of immense help in a country like India which see multiple disasters over the vast territory.

The community based local units of volunteers are best suited to respond local disasters which often do not get proper attention or get delayed response like whirl wind, drowning, road accident, lightning accident, snake bite, wild life matters.

The case study of SES offers few lessons to us for according due place to the volunteers in disaster management Organizations in a formal manner to mitigate the community risks.

*The author is principal Secretary, the department of Revenue and disaster management, government of Odisha. The opinions expressed are personal.

Multi-pronged community level approach may erase psychological scars left by the Pandemic, feels Bishnupada Sethi

Any disaster evokes painful emotions in human beings and the degrees vary depending upon the severity, duration and exposure to the calamity.

The best disaster management practices adopt multi-dimensional, community based approaches to address the emotional needs of the affected population.

When a disaster strikes, there is thorough scrutiny of the situation and official response mechanism.

Often a surge in relief activities is seen. Visits by VVIPs lead to several announcements of assistance for the affected people.

Driven by altruistic motives, many NGOs, CBOs and individuals come to the aid of affected people.

The relief distribution is a very important aspect of disaster management, aimed at giving immediate assistance to the affected people for the loss of their assets and livelihood.

This phase lasts for about two to three months followed by the reconstruction phase which may continue up to three years depending upon the extent of damages.

Rebuilding of houses, livelihood like agriculture and livestock, infrastructure are time taking processes and hence do not get continued media attention.

The administration may have to sort out other priorities in the meantime. People complain about delays, discriminations and embezzlement.

Return to normal life is not easy due to disillusionment, and this impacts the mental health of the individual and the community.

People affected in a disaster face myriad problems for their survival which leads to depression, anxieties, sleeping disorders and post-traumatic stress. Can the disaster managers ignore these mental health issues?

Odisha super cyclone-1999 was a watershed as far as disaster management in the country is concerned.

Though the severity and impact were not unprecedented in the country, experts believed those could have been reduced if the preparations were optimal in terms of technological and economic progress of the country at that point of time.

However, many initiatives and experiments were undertaken for the first time in the country by the government in collaboration with many partners.

The cyclone had resulted in more than 10,000 human casualties with women and children becoming the worst sufferers. Millions of people were rendered homeless, struggling to stay alive.

For several days the worst affected ones remained confused, lonely and highly traumatised.

The disaster managers gave due attention to the widows and orphans to save them from trafficking.

They set up Mamata Gruhas, community homes to provide food, clothing, education, health services, and love & affection.

The volunteers took care of 44 such homes accommodating 801 orphans, 638 widows and 201 old people and facilitated a family integration process by identifying families, mainly the near and distant relatives, with whom the orphans and widows could be rehabilitated.

But for this unique community based initiatives, many vulnerable people wouldn’thave the opportunity to live a dignified life.

Any disaster affects the poorest of the poor in the severest way. Similarly, children, elderly people, differently-abled, migrant labourers, street vendors, homeless people need maximum attention.

Identifying and targeting the high risk people to address their psychological needs remain an all time challenge.

Government orders for lockdown on account of Covid-19 created extreme kind of disturbing emotions in people during the month of March 2020.

In urban areas, it led to panic-buying and stockpiling of medicines, portable oxygen cylinders, nebulisers, sanitizers, masks, food items, withdrawal of cash from bank amongst the well-educated and informed people.

They feared that nothing would be available in the market for months, and so played safe. Restrictions on physical movement, changes in life style, uncertainties, loss of job and income created a deep psychological scar in people unlike in any other disaster in the past.

A number of families suffered emotionally due to separation from their children, relatives staying outside, illness and fear.

An overdose of negative news and prospects of a gloomy future led to anxiety, insomnia, depression, fear of infection and death, exacerbating the traumatic experiences for the people.

Considering the many challenges disaster managers across the country take several measures such as designing and communicating appropriate social media and news contents to make the community confident and stress free.

Providing reliefs to the vulnerable population and enhancing wage earning opportunities keep raising the hopes and aspirations of the people.

A number of activities is initiated to build the community level solidarity at the Gram Panchayat and village levels.

Use of information technology for awareness building about the virus has led to reliance on the government source of information for action at all level.

Experts extend services to the needy people through help lines.

The older population, health workers, adults with pre-existing conditions, those living in precarious domestic situations are likely to feel the maximum stress and need due attention.

Different social settings are likely to put people on account of Covid-19 in varied mental health conditions.

Our leaderships are trying their best to remove any kind of stigma associated with the disease or any discrimination against any community to fight the side effects of the disease.

The community level workers and the front line government machineries are maximizing their efforts to connect people, keep them busy, engage in physical activities, and advocating a daily routine so that people lead a stress free life.

Availability of police helpline against domestic violence and for the assistance of elderly population is a noble initiative and a cherished one.

It is desirable to have socio-culturally appropriate processes and focussed interventions including organising religion specific death rituals to deal with the psychological stress as a part of disaster management.

As witnessed, different measures have been adopted in the country in the fight against Covid-19 to address the mental health needs of the affected people including Yoga and meditation, prayers, relaxation and spiritual interventions, online counselling, mental health clinics etc.whichneed documentation.

It will be beneficial if the disaster management authorities took proper steps to document the community based processes and programs and used those to train the relief workers community in order to mitigate the psychological issues.

*The author is Principal Secretary, Department of Revenue and Disaster management , Government of Odisha . The opinions expressed are personal.