Get summay, questions, answers, solutions, notes, extras, PDF, competency-based questions of chapter/unit II, Disaster Management (Responsibilities and Precautions): AHSEC Class 11 Environmental Education, which is part of the present syllabus. These solutions, however, should only be treated as references and can be modified/changed.
Summary
Disasters are sudden events that cause great harm. They happen for two main reasons. The first is when people damage nature for their own benefit. The second is due to powerful changes in the earth, like earthquakes or floods. Disasters are divided into two types: natural and man-made. Natural disasters are caused by nature. Examples include earthquakes, floods, cyclones, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis. Long ago, the ancient city of Pompeii was destroyed by a volcano. Man-made disasters are caused by human actions or mistakes. These include industrial accidents like the Bhopal gas tragedy, fires, and attacks by terrorist groups.
When a disaster occurs, it disrupts the normal life of people. It can damage emergency services and cause a shortage of food, water, and shelter. Disasters are often unpredictable and happen very fast, leading to a huge loss of life and property. To handle these events, we use disaster management. This involves taking steps before, during, and after a disaster. Before a disaster, we can prepare by creating awareness and having a plan. During a disaster, search and rescue teams work to save people. After a disaster, efforts are focused on providing relief, medical care, and rebuilding what was destroyed.
Students can play a very helpful part in disaster management. They can learn safety rules and share them with their families. It is good to stay prepared by keeping an emergency bag with water, food, and a first-aid kit. During an earthquake, one should take shelter under a strong table or in the corner of a room, away from windows. During floods, rafts made from banana trees can be used for safety. Listening to the radio or television for warnings about storms or heavy rains helps people take precautionary steps.
In India, the government has created special organizations to manage disasters. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) leads these efforts for the entire country. There is also a special, trained team called the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) that carries out rescue operations. These teams are placed in different parts of the country to respond quickly. Many states, like Assam, also have their own disaster management authorities and response forces. A Chinese proverb says that to plan for a year, you should grow crops, and to plan for ten years, you should grow trees. But to plan for a hundred years, you should educate people. This means that teaching everyone about disaster safety is the best long-term way to protect communities.
Textual/Exercise
1. Write the names of two natural and two man-made disasters.
Answer: Two natural disasters are earthquakes and floods.
Two man-made disasters are industrial accidents and air crashes.
2. What are the reasons of various disasters in Assam.
Answer: The primary disasters in Assam and their reasons are:
- Floods: Assam experiences frequent and devastating floods. This is mainly due to the Brahmaputra river and its tributaries overflowing their banks during the heavy monsoon season.
- Landslides: These are common, particularly in hilly urban areas like Guwahati. They are caused by a combination of heavy rainfall saturating the soil and human activities like deforestation and unplanned construction on slopes.
- Earthquakes: The entire region is located in a high-seismic zone, making it highly vulnerable to earthquakes.
- Man-made bisasters: The state has also faced man-made disasters, such as terrorist activities like the serial bomb blasts in Guwahati.
3. Write three reasons of artificial (man-made) disasters in India.
Answer: Three reasons for man-made disasters in India are:
- Industrial accidents: These occur due to failures in safety protocols, human error, or equipment malfunction in industrial settings.
- Terrorism and violent attacks: These are deliberate acts intended to cause mass casualties and fear.
- Infrastructure and safety failures: These include disasters like major fires, which can result from poor maintenance, violation of safety codes, or inadequate infrastructure.
4. How can the man-made disasters be mitigated? Suggest three measures of your own.
Answer: Our sense of responsibility can considerably prevent man-made disasters. Precautionary measures can help mitigate their adverse effects to a great extent. Three measures to mitigate man-made disasters are:
- Promoting mass awareness and education: We should conduct awareness campaigns in schools, colleges, and communities about the causes and prevention of man-made disasters. For example, educating people about fire safety, road safety rules, and the dangers of tampering with electrical or railway infrastructure can prevent many accidents.
- Encouraging public vigilance and reporting: As citizens, we must be alert and report any dangerous situations to the concerned authorities immediately. This includes things like dangerously hanging electric wires, open manholes, defective railway tracks, or unclaimed baggage in public places. A quick report can help prevent a major disaster.
- Strict enforcement of safety regulations: Government and private organizations must strictly follow and enforce safety laws and protocols. Regular safety inspections should be conducted in factories, on public transport systems, and at construction sites to ensure that all safety measures are in place. This can prevent industrial accidents, building collapses, and transport-related tragedies.
5. Mention about the measures which should be taken before and after a disaster.
Answer: The measures which should be taken before a disaster include Precautions, Mass Awareness, Prediction, and Preparation.
The measures which should be taken after a disaster include Relief and Rehabilitation of the affected, health services, and reconstruction of communication systems.
6. What are the major and genuine causes of increasing numbers of disasters during the last two decades?
Answer: The major causes for the increase in disasters over the last two decades are:
- Human-induced climate change: The wanton destruction of Nature by man for his selfish interest has led to climate change. This results in more frequent and intense extreme weather events like heavy rains, floods, droughts, and powerful cyclones.
- Environmental degradation: Activities like deforestation and unplanned construction weaken natural defenses. This directly contributes to an increase in landslides and worsens the impact of floods.
- Unplanned urbanization and population growth: A growing population has led to more people living in high-risk areas such as floodplains, coastal zones, and unstable slopes. This means that a natural event like an earthquake or flood affects more people, turning it into a larger-scale disaster.
- Increased man-made hazards: The rise in industrial activities increases the risk of accidents like chemical spills (e.g., Bhopal Gas Disaster). Additionally, global conflicts and tensions have sustained the threat of man-made disasters like terrorist attacks.
7. What were the biggest earthquake on earth and when and where they occurred ?
Answer: The largest earthquake ever recorded was the Valdivia earthquake. It occurred on May 22, 1960, in southern Chile and had a magnitude of 9.5 on the moment magnitude scale.
8. What are the reasons of frequent floods in Assam ?
Answer: The primary reasons for frequent floods in Assam are:
- The Brahmaputra river: Assam is located in the valley of the vast and powerful Brahmaputra River and its many tributaries.
- Heavy monsoon rains: The region receives extremely heavy rainfall during the monsoon season, which causes the rivers to swell and overflow their banks.
- Silt deposition: The rivers carry a large amount of silt from the Himalayas. This silt gets deposited on the riverbed in the plains of Assam, making the rivers shallower and reducing their water-carrying capacity, thus causing them to flood easily.
- Deforestation: Cutting down trees in the catchment areas of the rivers leads to faster water runoff and soil erosion, which worsens the flooding.
9. Write about five probable problems related to earthquake.
Answer: Five probable problems related to an earthquake are:
- Huge loss of life and property: Earthquakes are described as the most devastating of all natural disasters and can cause immense destruction, leading to a significant number of deaths and the ruin of buildings and infrastructure.
- Complete disruption of normal life: An earthquake can cause a complete breakdown in the daily routines and lives of the people affected, creating chaos and uncertainty.
- Interruption and shortage of fundamental needs: Following an earthquake, there is often an interruption in the supply of and a shortage in fundamental necessities such as food, water, shelter, and medical aid.
- Adverse impact on emergency services: Communication systems, hospitals, and other emergency services are severely impacted, making it difficult to carry out rescue and relief operations effectively.
- Physical injuries and trauma: Many people suffer serious injuries from collapsing structures and debris. This necessitates immediate search and rescue operations, first aid, and medical treatment for the victims.
10. What are the purposes and functions of Assam State Disaster Management department?
Answer: The Assam State Disaster Management Authority is the nodal agency in the State. It has the primary duty of creating awareness among the people and streamlining precautionary measures to be taken during disasters. The main functions of these agencies are:
- Planning
- Preparedness
- Operation
- Coordination
- Community participation.
11. What type of disaster is the “Guwahati Serial Blast” which occurred in the year 2008?
Answer: The “Guwahati Serial Blast” which occurred in the year 2008 is a man-made disaster, specifically a violent attack perpetrated by terrorist groups.
12. Write a note on the disasters in Mines in India.
Answer: India is enriched with mines. Sometimes during mining, unexpected accidents take many lives. Some of such accidents and their causes are listed below:
13. What are the stages of disaster Management? What steps can be taken in each stage ?
Answer: Steps for Disaster Management can be taken in three stages:
(i) Before the Disaster: Steps that can be taken are Precautions, Mass Awareness, Prediction, Preparation, etc.
(ii) During the occurrence of Disasters: Special steps to be taken as per the type of the disaster, search and rescue operation, etc.
(iii) After the Disaster: Steps that can be taken are Relief and Rehabilitation of the affected, health services, reconstruction of communication systems, etc.
14. Suggest five steps which you can take as a student in disaster management.
Answer: As a student in disaster management, I can take the following five steps:
- The advice given by the experts in the Disaster Management awareness campaign should be shared with the senior members of the family, and I should take the initiative in maintaining the precautions.
- I should always remain prepared to face any situation caused by disasters.
- I should keep a bag containing emergency items like drinking water, foods, first aids, whistle, and torch lights near the main entrance of the house for use in an emergency situation.
- I should keep the updated telephone numbers of the Fire Brigade, district administration, Civil Defence, etc., readily available for use in emergencies.
- If any irregular and dangerous matters or developments are noticed, such as a manhole on the footpath or dangerously hanging electric wires, I should immediately inform the concerned department.
15. What should not be done during disaster ?
Answer: During a disaster, the following things should not be done:
- Don’t press the panic button unnecessarily.
- Rescue operations should not be carried out without proper assessment and equipment.
- Materials from the damage site should not be taken out in a haphazard manner to evade further damage.
- No careless movement around the accident site should be made, which may further endanger the lives of the victims.
- If not emergent, no movement around or over the accident site should be done.
- Care should be taken not to come in contact with live electric wires.
- The Rescuers should not violate the Safety Measures.
16. Write briefly about National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
Answer: A special unit called National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is a dedicated force constituted to deal with disaster situations. Its members are recruited from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). Eight battalions of NDRF have been created and they are placed in strategic locations of the country. Training in chemical, organic, nuclear and atomic hazards and emergency services are imparted to the members of the NDRF to deal with any emergent situation during disasters. During natural disasters, they are engaged to help the local administration.
The NDRF Battalions in India are:
17. What do you know about Assam State Disaster Management Agency?
Answer: The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) is the nodal agency for disaster management in the State of Assam. It was framed in the year 2010 under the National Disaster Management Act, 2005. Its primary duty is to create awareness among the people and streamline precautionary measures to be taken during disasters. Its Headquarters is located at the Assam Civil Secretariat (Capital Complex), Dispur. An IAS officer is posted as the Chief Executive Officer. Apart from this central agency, there are also other disaster management agencies at the district, block and panchayat levels. The main functions of these agencies are Planning, Preparedness, Operation, Coordination, and Community participation.
18. There are frequent instances of landslide in Guwahati city. What are the reasons of it? Suggest some measures from your views to prevent such landslides.
Answer: The frequent landslides in Guwahati city are caused by a combination of natural and man-made factors.
The main reasons for these landslides are:
- Heavy Rainfall: Guwahati receives very heavy rainfall during the monsoon season. This rainwater seeps into the soil on the hills, making it loose, heavy, and unstable, which can trigger a slide.
- Deforestation and Hill Cutting: Many trees on the hills have been cut down for construction and firewood. The roots of trees help hold the soil together. Without them, the soil erodes easily. Also, hills are often cut in an unscientific way to build houses and roads, which weakens the slopes.
- Unplanned Construction: Building heavy houses and structures on steep and unstable slopes puts extra pressure on the land, increasing the risk of landslides.
- Blocked Drainage: Improper drainage systems often get blocked, preventing rainwater from flowing away. This forces the water to soak into the ground, further weakening the soil on the hillsides.
From my point of view, some measures to prevent these landslides are:
- Afforestation: We should plant more trees, especially on the hill slopes. The roots will bind the soil and prevent erosion.
- Stop Unscientific Hill Cutting: The government must enforce strict laws to ban illegal and unscientific cutting of hills for construction.
- Build Retaining Walls: Strong retaining walls should be constructed at the base of vulnerable slopes to hold the soil and rock in place.
- Proper Drainage Systems: We need to ensure that proper drainage channels are built and maintained on and around the hills to allow rainwater to flow away safely without soaking into the soil.
- Public Awareness: Creating awareness among people living in hilly areas about the dangers of cutting trees and building houses on unsafe slopes is very important.
Extra/additional questions and answers
1. Into which two categories can disasters be divided?
Answer: Disasters can be divided into two categories: Natural Disasters and Manmade Disasters.
22. Write a short note on the Assam State Disaster Response Force (SDRF)?
Answer: To frame an effective mechanism to deal with disasters, the Assam State Disaster Response Force (ASDRF) was created in the year 2010. It was constituted on the line of the National Disaster Response Force and its headquarters is located at Sila, North Guwahati. The ASDRF functions under the supervision of the Director, State Fire and Emergency Services, Assam. The ASDRF works in collaboration with the Fire Services in search and rescue operations during disasters. Apart from natural disasters, this Force is pressed into service in instances of drowning of individuals or fire accidents and other such catastrophes.
Extra/additional Fill in the Blanks
1. The ancient city of Pompeii was also destroyed by the volcanic eruption of Mount ______.
Answer: Vesuvius
35. The “Guwahati Serial Blast” which was a man-made disaster occurred in the year ______.
Answer: 2008
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