DISASTERS IN INDIA - AN OVERVIEW0

•Disasters are not new to mankind. They have

been the constant, though inconvenient,
companions of the human beings since time
immemorial. Disasters can be natural or human
made.
•Earthquake, cyclone, hailstorm, cloud-burst,
landslide, soil erosion, snow avalanche, flood
etc. are the examples of natural disasters while
fire, epidemics, road, air, rail accidents and
leakages of chemicals/nuclear installations etc.
fall under the category of human-made
disasters.
•The High Power Committee on Disaster
Management, constituted in 1999, has
identified 31 various disasters categorized into
five major sub-groups which are given in table:-
El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is an irregularly periodic variation in winds and sea surface temperatures over
the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean, affecting the climate of much of the tropics and subtropics. The warming phase
of the sea temperature is known as El Niño and the cooling phase as La Niña.
A limnic eruption, also termed a lake overturn, is a rare type of natural disaster in which dissolved carbon dioxide
(CO2) suddenly erupts from deep lake waters, forming a gas cloud capable of suffocating wildlife, livestock, and
humans. A limnic eruption may also cause tsunamis as the rising CO₂ displaces water.
 TRADE WIND

(IN NORMAL CONDITION)

TRADE
WIND
(RE-STRENGTHING OF
ORIGINAL CONDITION )

TRADE WIND
 China flood, 1931

Hurricane Nargis, 2008

Hurricane Katrina, 2005

 Gujrat Earthquake, 2001
Maharashtra flood,2005
Above Figure shows the vulnerability scenario across the globe in terms of events and India has faced more than 260 events of disasters and over
3.5 million people affected from 1975 - 2001. It further analyses that the vulnerability of people and severity of disasters.
Above Figure shows the vulnerability scenario across the globe in terms of events and India has faced more than 260 events of disasters and over
3.5 million people affected from 1975 - 2001. It further analyses that the vulnerability of people and severity of disasters.
Disaster events which have occurred between 1900-2009 may be further categorized based on hydro
meteorological, geological and biological reasons. This may be seen in Table.
The Disaster Events: From Figure 1.4 it may be noticed that the disasters are on increase. The number
of disasters events which was 73 in 1900-09 have increased 4494 during 2000-2009. The rise are between
the decade of 1900-99 over the period of 2000-09 has been more than 67%.
Figure 1.5 shows that 78.4% of the disaster events are accounted during this period for hydro meteorological
events. Figure 1.5 and 1.6 shows that incidents of Hydro meteorological is on increase and life lost is also maximum
in the hydro meteorological events.

•Indian Scenario: India due to its geo-climatic and socio-economic condition is prone to various disasters. During the
last thirty years time span the country has been hit by 431 major disasters resulting into enormous loss to life and
property.

•According to the Prevention Web statistics, 143039 people were killed and about 150 crore were affected by
various disasters in the country during these three decades.

•The disasters caused huge loss to property and other infrastructures costing more than US $ 4800 crore. The most
severe disasters in the country and their impact in term of people affected, lives lost and economic damage is given
in the below Table.
•In India, the cyclone which
occurred on 25th November,
1839 had a death toll of three
lakh people.
•The Bhuj earthquake of 2001
in Gujarat and the Super
Cyclone of Orissa on 29th
October, 1999 are still fresh in
the memory of most Indians.
•The most recent natural
disaster of a cloud burst
resulting in flash floods and
mudflow in Leh and
surrounding areas in the early
hours of 6th August, 2010,
caused severe damage in terms
of human lives as well as
property. There was a reported
death toll of 196 persons, 65
missing persons, 3,661
damaged houses and 27,350
hectares of affected crop area.
•Floods, earthquakes, cyclones,
hailstorms, etc. are the most
frequently occurring disasters in
India.
Major Disasters in India from 1980-2010
VULNERABILITY AND RISK

•Vulnerability is the inability to resist a hazard or to respond when a disaster has occurred. For instance,
people who live on plains are more vulnerable to floods than people who live higher up.

•There are many aspects of vulnerability, arising from various physical, social, economic, and environmental
factors.Examples may include:
a) poor design and construction of buildings,
b) inadequate protection of assets,
c) lack of public information and awareness,
d) limited official recognition of risks and preparedness measures, and disregard for wise
environmental management.
(United Nations (UN) International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) Terminology on Disaster Risk Reduction.)
There are four (4) main types of vulnerability:
1. Physical Vulnerability may be determined by aspects such as population density levels, remoteness of a
settlement, the site, design and materials used for critical infrastructure and for housing (UNISDR).
Example: Wooden homes are less likely to collapse in an earthquake, but are more vulnerable to fire.

2. Social Vulnerability refers to the inability of people, organizations and societies to withstand adverse
impacts to hazards due to characteristics inherent in social interactions, institutions and systems of cultural
values. It is linked to the level of well being of individuals, communities and society.

It includes aspects related to levels of literacy and education, the existence of peace and security, access to
basic human rights, systems of good governance, social equity, positive traditional values, customs and
ideological beliefs and overall collective organizational systems (UNISDR).
Example: When flooding occurs some citizens, such as children, elderly and differently-able, may be unable to
protect themselves or evacuate if necessary.
3. Economic Vulnerability. The level of vulnerability is highly dependent upon the economic status of individuals,
communities and nations The poor are usually more vulnerable to disasters because they lack the resources to
build sturdy structures and put other engineering measures in place to protect themselves from being negatively
impacted by disasters.
Example: Poorer families may live in squatter settlements because they cannot afford to live in safer
(more expensive) areas.
4. Environmental Vulnerability. Natural resource depletion and resource degradation are key aspects of
environmental vulnerability.
Example: Wetlands, such as the Caroni Swamp, are sensitive to increasing salinity from sea water, and pollution from
storm water runoff containing agricultural chemicals, eroded soils, etc.
WHAT IS RISK
•Risk (or more specifically, disaster risk) is the potential disaster losses (in terms of lives, health status, livelihoods,
assets and services) which could occur to a particular community or a society over some specified future time
period. (Reference UNISDR Terminology)

•It considers the probability of harmful consequences, or expected losses (deaths, injuries, property, livelihoods,
economic activity disrupted or environmentally damaged) resulting from interactions between natural or human
induced hazards and vulnerable conditions.

•Risk can be calculated using the following equation: Risk = Probability of Hazard x Degree of Vulnerability.

There are different ways of dealing with risk, such as:

Risk Acceptance: an informed decision to accept the possible consequences and likelihood of a particular risk.
Or
Risk Acceptance or Risk Retention is one of the strategies of dealing with risks. Acceptance means that we accept
the identified risk. We will not take any action because we can accept its impact and probability - we simply risk it.
Risk Avoidance: an informed decision to avoid involvement in activities leading to risk realization.
Risk Reduction refers to the application of appropriate techniques to reduce the likelihood of risk occurrence and
its consequences.
Risk Transfer involves shifting of the burden of risk to another party. One of the most common forms of risk transfer
is Insurance.

COPING CAPACITY
“The ability of people, organizations and systems, using available skills
and resources, to face and manage adverse conditions, emergencies or
disasters“ The capacity to cope requires continuing awareness, resources
and good management, both in normal times as well as during crises or
adverse conditions. Coping capacities contribute to the reduction of disaster
risks (UN-ISDR, 2009).
 EARTHQUAKES
An earthquake is the shaking of the surface of the Earth, resulting from the sudden release of energy that
creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in size from those that are so weak that they cannot be felt to
those violent enough for people around and destroy whole cities.

CAUSES OF EARTHQUAKES
TECTONIC MOVEMENTS:
1. The disturbances inside the earth are called tectonic movements. These forces bring about changes on the
earth surface and physical features like mountains, plateaus and rift valleys are formed.

2. Most disastrous earthquakes are caused by tectonic forces. Tectonic forces create tension and pressure and
the stress begins to build up inside the earth. When the stress tends to be more than what the rocks of the
earth can bear, the rocks are broken and displaced from their state of equilibrium. It is known as faulting.

3. The energy accumulated during faulting is released. This release of energy gives rise to mighty waves. These
waves originate from a point called Focus in the interior of the earth and then spread out in all directions. On
the surface whatever comes into their contact begins to vibrate.

VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS:
1. The volcanic eruptions are often very violent and cause vibrations in the earth crust. Sometimes the vent of a
volcano is blocked temporarily and explosive eruption takes place suddenly causing tremors in the earth crust.

Other Reasons: Nuclear explosions also release massive energy to cause tremors in the earth crust.
EFFECTS OF EARTHQUAKES
Earthquakes are more harmful to man. Damage done is chiefly in following respects:

Loss of Property: Severe earthquakes reduce to rubble human structures ranging from huts to palaces and single
storey to multi storey buildings. Even pipelines laid under the ground and railway lines are damaged or displaced.

Loss of Life: Earthquake tremors of a few seconds takes the lives of thousands of people. Many people have been
rendered homeless or suffered injuries in various ways.

Changes in the course of rivers: On account of the impact of earthquakes, sometimes rivers also change their
course. Consequently, when floods come they play havoc with people's lives.

Tsunamis: The earthquakes in the sea generate massive waves called Tsunami in Japanese language. It sometimes
rises to the height of 20-25 metres. It causes great damage to life and property of people living in coastal areas as
well as to tourists. Tsunami caused by an earthquake in the sea near Sumatra on 26th Dec, 2004 hit southeast
Asian countries including India and Sri Lanka. There was heavy damage in these countries. More than 3 lakh
people died.

Mud Fountains: On account of earthquakes of high intensity, warm water and mud fountains also burst.

Cracks in Earth Crust: Earthquake cause cracks in earth's crust anywhere in fields, roads, parks and even hills.
EARTHQUAKE ZONES:- DISTRIBUTION PATTTERN

Zone 5 expects the

highest level of
seismicity whereas
Zone 2 is associated
with the lowest level
of seismicity.
EARTHQUAKES – MITIGATION
•The truth is that there are no mitigation measures for earthquakes.
•We simply can't mitigate earthquakes with the current available technology, or maybe even in the next 100 years.
We may however mitigate the adverse effects of Earthquakes by
1. Building structures that comply with the building design codes of the area
2. Take care about the state of soil and its liquefaction potential
3. Design flexible structures with regular symmetrical shapes
4. Tsunami alert systems
5. Evacuation drills
6. Earthquake alarm systems
7. Knowledge about how and where to take shelter in case of an earthquake

Actions Before: Determine Risk, Increase Knowledge, Safeguard, Plan

General All-Hazard Actions:
•Determine the disaster risks in your locale and the hazards that accompany them.
•Increase your knowledge about the emergency warning signals and alert notifications used in your community.
•Instruct family members how to shut off water, gas and electricity to your house.
•Develop an Emergency Communication Plan with evacuation plan and ask an out-of-state person to serve as the
"family contact".
•Make the necessary preparations and arrangements for pets, seniors, and the disabled.
•Familiarize yourself with the emergency plans of your family member's employment building, school, day care
center, or nursing home.
Hazard Specific Actions:
•Identify potential dangers in your home by conducting an earthquake hazard hunt. Secure your household contents
with earthquake safety products.
•Identify safe places in each room.
•Locate safe places outdoors.
•Ensure all family members know how to respond after an earthquake.
•Be aware of a possible tsunami if you live in a coastal area.
 EARTHQUAKES – MITIGATION (ACTIONS BEFORE, DURING, AFTER)
Actions During: Safety Basics, Evacuation, Shelter in Place
If indoors:
•DROP to the ground; take COVER by getting under a sturdy table or other piece of furniture; and HOLD ON on until
the shaking stops. If there isn’t a table or desk near you, cover your face and head with your arms and crouch in an
inside corner of the building.
•Stay away from glass, windows, outside doors and walls, and anything that could fall, such as lighting fixtures or
furniture.
•stay in bed if you are there when the earthquake strikes. Hold on and protect your head with a pillow, unless you
are under a heavy light fixture that could fall. In that case, move to the nearest safe place.
•Use a doorway for shelter only if it is in close proximity to you and if you know it is a strongly supported,loadbearing
doorway.
•Stay inside until shaking stops and it is safe to go outside. Research has shown that most injuries occur when people
inside buildings attempt to move to a different location inside the building or try to leave.
•Do not use elevators.

If outdoors:
•Stay outdoors and move away from buildings, streetlights, and utility wires.
•Once in the open, stay there until the shaking stops. The greatest danger exists directly outside buildings, at exits, and
alongside exterior walls. Ground movement during an earthquake is seldom the direct cause of death or injury. Most
earthquake-related casualties result from collapsing walls, flying glass, and falling objects.

If in a moving vehicle:
•Stop quickly, stay in vehicle, move to a clear area away from buildings, trees, overpasses, or utility wires.
•Proceed cautiously once the earthquake has stopped. Avoid roads, bridges, or ramps that might have been damaged
by the earthquake.
If trapped under debris:
•Do not light a match.
•Do not move about or kick up dust.
•Cover your mouth with a handkerchief or clothing.
Tap on a pipe or wall so rescuers can locate you. Use a whistle if possible. Shout only as a last resort. Shouting can
cause you to inhale dangerous amounts of dust.

Actions After: Get Disaster Relief, Clean-up, Salvage

•Be prepared for after shocks.
•Help injured or trapped persons and give first aid where appropriate.
•Stay out of damaged buildings and return home only when authorities say it is safe.
•Check for injuries. Render first aid. Do not move seriously injured victims unless they are in immediate danger. Do
not use the telephone immediately unless there is a serious injury, fire or other emergency. Hunt for hazards.
•Check for other hazards and control them (fire, chemical spills, toxic fumes and possible collapse).
•Check utilities (water, gas, electric). If there is damage, turn the utility off at the source.
•Check for other hazards and control them (fire, chemical spills, toxic fumes and possible collapse).
•Check building for cracks and damage, including roof, chimneys, and foundation.
•Check food and water supplies.
•Listen to a battery operated radio for emergency broadcasts/announcements, news reports, and instructions.
•Plan for evacuation in case events make this necessary. Leave written messages for other family members or
searchers.
•Use gloves, wear heavy shoes, and have adequate and appropriate clothing available.