Damdama and Badhkal, two prominent lakes situated in the north and south of the Aravalli outcrops, have all but vanished. Increasing human interference, unprecedented rise in built up area, privatisation of land for recreational purposes and unsustainable cropping activities in recent years are wiping out these lakes.

Kerala has witnessed one of the most devastating floods in history. Many lives and livelihoods were lost in just a few days. To reduce future occurrences and the impact of such calamities, it is important that we focus on implementing and improving the measures that can offer greater resilience.

The strongest feature of Indian democracy is the high rate of participation of citizens in elections. Voter turnout, political awareness and participation of women in elections are constantly changing and are affected by various factors like literacy, economic development and influence of the media.

Given India’s population, its density, concentration in particular geographies, and weak state of its institutions of governance, adopting precautionary measures to disaster preparedness becomes imperative. These measures should have roots in deep, systemic scientific analysis based on flexible, responsive governance structures.