Disasters in Mid country Tea Estates in Sri lanka

M.M.C.B Ehelamalpe

Disaster

A disaster is a function of the risk process. It results from the combination of hazards, conditions of vulnerability and insufficient capacity or measures to reduce the potential negative consequences of risk.

“A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society causing widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses which exceed the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources.” Source: Reducing Disaster Risk, UNDP 2004.

Identified Disasters..

Intensive Rains and WindsLand SlidesFlying insect stingsForest FiresDroughtLightningBush Debilitation and Death

Intensive Rains and WindsCausal phenomenaMixture of heat and, moisture forms a low pressure

center over oceans in tropical latitudes where water temperatures are over 26 degrees C. Wind currents spin and organize around deepening low pressure over accelerating toward the center and moving along track pushed by trade winds. Depression becomes a tropical cyclone when winds reach gale force or 117 km per hour.

General characteristics and effectsWhen the cyclone strikes land, high winds,

exceptional rainfall and storm surges cause damage with secondary flooding and landslides.

Land Slides

Causal phenomenaDown slope transport of soil and rock resulting

from naturally occurring vibrations, changes in direct water content, removal of lateral support, loading with weight, and weathering, or human manipulation of water courses and slope composition.

General characteristics and effectsLandslides vary in types of movement (falls,

slides, topples, lateral spread, flows), and may be secondary effects of heavy storms, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. Landslides are more widespread than any other geological event.

Landslide- Nicholaoya State Plantation, Rattota, Matale

Flying insect stingsThis is a common occupational hazard among

plantation workers who were engaged in fieldwork most of the day.

Insect stings particularly those of bees and wasps (which also include hornets) are an unidentified and unaddressed issue and send numerous people to hospital.

The National Poisons Information Centre clearly indicates that they happen all over the country with a higher concentration in estate areas.

an insect-sting causes redness and swelling at the spot but there could also be anaphylactic shock and sometimes rarely renal failure and myocardial infarction (a heart attack)

found that where earlier flying-insect nests were a top trees,

now they are at tea-bush level, hidden among the tea-bushes.

◦Because the insects are seeking protection for their nests at a lower level because swoops on the nests by birds which relish the larvae have increased,

Environmental sources say the flying-insect nests are usually attacked by the oriental honey buzzard.

The data show that the problem of flying-insect attacks has not been addressed either zoologically or medically, that even in health statistics they do not fall under a separate entity. There ‘snake bites’ but flying-insect stings are under ‘animal bites’.

the loss of income to people who have to seek treatment at hospitals after being stung by these insects and able to take time off work.

seems to be limited research carried out in Sri Lanka on this subject

Prevention and response if stung

Dark colours such as black and blue are an attraction, as also perfume and the odour of beer and sweet sodas

advising people to try as much as possible to avoid them if they are in areas where these flying insects roam.

If stung, the sting should be removed with care. If the sting-spot is squeezed with the fingers, as we often do, to remove the embedded sting, the chances are that the venom apparatus which is atop the sting will pump more poison into the victim. Therefore, it is better to take a piece of paper and attempt to take out the sting sideways

Forest Fires

In Mid country, only a short dry season prevails during the first three months of the year but the risk of fire is often high due to low humidity and the topography of the area.

Fire hazard is very high in forest plantations, especially in eucalypt (Eucalyptus spp.) and pine (Pinus spp.) plantations.

almost all forest fires are of human origin. Main causes reported are..◦ Throwing cigarette butts when travelling by train or

walking through forests;◦ Burning of debris by workers maintaining roads

without taking proper precautionary measures;◦ Burning dead grass in order to obtain fresh grass for

cattle. These fires often spread to nearby forests;◦ Setting fire to the forest by hunters to drive animals

out

Adaptation strategies

Forest plantations can protected from outside fires through the use of peripheral (and sometime internal) fire breaks.

Conduct awareness programmes for plantation community.

Take immediate legal action to suspects.

DROUGHT The crops have declined drastically and the production has gone down as a result of the drought. (reduce the tea production by about 50 percent)

The drought is likely to cause long term damage to the plantations due to death of tea plants.

Plantations and small holders suffer due to the loss of income.

Drought adaptation strategies Selection of suitable lands for tea cultivation Use of drought tolerant cultivars Establishment of Medium and high shade trees Rainwater harvesting for use during a dry spell Soil & Moisture conservation through establishment of

green manure crops Avoid Dry weather pruning Forking: should be practiced during rainy period to

retain more water. If a water source is available micro irrigation can be

practiced mainly during new clearing, young tea stage Weed Management prior to dry spell Preparation for drought- Spraying of SOP or MOP and

Kaolin -reduce water loss by leaves (transpiration) Do a light skiffing to remove top most 2-3” of foliage

[when young plants (from 2nd-4th year) remained wilted during morning hours]

Lightning• In tea plantations -large portion of the

labour force working in the open areas for plucking and for other cultural practices.

• Therefore, they always exposure to extreme temperatures and inclement weather conditions such as Lightning.

• Mostly affected in month of April (“Bak maha Akunu”) which it’s also a crop season with high labour outturn

Prevention in Lightning

Be away from open spaces..

If hopelessly isolated from a shelter during close-in lightning, adopt a low crouching position with heels together and hands on ears (Crouching). –

Maintain lowest possible height

Bush Debilitation and Death

Shot-hole borer is one of the most serious pests of tea in Sri Lanka.

The damage it causes is two fold where the primary damage is a result of constructing galleries in the branches and the most damaging, the accumulation of wood rot, which debilitates the bush in the long run resulting crop loss.

The difficulty in controlling due to its well concealed habit, the economic damage it causes as well as the wide distribution contributed it to be a key pest of tea.

Infestation levels are extremely high and consistent, both in the wet and the dry zones of the mid-country.

A huge Extent of Tea already lost for industry but prevention measures not sufficiently spread.

Adaptation strategies

Use of tolerant and resistant clones (TRI 2023, TRI 2043, TRI 3018, DG 39)

Chemical control (Fenthion 50% EC)

Sanitation measures at pruningMaintain bush vigor in order to

encourage compensatory growth.

Thank You