[🌍 DISASTERS AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN INDIA-Paragraph Questions and Answers
1. Why are disasters a serious challenge to humanity?
Disasters have become more frequent and intense. They include earthquakes, floods, cyclones, landslides, droughts, accidents, plane crashes and forest fires. They cause great loss of life and property. Though science and technology have developed greatly, our ability to reduce the effects of disasters is still inadequate (പര്യാപ്തമല്ല).
2. Which disasters are the most common and the deadliest?
Floods are the most common disasters. They are followed by windstorms, droughts and earthquakes. However, drought is the deadliest and causes about 48 per cent of deaths from natural disasters. Asia has the highest number of deaths from disasters. India, China and Bangladesh are among the badly affected countries.
3. Why is India highly prone to disasters?
India is highly prone to disasters because of its geographical location and geological features. Its long coastline, snow-covered mountains, high mountain ranges and rivers increase the risk. India has only about two per cent of the world's geographical area but supports about eighteen per cent of its population. This puts great pressure on natural resources and increases the risk of disasters.
4. What kinds of disasters affect the different regions of India?
Northern India faces landslides, floods, droughts and earthquakes. The eastern region experiences floods, droughts, heat waves, hailstorms, cyclones and earthquakes. The north-east faces floods, landslides and earthquakes. Western India suffers from droughts, soil erosion, floods and cyclones. The southern coastal region is vulnerable (അപകടസാധ്യതയുള്ള) to cyclones, sea erosion, tsunami and landslides.
5. What are some of the major disasters that India has faced?
India has faced many major disasters. They include the Bhopal Gas Tragedy of 1984, the Gujarat earthquake of 2001, the tsunami of 2004, the Mumbai-Gujarat floods of 2005, the Uttarakhand flash floods and Cyclone Phailin in 2013. These disasters caused great loss of life and property.
6. How do disasters affect people and normal life?
Disasters cause death, destruction and damage to property. Communication, power supply, water supply and drainage may be damaged. Hospitals and healthcare services are affected. Business and economic activities also suffer. Disasters can also cause psychological trauma (മാനസിക ആഘാതം). Poor people are often affected the most because they depend on daily work for their living.
7. How can the damage caused by unsafe buildings be reduced?
Buildings should be constructed according to proper safety rules. Approved plans and good-quality materials should be used. In disaster-prone areas, old buildings should be checked carefully. Owners should be informed about weaknesses in their buildings. A proper monitoring system should also ensure that building rules are followed.
8. How is disaster management organised in India?
State governments play the main role in disaster management. At the state level, a State Level Disaster Management Committee coordinates the work. At the national level, a Crisis Management Committee is headed by the Cabinet Secretary. The Central Government supports the states with rescue operations, relief materials, transport, health workers and medical help. Rehabilitation (പുനരധിവാസം) is also an important part of disaster management.
🎯 Central Idea
We may not be able to prevent every disaster, but proper planning, preparedness (മുൻകരുതൽ), rescue and rehabilitation can reduce its impact and save lives.]