Get here the summary, questions, answers, textbook solutions, extras, and pdf of Weathering the Storm in Ersama by Harsh Mander of Assam Board (SEBA) and Tripura Board (TBSE) Class 9 English Supplementary Reader textbook (Moments). However, the given notes/solutions should only be used for references and should be modified/changed according to needs.
Summary: Harsh Mander’s story, ‘Weathering the Storm in Ersama,’ is a moving account of how a community, led by one of its own, fought back and gathered itself back together after being nearly wiped out by natural disasters.
Prashant, the protagonist, was paying a visit to a friend’s house when he was unaware that a super cyclone was bearing down on their coastal villages. When the cyclone hit, everyone was caught off guard. Prashant and his friend’s family were forced to take refuge on the roof due to the constant rain that contributed to the rising water levels. The cyclone’s devastation and the surging ocean waters went on for nearly thirty-six hours, and when the rain stopped and the waters receded, it had clearly left devastation and death in its aftermath.
Prashant returned to his village after the storm passed, wading through floodwaters. In his village, he saw a scene of loss and devastation similar to the one he had left behind. But, not to be broken down, Prashant regained control of his emotions and, after ensuring the safety of his family, went about assisting the others. Prashant and his group of volunteers did everything they could in the days after the cyclone to strengthen their community and assist it in getting back on its feet.
They constructed shelters, cleaned them, organised food, cared for the sick, and even organised women to look after orphaned children. With the passage of time, the people of Kalikuda’s lives began to return to normalcy. Prashant, on the other hand, became a symbol of hope and joy for everyone, especially the widows and orphaned children, because of his unwavering commitment to ensuring their return to normalcy.
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Textual questions and answers of Weathering the Storm in Ersama
1. What havoc has the super cyclone wreaked on the lives of the people of Orissa?
Answer: People and houses have been swept away, trees have been uprooted and crashed, and loved ones have been separated and many have died as a result of the super cyclone. As it passed through the villages of coastal Orissa, the super cyclone wreaked havoc on property and claimed the lives of both humans and animals. People were left with almost no food and had to wade through water to get anywhere.
2. How has Prashant, a teenager, been able to help the people of his village?
Answer: Due to his willpower and determination, Prashant was able to assist the poor of his village. Prashant could save himself and his village by refusing to be broken down by the sight of the super cyclone’s destruction. When Prashant saw that the people of his village needed help, he overcame his grief and chose to become a leader in the absence of others. To begin, he assembled a group of youths and elders and persuaded the merchant to part with his rice so that they could feed the survivors who had run out of food. He then gathered young volunteers to clean the shelter of filth, urine, vomit, and floating carcasses, as well as tend to the injured’s wounds and fractures. Prashant also mobilised women to care for the orphaned children left by the super cyclone. Later, Prashant met with the government and the people of his village to discuss how to effectively rehabilitate everyone, particularly widows and orphaned children.
Thus, by regaining control of himself following the tragedy, Prashant was able to assist the people of his village. Because of his willingness to assist the people of his village, Prashant was able to provide them with much-needed support and relief.
5. Do you think Prashant is a good leader? Do you think young people can get together to help people during natural calamities?
Answer: Yes, Prashant is a good leader, in my opinion, because he prioritises the needs of others and acts in the best interests of the entire community. In his rehabilitation efforts, he also seeks the assistance of youths and the elderly.
Yes, I believe that young people can band together to aid victims of natural disasters. Age should not be a barrier to someone who truly wants to help. In the event of a natural disaster, anyone, young or old, can help the people in their own special way.
Additional/extra questions and answers/solutions of Weathering the Storm in Ersama
1. How did Prashant and his friend’s family manage to get away from the rising waters?
Answer: Prashant and his friend’s family climbed to the roof of the house and took refuge there to escape the rising waters.
2. What did Prashant see the morning after the cyclone?
Answer: The morning after the cyclone, Prashant’s eyes were met with a scene of total and utter destruction. The super cyclone had been wreaking havoc all night, and as the sun rose, the extent of the damage became clear. As far as the eye could see, a raging, deadly brown sheet of water covered the land. Everything appeared to be submerged, with the exception of a few fractured cement houses in a few places. There were bloated animal carcasses and human corpses floating around. Tall, ancient trees had been uprooted from every direction. As a result, the morning after the cyclone, Prashant witnessed a scene of chaos and destruction.
3. In the days following the cyclone, what kept Prashant and his friend’s family from going hungry?
Answer: As a result of the cyclone, many trees had been uprooted, and two coconut trees had fallen directly on the roof where Prashant and his friend’s family were huddled, trying to avoid the rising water levels. The trapped family mistook it for a bad sign at first, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise when the tender coconuts from the fallen trees kept them from going hungry in the days that followed.
4. Write about Prashant’s return to his village.
Answer: Prashant returned to his village to check on his family and relatives two days after the cyclone when the rain stopped and the waters began to recede. Before embarking on his perilous journey through the treacherous waters, Prashant prepared himself with a sturdy stick, which he would later use to locate the road. The eighteen-kilometre path to his village was treacherous, as Prashant had to wade through swollen floodwaters that were at times waist-deep, obstructing his progress. In such situations, the stick assisted him in determining the shallowest areas of the water and thus aided his movement. Despite this, Prashant lost track of the road on several occasions and had to swim across the area. He met two of his uncle’s friends after travelling a short distance in this manner, and the three of them continued their journey back to their village together.
14. How did Prashant organise food for the villagers?
Answer: A military helicopter dropped some packages but never returned. The village’s youth task force instructed the kids to lie in the sand with empty spoons on their stomachs. They were able to successfully communicate their hunger to the aircraft. As a result, they received frequent food and other supplies from the aircraft.
15. What impact did the super cyclone have on the people of Orissa?
Answer: The super cyclone that hit Orissa in October 1999 and mentioned in Weathering the Storm in Ersama was devastating. The darkness was filled with constant rain. Trees were uprooted and smashed to the ground. People and homes were wiped away in the flood.
16. How did Prashant help orphaned kids?
Answer: Prashant discovered that a big number of children were orphaned. He gathered them and constructed a polythene shelter for them. He organised children’s cricket matches. Prashant attempted to place their children in new foster homes with childless widows and children.
18. On October 27, 1999, where did Prashant go and why?
Answer: On October 27, 1999, Prashant visited Ersama’s block headquarters. He’d gone to visit a friend for the day. Ersama is a tiny coastal town in the Indian state of Orissa.
19. In what ways did Prashant and his friend’s family benefit from the two fallen coconut trees?
Answer: Many enormous and old trees were uprooted by the cyclonic storm, which had a wind speed of 350 km/h. Their house had two coconut trees that had fallen on it. For them, this turned out to be a blessing. For several days, the captive family survived thanks to the soft coconuts from the trees.
20. From the story ‘Weathering the Storm in Ersama,’ describe the havoc inflicted by the super cyclone.
Answer: In the story Weathering the Storm in Ersama, Prashant went to meet one of his friends who lived in Ersama on October 27, 1999. His village was eighteen kilometres away from the location. A super cyclone struck in the evening. The wind blew violently against the houses. It rained heavily and continuously. Floodwaters wiped away homes and individuals. The house of his acquaintance was composed of bricks and cement. It was sturdy enough to withstand winds of up to 350 km/h. However, an uprooted tree toppled onto their home, causing damage to the roof and walls. Prashant and his friend’s family took refuge on the roof to escape the rising waters in the house.
Prashant sat on the rooftop with his friend’s family for the next two days. They froze in the rain and cold. Prashant noticed the cyclone’s devastation first thing in the morning. A sheet of water covered the entire area. Only a few concrete houses remained visible. All of the other buildings had been wiped away. Even massive trees had been felled. There were bloated dead animals and humans floating around everywhere.
21. Describe how Prashant assisted himself and others throughout the natural disaster.
Answer: The cyclone mentioned in Weathering the Storm in Ersama wreaked havoc on Prashant’s village and the neighbouring environs. Prashant made the decision to help his own family as well as others. He gathered a group of young people. They put pressure on the local shopkeeper to offer the hungry locals rice. They built a fire and cooked the rotting rice; his next task was to clean the area of filth, dirt, urine, and floating bodies. They attended to the wounds and fractures of numerous injured people. A military chopper dropped food on the fifth day. It did not, however, reappear. Prashant and others planned a strategy to draw the helicopters’ notice. They assigned youngsters to lie on their stomachs with empty spoons. This was done to alert the helicopters to the fact that they were hungry. The plan worked, and the helicopters began dropping food on a regular basis.
The orphaned children were brought by Prashant, who established a refuge for them. He requested that the woman care for them. However, he discovered that mothers and children were becoming increasingly distraught. Food for work was founded by a non-governmental organisation. They agreed when Prashant persuaded them. He recruited other volunteers to assist widows in resuming their lives. The orphaned children were placed in their own neighbourhoods.
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