Revision summary
India’s coast and EEZ hold fish, ports, offshore energy, beach minerals, salt, and tourism. Cyclones, the 2004 tsunami, surge, and erosion are the main natural hazards. The Disaster Management Act, 2005, IMD, INCOIS, and cyclone shelters have lowered death counts. CRZ rules and mangrove buffers are unevenly enforced. Ports and fishers need the same map of hazard before the next surge.
Model answer
Flow diagram
flowchart TD C[Long coastline] --> R[Fish ports oil minerals tourism] C --> H[Cyclone tsunami surge erosion] W[IMD INCOIS NDMA CRZ] --> P[Better warning shelters] H --> G[Gap in last-mile and erosion] R --> S[Blue economy] P --> S
Conclusion
- Treat mangroves and dunes as infrastructure, not as spare land for ports.
- Complete cyclone shelters, all-weather houses under coastal PMAY-U and state schemes, and boat-to-phone warning for small fishers.
- Align Sagarmala and coastal power plants with NDMA flood and surge maps before construction.
The long coast can feed fisheries, ports, minerals, and tourism if the EEZ is used with care. Preparedness has improved in cyclone warning and law since 2005, but erosion, surge, and weak local enforcement still leave fishers and slums exposed.
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Identify and discuss the factors responsible for diversity of natural vegetation in India. Assess the significance of wildlife sanctuaries in rain forests regions of India.
Next question in the 2023 paper (Q15). View answer →
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Has cyclone preparedness actually improved?
Deaths have fallen with warnings and shelters compared with 1999 Odisha. Livelihood and house loss remain high.
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Is Sagarmala in conflict with hazard safety?
It can be if ports ignore surge and mangrove maps. It need not be if those maps bind the project.
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