DISASTERS IN INDIA

BACKGROUND

India is a disaster prone country because:
• Over 55% of land area is vulnerable to earthquakes
• About 12% area is flood prone
• About 8% area is cyclone prone
• About 70% of cultivated land is drought prone

NATURAL HAZARDS AND DISASTERS

• Natural hazards are natural events which may or may not cause damage.
• When these events cause large scale loss of life and property, they become disasters.
• Example: 2004 Tsunami caused by earthquake near Sumatra affected Andaman & Nicobar, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

FLOODS

Flood means inundation of land by water due to overflow of rivers or sea.

Causes:
• Heavy rainfall in catchment
• Sedimentation in river beds
• Deforestation
• Cyclones and storm surges
• Faulty drainage and urban construction
• Change in river course
• Tsunami

Losses:
• Loss of human and animal life
• Destruction of houses, crops and industries
• Outbreak of diseases
• Shortage of drinking water and food

Flood Prone Areas:
• About 4 crore hectare area
• Brahmaputra, Ganga, Indus basins
• UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Punjab, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka

Flood Control Measures:
• Reservoirs
• Embankments
• Afforestation
• Restoration of drainage
• Flood management programmes

DROUGHT

Drought means prolonged rainfall deficiency leading to crop failure.

Causes:
• Monsoon failure
• Deforestation
• Over-extraction of groundwater
• Destruction of ponds and lakes

Impacts:
• Food and water scarcity
• Migration
• Crop failure
• Cattle death
• Unemployment

Drought Prone Areas:
• Rajasthan, Gujarat, MP, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu

Measures:
• Drought resistant crops
• Rainwater harvesting
• Soil moisture conservation
• Drip irrigation
• Drought Prone Area Programme (1973)

LANDSLIDES

Downward movement of rock and soil on slopes.

Prone Areas:
• Himalayas, Western Ghats, North East, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu

Causes:
• Heavy rainfall
• Deforestation
• Earthquakes
• Road construction
• Shifting cultivation

Control Measures:
• Afforestation
• Scientific road construction
• Retaining walls
• Hazard mapping
• Restrict construction

EARTHQUAKES

Sudden shaking of earth due to tectonic movement.

Earthquake Zones:
• Zone II – Low damage
• Zone III – Moderate damage
• Zone IV – High damage (Delhi, Mumbai)
• Zone V – Very high damage (NE India, Kutch, J&K, HP, Uttarakhand)

Impacts:
• Building collapse
• Loss of life
• Change in river course
• Tsunami
• Cracks and fissures

CYCLONES

Low pressure systems with high speed winds.

Occurrence:
• April–May and October–December

Affected Areas:
• East Coast – West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu
• West Coast – Gujarat, Maharashtra

Impacts:
• Destruction of houses and crops
• Flooding
• Communication breakdown
• Storm surges

Cyclone Safety:
• Listen to warnings
• Secure loose objects
• Move to safe shelters
• Stay indoors
• Do not go to sea or open areas

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Subject: Geography

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