Lesson 10: Disaster Management

Rule 1: What is a disaster — Dangerous events in the environment are disasters. Floods, wet and dry famine, cyclones, earthquakes and volcanoes are natural disasters. Misuse of natural resources can also cause sudden man-made disasters. The United Nations defines a disaster as a sudden event that causes huge loss of life and property; the words "huge" and "sudden" matter. Because it is sudden, it cannot be predicted, and its long-term effects reach the economic, social, cultural, political, legal and administrative areas.

• Easy : A cyclone is a natural disaster; a factory gas leak is a man-made disaster.
• Medium : A small kitchen fire that the family puts out quickly is an accident, not a disaster, because the loss is not huge and it does not affect a wide area.
• Exam-type : A drought builds slowly but its effects last for years (crop failure, migration), while a cyclone hits in hours and life returns to normal sooner.

Rule 2: Types of disasters — Geophysical (भूभौतिकीय): geological (earthquake, volcano, tsunami, landslide, erosion, flooding) and atmospheric (hot and cold waves, snow storms, cyclones, hail storm, drought, meteorite, sun spots). Biological (जैविक): plant (forest fire, fungal diseases, weeds) and animal (cholera, malaria, hepatitis, plague, insects, bites of poisonous animals). Man-made: poisonous gases, atomic tests, accidents, war, fire, bomb blast, forced migration, terrorism, child labour. Catastrophic disasters such as cyclones in Odisha and earthquakes in Gujarat and Latur cause huge loss but life returns to normal in a short time. Famine, crop problems, strikes, rising sea level and desertification have a long-lasting impact.

In the figure : In the figure three groups of disasters.

• Easy : An earthquake is geophysical (geological); malaria is biological; a bomb blast is man-made.
• Medium : A hail storm is geophysical but atmospheric; a forest fire may be biological (plant) if it starts naturally, or man-made if someone sets it.
• Exam-type : Sort these: tsunami, plague, nuclear test, drought. Answer: geophysical (geological), biological, man-made, geophysical (atmospheric).

Spot the difference

Rule 1: Economic and environmental effects — Floods collapse bridges, flood coastal villages and cause food shortage. Earthquakes collapse houses and crack the land. Forest fire and drought harm the environment. Economic: sudden increase in expenditure, shortage of funds for other development, fall in productivity; a destroyed port hurts the economy for long because reconstruction costs are huge. Environmental: collapse of buildings, drying of water sources, contaminated water, stink from decomposing bodies of humans and animals.

• Easy : A flood washes away crops, so farmers lose income and the market faces a food shortage.
• Medium : Dead animals in floodwater contaminate wells, so the people there are at risk of diseases like cholera.
• Exam-type : A port is destroyed: trade stops, jobs are lost and money for schools or hospitals is diverted to rebuilding. That shows how an economic loss spreads to many sectors.

Rule 2: Medical, social and administrative effects — Medical: injuries, emotional or mental stress, spread of epidemics, deaths. Social and administrative: if local leadership is weak, citizens are confused and their help in rescue and rehabilitation suffers. If local governing bodies are themselves affected, the departments cannot solve problems efficiently and the whole system may collapse.

• Easy : After an earthquake, many injured people reach the hospital at once and the hospital is overloaded.
• Medium : Children who lose their home or family may suffer fear and sadness for a long time, so counselling is also a part of medical help.
• Exam-type : If the village panchayat office is itself damaged, relief records and supplies cannot be organised quickly; this is an administrative effect.

Spot the difference

Rule 1: Six phases — The six phases are pre-disaster, warning, emergency, rehabilitation, recovery and reconstruction. Three of them are especially important for common citizens.

In the figure : In the figure the six phases of a disaster.

• Easy : Warning phase: a cyclone alert is announced on radio and TV.
• Medium : Emergency phase: rescuers pull people from a collapsed building and give first aid.
• Exam-type : Reconstruction phase: rebuilding homes, roads and a school, which is complex and takes a long time.

Rule 2: Three key phases for citizens — Emergency: maximum lives can be saved by quick action: search and rescue, medical assistance, first aid, restoring communication and moving people out of the affected area; the gravity of the disaster is estimated now. Transitional: rehabilitation begins as the disaster subsides: clearing debris, restoring water supply, repairing roads; giving victims a permanent means of livelihood is true rehabilitation. Reconstruction: highly complicated, begins in the transitional phase and takes a long time.

• Easy : Emergency: ambulances carry the injured to hospital within the first hours.
• Medium : Transitional: temporary shelters, water tankers and clearing of roads.
• Exam-type : Giving a farmer new seeds and tools after a flood is true rehabilitation, because he can earn again; giving only food for a week is relief.

Rule 3: Where and why disasters occur — Most disasters have occurred in Asia and around the Pacific Ocean. Man-made disasters have increased since World War II. Instability arises from economic inequality and racial and religious differences; terrorism and abduction have become routine. Harmful chemicals are banned in developed countries but produced in developing and poor countries. A radiation leak after the blast at the Chernobyl atomic plant in Ukraine (used only for electricity) still has ill effects. In 2014 a huge landslide hit Malin village, Tal. Ambegaon, Dist. Pune, and a school was rebuilt there.

• Easy : Chernobyl shows that even a power plant can cause a man-made disaster if safety fails.
• Medium : Malin 2014: a hillside landslide buried houses; this belongs to the geophysical (geological) group.
• Exam-type : Developed countries ban harmful chemicals, but if poor countries still produce them, a chemical accident there can affect thousands.

Spot the difference

Rule 1: Meaning and objectives — Disasters are never planned, but losses can be reduced by planning. Management is closely tied to public participation and changes with place, time and nature of the disaster. Objectives: save human life and release people during the calamity; supply essential commodities; restore life in the region by creating reconciliation; rehabilitate victims; and take protective steps so such disasters do not recur and their intensity is reduced.

• Easy : Building a flood wall and teaching villagers evacuation routes are steps to reduce loss.
• Medium : Supplying drinking water and food packets after a cyclone meets the objective of supplying essential commodities.
• Exam-type : Why plan when disasters cannot be planned? Because planning for the response, not the disaster, saves lives and money.

Rule 2: Pre- and post-disaster management — Pre-disaster management: identify disaster-prone areas; collect information on probable sites and intensity using hazard maps; give special training; create awareness through training programmes and mass media. Post-disaster management: give all necessary help to victims; involve the local survivors; quickly set up help centres; sort and deliver relief material; stay always ready for rescue. Natural disasters cannot be avoided, but the loss can be minimised; man-made disasters can be avoided. Helping each other in a disaster is our ethical responsibility.

In the figure : In the figure management before and after a disaster.

• Easy : Marking flood-prone villages on a map is pre-disaster management.
• Medium : Opening a relief camp after a flood is post-disaster management.
• Exam-type : Which can be avoided: an earthquake or a gas leak? A gas leak (man-made) can be avoided by safety rules; an earthquake cannot, but damage can be reduced by strong buildings.

Spot the difference

Rule 1: Authorities and NDRF — Under the Act the heads are: National (Prime Minister), State (Chief Minister), District (Collector), Taluka (Tahsildar) and Village committee (Sarpanch). The Collector plans, coordinates and controls rehabilitation and designs a scheme for each type of disaster. The district control unit starts right after a disaster and keeps contact with the army, air force, navy, telecommunication department and voluntary organisations. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was set up under the Act; 12 divisions work in the country with headquarters in Delhi, and in Maharashtra it works through the State Reserve Police Force. It helps in cyclones, cliff-sliding and building collapse.

In the figure : In the figure who leads at each level.

• Easy : At district level the Collector leads the disaster management.
• Medium : At village level the Sarpanch leads the village committee.
• Exam-type : A bridge collapses in a district. The control unit calls the army and NDRF for help; the Collector coordinates them.

Rule 2: First aid and mock drill — First aid is the primary help given before actual medical treatment, to save life, relieve pain, prevent worsening and improve the condition. The cradle method, carrying on the back and carrying on two hands move victims. A kit holds bandage strips, gauze, cotton, gloves, antiseptic (Dettol or Savlon), scissors, thermometer and torch. A mock drill (रंगीत तालीम) creates a virtual disaster to test reaction time and the plan; fire fighters, police and voluntary organisations arrange it. Helplines: Police 100, Fire 101, Ambulance 102, Disaster Control Unit 108.

In the figure : In the figure helpline numbers to remember.

• Easy : For a small cut, wash the wound, apply antiseptic and cover it with a bandage from the first aid kit.
• Medium : In a school fire drill, students walk calmly to the assembly ground and the teacher counts them there.
• Exam-type : Dial 101 for a fire, 102 for an ambulance, 100 for the police. Giving the exact place and your phone number helps rescuers reach you fast.

Spot the difference