Previous Questions + One Liners: Disaster Management

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Disaster Management
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Disaster Management Questions asked in APPSC exams
(Total 65 Question Papers 2012-2017)
 Of the total 35 (28+7) States + Union Territories in India, how many are
disaster prone – 25  Asked in 2012 before Bifurcation of AP
Newly formed state – Telangana (2014)
Current Scenario:
Of the total 36 (29+7) States + Union Territories in India, how many are
disaster prone – 26
 No. of people killed by natural disasters in India from 1980 to 2010 –

1,43,039
Current Scenario: Latest WDR 2016 wrt India
 National Institute of Disaster Management is located at New Delhi
 1st Indian Disaster Management Congress was inaugurated on

29-11-2006

 National Institute of Disaster Management publishes a biannual journal

titled “Disaster and Development”
 According to World Bank, during the period 1996 to 2000, the

approximate percentage loss of gross domestic produce due to disasters
was 2.25%
 “All disasters are hazards but all hazards are not disasters”. This
statement is TRUE
 Increase in vulnerability due to disasters is not because of stagnation in

science and technology
 The relation between level of development and loss of human lives due
to disasters is inverse
 Indian National Centre for Information Services – Hyderabad
 Earthquakes are endogenic processes
 Based on intensity of shaking, India is divided into 4 seismic zones
 Geological Survey of India is responsible for landslide inventory,

susceptability and hazard assessment

 Bureau of Indian Standards lays down the standards for occupational

hazard identification and risk analysis
 In India, rapid damage assessment due to landslides is done by NRSC
 Satellites are not very useful in the early warning system of Nuclear
hazards
 PREVIEW is the name of the Global risk data platform hosted by UNEP to
share spatial data information on global risk from natural hazards
 Secretary, Dept of Atomic Energy is not a member of National crisis

management committee for effective implementation of relief measures
in wake of natural calamities
 Members of National crisis management committee – SECRETARY

Ministry of Health – Defence – Rural Development
 Name of the smartphone application for android operating system

developed by UC Berkley University to detect earthquakes – MYSHAKE
 Himansh is the name of the research laboratory established by national

centre for antarctic and oceanic research , Goa at Spiti to study
Himalayan Glacier Response to Climate

 In 1990, Joint Forest Management involving local communities in forest

management was started by Govt of India
 An earthquake striking an uninhabited desert falls in the category of

HAZARD
 In disaster management terminology, if the capacity is “infinite”, “risk”

from a hazard woul be ZERO
 Approximately 10000 people died in the cyclone of 1977, which caused

severe destruction in Krishna and Guntur districts
 In the “ABC” of First Aid for life support “A” means Airway
 Cabinet Secretary heads the National Crisis Management Committee for

disaster management
 National disaster management plan was released by prime minister on

1st June, 2016
 The response part of national disaster management plan identifies

18 broad activities
 2015 3rd UN World Conference on Disaster risk reduction (WCDRR) was

held at Sendai

 Which type of disaster is a “land slide” – Hydrological
 As per national disaster management plan, 2016 the period of normalcy

is denotes as L0
 As per the classification used in India, a “cyclonic storm” has wind speed
between 62 to 88 kmph
 Meaning of Japanese word “Tsunami” – harbour wave
 As per IMD, a “Drought year” occurs when the annual rainfall is less than
normal by 10% or more
 Community has to respond first to a disaster
 Earthquakes are more likely to occur near faults
 Bhopal tragedy is chemical type of disaster
 Which weapon of biological disaster was used by the European

colonizers of America to wipe out native Red Indians – Small pox laden
kerchiefs
 National day for disaster reduction – 29th October
 The point directly above the focus of earthquake is called Epicentre
 Delhi and Mumbai are in which category of risk zone – Zone 4
 As per Coastal Zone regulation notification, upto 500 metres from the
high tide line is considered as Coastal Regulation Zone
 What is the action plan in first aid called in English abbreviation –

DRABC

 After earthquake, while searching the collapsed buildings it is better to

use battery torch
 In a tsunami, the first wave may not be the largest
 If a quake hits Los Angeles, from there Tsunami can reach Tokyo in a
time – Less than a Jet Plane would take to travel the same distance
 Naval hydrographic office is located at Dehradun
 P-waves are the fastest travelling waves during an earthquake
 North eastern region is in earthquake risk zone – 5
 Methyl isocyanate killed thousands of people in Bhopal Gas Tragedy
 Anthrax parcels can be termed as biological weapons
 Largest floods in India are caused by Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers
 Environmental degradation is a major factor in increasing the effects of

drought
 To be considered as scanty or deficit rainfall year, compared to the avg

rainfall for a long period, the deficiency in rainfall for the monsoon
season from june to september of the year in a place shall be more than
19%
 Approximately 59% of land area in India is prone to earthquakes
 The clody mass of a cyclone can raise to occupy troposphere
 What parameter of an earhquake is measured using modified Mercalli

scale – intensity based on observed effects
 At what approximate speed tsunamis can move on coastal plains –

50 kmph
 In NDRF, there are 12 batallions

 The colour of flood bulletin issued whenver the water level at the
forecasting stations is within 0.5 m below the highest flood level is
orange bulletin
 Which new system is adopted by India for cyclone monitoring – Doppler

weather radars
 The frequency of tropical cyclones in Bay of Bengal is 4-5 times more

than Arabian Sea
 In India, the basic responsibility for undertaking rescue, relief and

rehabilitation measures in the event of disaster is that of state govt
 Central relief commissioner in MHA is the nodal officer to coordinate

relief operations for natural disasters
 Earthquakes result in the largest amount of losses and is also the main
cause in terms of no. of fatalities
 Approximately 10% of tropical cyclones of the world affect the Indian

coast
 Approximately 12% of India is flood prone
 National policy on Disaster Management was approved by the union

cabinet in 2009
 Chairman of National Disaster Management Authority is Prime Minister
 By the following measures we can significantly reduce the impact of disasters

on our people – Better planning, Preparedness awareness, Mitigation
measures

 According to World Disaster Report 2010, during the period 2000-2009

as many as 85% of the people affected by disasters belong to the Asia-
Pacific region
 Latest FAO Report
 In India, how many people are being exposed to recurring flood every
year – 200 million
 Area of Indian coastline which is vulnerable to storm surges, cyclones

and tsunamis – 5700 km
 The date when the supercyclone hit the Orissa coast which killed nearly
10,000 people and affected over 15 million people across 12 districts of
Orissa is 29-10-1999
 The Disaster Management act was enacted in 2005
 The river which causes tremendous floods in Assam – Brahmaputra

 The method to identify landslide prone areas which has been in use in
India since 1980s is Landslide Zonation Mapping
 In India at the centre, which is the nodal ministry for all matters
concerning disasters caused by drought – Ministry of Agriculture
 State Crisis Management Committee is chaired by Chief Secretary
 The severity of a disaster is usually reckoned in terms of loss of life or

property
 What type of Infrastructural facilities need to be provided in a disaster

affected area
o Reconstruction of roads and bridges
o Upgradation of transit shelters
o Provision of amenities in relocated areas
 Which organisation proclaimed the 1990s as the International Decade

for Natural Disaster Reduction – United Nations General Assembly
 Type of epidemic – propagated, seasonal, cyclic
 The region that is frequently affected by floods in AP – deltas of Krishna

and Godavari

 An earthquake releases vibrations and tremors
 In which year was a high powered committee on disaster management

constituted to suggest measures to bring about institutional reforms in
disaster management in India – 1999
 Tsunami waves may be generated because of under sea earthquakes
 In Australia, earthquakes do not occur normally
 Incidence of landslides in India is “High to very high” in Himalayas
 The only document that reflects the detailed hazard profile of the states
in India is the Vulnerability Atals prepared by Building Materials and
Technology Promotion Council
 “Managing Disaster Risk in Emerging Economies” – is a report of World

Bank
 Segments of East Coast of India which is most vulnerable to high storm

surges – North Orissa and West Bengal coast, Andhra Pradesh coast
between Ongole and Machilipatnam, Tamil Nadu coast – South of
Nagapattinam
 Severe snow avalanches occur in J & K, Himachal pradesh, Uttarakhand


 National Disaster Management Act 2005 provides for Constitution of

Disaster Response Fund, Constitution of Disaster Mitigation Fund,
Establishment of NIDM and NDRF
 The main characteristics of a disaster plan – Clarity of aim, flexibility,

viability
 Non structural measures for disaster mitigation – legal framework,

incentives, training, public awareness, education
 Important advantages in having community participation in disaster

reduction or rehabiliation programmes are – cost reduction, efficiency,
sustainability
 Basic requirements of communication in disaster management –

thorough knowledge of situations, clarity, conciseness
 National Geographical Research Institute is located at Hyderabad
 Central water commission recommended the preparation of a model bill

by the central govt for flood management
 Type of snow avalanche zones – red, blue, yellow
 The oldest record of an Indian Tsunami – 326 BC earthquake


 Tsunami is a Japanese word
 Ongole is identified as the most earthquake prone in the revised map of

siesmic zones in AP
 National Civil Defence college is located at Nagpur
 Radiation leaking from the Nuclear reactor after the Tsunami in Japan
in 2011 – Fukushima
 Disaster Management Act was made in India on 23-12-2005
 On what date did a powerful underwater earthquake rock western

Indonesia, which triggered a tsunami alert for countries along Indian
ocean 11-4-2012
 Big Earth Tremor : Chile (27-2-2010), Japan (11-3-2011), Indonesia (26-

12-2004
 Landslides occur because of – intensity of rainfall, poor drainage, steep

slopes
 Major disasters in India – Cyclone, 1977 (AP) ; Tsunami, 2004 (TN and
Kerala); Earthquake, 2005 (Kashmir)

 Chairman of National Disaster Management Authority at the centre –

Prime Minister
 NDMA prepares National Policy on Disaster Management
 Indian Subscontinent is highly vulnerable to – cyclones, droughts,

earthquakes
 Types of disasters include – Biologically, Geologically, Water and

Climate related disasters
 Natural disasters include – Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Floods
 Unpleasant impact of cyclones – infrastructure damage, flooding, power

disruption
 Disaster Management is – more than just response and relief, systematic

process, system with many components
 Disaster is an event which results in – human loss, loss of livelihood, loss

of property
 Floods amount to 30% of world’s disasters by natural hazards

 Coordination group for the Tsunami warning system in the Pacific is at

Tokyo
 First aid has the following objectives – to preserve life, to prevent the
victim’s condition from deteriorating, to promote recovery
 On what date a powerful earthquake struck South Eastern Iran and

caused enormous loss of life and near total destruction of physical
assets killing 30000 people : 26-12-2003
 Disaster Management includes – Rehabilitation, Reconstruction,

Mitigation
 The term “Tsunami” is derived from Japanese
 Tsunamis are waves generated by – earthquakes, volcanic eruptions,

underwater and slides
 Tsunamis can occur only during – any time of day or night
 Disaster Management covers – mitigation, emerging response,

rehabilitation
 An offshore earthquake triggered a tsunami that killed about 19,000

people along Japan’s north-eastern coast on 11-3-2011

 The basis on which disasters can be classified – extent of human loss,

extent of speed, extent of past history
 Landslides occur because of – intensity of rainfall, steep slopes, soil

erosion
 UN Disaster Management Team (UNDMT) is responsible for solving

problems resulting from disasters in all parts of the world
 The ground movements caused by earthquakes can have a damaging

effect such as – ground shaking, landslides, surface ruptures
 International Tsunami Information Centre is at Honolulu
 During disasters the reliable communication is - radio communication,

satellite based communication, press trust of India communication
 On what date, a cyclone which has been expected to hit Tamil Nadu,
instead struck the central coast of AP in Krishna Godavari delta:
19-11-1977
 PRIs can be an effective instrument in tackling disasters
 National civil defence college was set up in 1957 at Nagpur

 The term “disaster” is derived from French
 The state that is prone to earthquakes frequently in India – Assam
 An earthquake under the sea is called Tsunami
 A family disaster kit should contain – a set warm clothes, food and
drinking water, medicines
 Disaster Management teams should comprise – First Aid Team, Search

and Rescue Team, Awareness Generation Team
 In India more than 12% of total land is prone to floods
 Disaster Management is – more than just response and relief, systematic

process, system with many components
 When may Disaster Management acitivities be conducted – before

disaster, during disaster, after disaster
 Weapons of mass destruction bring a huge loss to – life, property,

environment

 Components of School Disaster Management Plan – hazard identification

and assessment, sensitization of teachers and school management,
mapping
 Earthquakes and Tsunamis constitute 8% of the world distribution of

disasters
 Floods constitute 30% of world distribution of disasters
 Cyclone SIDR hit Bangladesh on 15 November 2007
 In which year was AP struck by a severe cyclone in which 63,40,000

people were rendered homeless and 26,00,000 were affected – 1996
 12% of India’s land is prone to floods
 Earthquakes and Volcanoes are associated with folded and faulted

region
 The term “Nife” refers to – core of the earth
 What is a cyclone – a low pressure system with anticlockwise winds in

the northern hemisphere
 National day for disaster reduction – 29th October

 The severity of disaster is usually reckoned in terms of loss of life
 The river which causes more floods in India – Brahmaputra
 The State crisis management committee is chaired by – Chief Secretary
 National Disaster Management Act, 2005 provides for constitution of –

disaster response fund (DRF), Disaster Mitigation Fund (DMF), NIDM
and NDRF
 The most drought affected district of AP – Ananthpur
 The world conference on Disaster Management was held in 2005 in –

Japan
 Fire accidents is a man made disaster
 DMT means Disaster Management Team
 Based on intensity of earthquakes, India is divided into 5 zones
 Incidence of land slides in India are high in Himalayas

 Likely risks that arise from landslides and snow avalanches –

geographical, engineering, socio-economic risks
 Types of droughts are – meteorological, hydrological, agricultural
 56% of India’s total area is susceptible to seismic disturbances
 The river which causes tremendous floods in Assam – Brahmaputra
 Most Tsunamis occur in Pacific Ocean
 In Australia earthquakes do not normally occur
 In the recent past, the area that experienced major earthquake was –
Bhuj(2001), Chamoli (1999), Jabalpur (1997)
 In India, 200 million people are exposed to recurring floods every year
 Out of 4 billion people who live in Asia, 7% people live near coast
 World’s deadliest recorded earthquake occured in China in 1556
 On what date an offshore earthquake triggered a tsunami that killed

about 19,000 people along Japan’s North eastern coast : 11-3-2011

 In 1977, 11316 people lost their lives due to floods in India
 Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) was launched at Hyderabad by Indian

National Centre for Ocean Information Service
 Consequences of easrthquakes include – shaking and ground rupture,

landslides and avalanches, soil liquefaction
 National Civil defence college conduted programme for the officers of

Tehri Hydro Development Corporation on the basics of Disaster
Management in 2012
 Disaster Management is made a part of the foundation course for All

India Services
 Floods account for 30% of the world’s disasters
 Drought and related disasters account for 19% of the world’s disasters
 Earthquakes and Tsunamis account for 8% of the world’s disasters
 The largest earthquake event recorded in Samoa on 26-6-1917,

measured 8.3 on the Richter scale

 Author of the book “Disaster Management: Recent Approaches” – Arvind

Kumar
 Tsunamis regularly flood coastal areas of East Coast
 Submarine earthquakes result in Tsunamis
 SAARC Disaster Management Centre is located at New Delhi
 Of the 5 siesmic zones in India, 5th zone is the most vulnerable
 Around 56% of India’s total area is susceptible to seismic disturbances
 Disaster Management Team should include – Awareness Generation

Team, First Aid Team, Search and Rescue Team
 Hurricane is a natural disaster
 Famine is an example of rapid-onset-disaster
 A cyclone which killed 50,000 people in Bangladesh occurred in 1970
 Natural factor for the occurrances of landslides – steep slope, seismic

activity, poor drainage

 Disaster Management teams should be trained in – first aid, sanitation,

trauma counselling
 8% of earthquakes and tsunamis constitute world distribution of

disaster
 India’s National Tsunami Warning System (NTWS) became operational

in 2007
 Number of earthquakes occurred during 1980-2010 : 56
 In the first decade of 21st century, disasters faced by India – Bhuj

earthquake 2001, Indian Ocean Tsunami 2004, Kosi Floods 2008
 Mechanism established under Disaster Management Act, 2005 include

NDMA, SDMA, DDMA
 13th finance commission has merged Calamity relief fund (CRF) and
National Calamity Contingency fund (NCCF) into one fund called
National Disaster Response Fund
 The word ‘cyclone’ is derived from Greek word ‘cyclos’ meaning – coils
of snake and circular

 AP was struck by severe cyclone which tendered 63,40,000 people

homeless in 1990
 Amateur radio is also known as Ham radio
 Disaster Management includes – reconstruction and rehabilitation
 12% of India is prone to floods
 Kerala state govt initiated Disaster Risk Management Programme with

the support from UNDP
 National civil defence college was founded in 1957
 International Tsunamis Information Centre is in Honolulu
 Magnitude of earthquake is measured by Richter scale
 Drought is mainly caused by Prolonged scanty rain
 Powerful tsunamis are mostly produced by earthquakes
 Major disasters – 1977 cyclone in AP, 1987 droughts in 15 states, 2008

kosi floods in North Bihar

 30,000,023 people were affected by floods in the year 1980
 National Police Academy is running training programmes on Disaster

Management
 Volcanic eruptions do not occur in Carribean sea
 Drought is a climatic anomaly caused by sub-normal rainfall, erratic

rainfall distribution, higher water need
 On what date 11 South Eastern Countries of Asia hit by Tsunami killed

more than 1,50,000 : 26-12-2004
 UN office for coordination of humanitarian affairs
 AICTE has introduced Disaster Management courses in Management
 “The occurane of a sudden or major misfortune which disrupts the basic

fabric and normal functioning of a society or community is known as
disaster” this definition is given by UNO
 On what date an offshore earthquake triggered a tsunami that killed

about 19,000 people along Japan’s NE coast : 11-03-2011

 Disaster is defined as “Catastrophic situation in which the normal

pattern of life or ecosystem has disrupted and extra ordinary
emergency interventions are required to save IMD preserve lives and or
the environment”, this def is given by Ministry of Home Affairs
 The earliest description of a tsunami comes from the nothern part of

Aegean sea is in 479 BC
 Tsunami is the most terrifying hazards known to man
 Pacific tsunami warning system was established in 1949
 Acc. to National Policy on Disaster Management, 58.6% of the landmass

in India is prone to earthquakes of moderate to very high intensity

One liners in examination point of view:
 The National Policy on Disaster Management was approved by the Union

Cabinet in 2009
 The chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority is Prime

Minister
 The National Centre of Disaster Management (NCDM), constituted under

an Act of Parliament in 1995; was redesignated to give the present name
of National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) by the Disaster
Management Act 2005 passed by President of India on 9 January 2006
 NIDM also serves as international SAARC Disaster Management Centre

(SDMC) and works as focus for its operation and planning.

 National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) provides a framework and

direction to the government agencies for all phases of disaster
management cycle
 Disaster Management Act – 2005
 National Policy on Disaster Management (NPDM) – 2009
 All phases of disaster management: a) mitigation (prevention and risk

reduction), b) preparedness, c) response and d) recovery (immediate
restoration to long-term betterment reconstruction).

 Section 11 of the DM Act 2005 mandates that there shall be a National

Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) for the whole of India.
 As per Section 37 of the DM Act, every ministry and department of the

Government of India, including the hazard-specific nodal ministries,
shall prepare comprehensive DM plans detailing how each of them will
contribute to the national efforts in the domains of disaster prevention,
preparedness, response, and recovery.
 The NDMP is highly ambitious requiring a very long period spanning as

much as 15 years for the complete implementation of some of the larger
targets such as rolling out all the measures for DRR in all parts of the
country
 In the case of recovery, there are three recovery periods after a disaster:
a) Early – three to eighteen months, b) Medium – within five years and c)
Long-term – within five to ten years.
 NDMP is consistent with the approaches promoted globally by the

United Nations, in particular the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk
Reduction 2015-2030 (hereafter “Sendai Framework”) adopted at the
Third UN World Conference in Sendai, Japan, on March 18, 2015
(UNISDR 2015a) as the successor instrument to the Hyogo Framework
for Action 2005-2015.

 The Sendai Framework was the first international agreement adopted

within the context of the post- 2015 development agenda. Two other
major international agreements followed it in the same year: the
Sustainable Development Goals 2015 – 2030 in September, and the
UNCOP21 Climate Change agreement to combat human-induced climate
change in December. DRR is a common theme in these three global
agreements
 Paris Agreement on global climate change points to the importance of

averting, minimizing, and addressing loss and damage associated with
the adverse effects of climate change, including extreme weather events
and slow onset events, and the role of sustainable development in
reducing the risk of loss and damage
 India is a signatory to the Sendai Framework for a 15-year, voluntary,

non-binding agreement which recognizes that the State has the primary
role to reduce disaster risk but that responsibility should be shared
with other stakeholders including local government, the private sector
and other stakeholders
 UNISDR (2009) defines disaster as: “A serious disruption of the

functioning of a community or a society involving widespread human,
material, economic or environmental losses and impacts, which exceeds
the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own
resources.”

 DM Act 2005 uses the following definition for disaster: "Disaster" means
a catastrophe, mishap, calamity or grave occurrence in any area, arising
from natural or manmade causes, or by accident or negligence which
results in substantial loss of life or human suffering or damage to, and
destruction of, property, or damage to, or degradation of, environment,
and is of such a nature or magnitude as to be beyond the coping capacity
of the community of the affected area.”
 UNISDR defines disaster risk management as the systematic process of

using administrative decisions, organization, operational skills and
capacities to implement policies, strategies and coping capacities of the
society and communities to lessen the impacts of natural hazards and
related environmental and technological disasters.
 UN Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has shown that

human-induced climate change has significantly increased both the
frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. While heavy rains,
cyclones, or earthquakes are all natural, the impacts may, and are
usually, worsened by many factors related to human activity.
 The human society is also vulnerable to Chemical, Biological,

Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) disasters.
 NPDM notes that rise in population, rapid urbanization and

industrialization, development within high-risk zones, environmental
degradation, and climate change aggravates the vulnerabilities to
various kinds of disasters.

 Due to inadequate disaster preparedness, communities, and animals are

at increased risk from many kinds of human-induced hazards arising
from accidents (industrial, road, air, rail, on river or sea, building
collapse, fires, mine flooding, oil spills, etc.). Chemical, National Disaster
Management Plan 11 Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN)
hazards rank very high in among the human-induced risks
 The overall coordination of disaster management vests with the

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
 The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) and the National Crisis

Management Committee (NCMC) are the key committees involved in the
top-level decision-making with regard to disaster management
 NDMA is the lead agency responsible for the preparation DM plans and
the execution of DM functions at the national level
 DM Act of 2005 provides for the setting up of NDMA at national level,

and, the SDMA at the state level
 National Crisis Management  Cabinet Secretary (Chairperson)

Committee (NCMC)
 National Disaster Management

Authority (NDMA)
 Prime Minister (Chairperson)
 National Executive Committee  Union Home Secretary

(NEC) (Chairperson)
 National Disaster Response Force  Specially trained force headed

(NDRF) by a Director General

Structured like para military

forces for rapid deployment
 National Institute of Disaster  Union Home Minister; Vice

Management (NIDM) Chairman, NDMA
 National Institute of Disaster Management is located at New Delhi
 The Government of India established the NDMA in 2005, headed by the

Prime Minister

 Under the DM Act 2005, the NDMA, as the apex body for disaster
management, shall have the responsibility for laying down the policies,
plans, and guidelines for disaster management for ensuring timely and
effective response to disaster
 DM Act of 2005 and National DM Policy of 2009, consider disasters to be

a) natural and; b) human-induced including CBRN for defining the roles
and responsibilities.
 Building Material and Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC) has come

out with Vulnerability Atlas of India as a tool for formulating proactive
policies, strategies, and programmes to face the threat caused due to
natural hazards.
 India's long coastline of nearly 7,500 km consists of 5,400 km along the

mainland, 132 km in Lakshadweep and 1,900 km in the Andaman and
Nicobar Islands.
 About 10 per cent of the World's tropical cyclones affect the Indian
coast. Of these, the majority have their initial genesis over the Bay of
Bengal and strike the east coast of India
 On an average, five to six tropical cyclones form every year, of which two
or three could be severe

 More cyclones occur in the Bay of Bengal than in the Arabian Sea and the
ratio is approximately 4:1. An analysis of the frequency of cyclones on
the east and west coasts of India between 1877 and 2005 shows that
nearly 283 cyclones occurred (106 severe) in a 50 km wide strip on the
East Coast; comparatively the West Coast has had less severe cyclonic
activity (35 cyclones) during the same period
 The cyclones of severe intensity and frequency in the northern part of

the Indian Ocean are bi-modal in character, with their primary peak in
November and secondary peak in May
 The disaster potential is particularly high at the time of landfall in the

northern part of Indian Ocean (Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea) due
to the accompanying destructive wind, storm surges and torrential
rainfall
 Tropical cyclone, generally known as ‘cyclone’, is the term used globally

to cover tropical weather systems in which winds equal or exceed ‘gale
force’ (minimum of 34 knot, i.e., 62 kmph).
 North Indian Ocean Basin (NIO-Basin, including the Indian coast)

generates only about seven percent of the World’s cyclones,
 Cyclones occur in the months of May– June and October–November, with

their primary peak in November and secondary peak in May
 Climate change with the resultant sea-level rise and expected increase
in severity of cyclones can significantly increase the vulnerability of the
coastal population.

 Tropical cyclones generally originate in the eastern side of the NIO-

Basin and initially move in a westnorth westerly direction. It has been
observed that between 1891 and 2006, 308 cyclones crossed the east
coast, out of which 103 were severe
 There are 13 coastal states and union territories (UTs) in the country,
encompassing 84 coastal districts which are affected by tropical
cyclones. Four states (Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West
Bengal) and one UT (Puducherry) on the east coast and one state
(Gujarat) on the west coast are highly vulnerable to cyclone disasters
 Floods affect an average area of around 7.5 million hectares per year.
According to the National Commission on Floods, the area susceptible to
floods was estimated in 1980 to be around 40 million hectares
 Riverine flooding is perhaps the most critical climate-related hazard in

India

 Out of 40 million hectare of the flood prone area in the country, on an

average, floods affect an area of around 7.5 million hectare per year
 Floods in the Indo-Gangetic-Brahmaputra plains are an annual feature.

On an average, a few hundred lives are lost, millions of people are
rendered homeless, lakhs of hectares of crops are damaged, thousands
of animals are affected (killed and injured).
 National Flood Control Programme was launched in 1954
 Urban flooding is significantly different from rural flooding as

urbanisation leads to developed catchments which increases the flood
peaks from 1.8 to 8 times and flood volumes by up to 6 times.
 Nearly 59 percent of India’s territory is vulnerable to earthquakes. The

last three major earthquakes shook Gujarat in January 2001, Jammu
and Kashmir in October 2005 and Sikkim in 2011
 Seven states in North East (Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland,

Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya), the Andaman and Nicobar
Islands, parts of three states in the North/North-West (Jammu and
Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Bihar, and Gujarat are in Seismic Zone V.
 Tsunamis (Japanese for “harbour wave”), also known as a seismic sea

wave, are a series of very large waves with extremely long wavelength,
in the deep ocean, the length from crest to crest may be 100 km and
more

 In shallow waters, a large tsunami crest height may rise rapidly by

several metres even in excess of 30 m causing enormous destruction in
a very short time
 The earthquake and resulting tsunami in Indian Ocean on 24 December

2004 had devastating effects on India. The hardest hit areas were on
Southern coast and the Andaman and Nicobar Island.
 Landslides occur in the hilly regions of India such as the Himalaya,

North-East India, the Nilgiris, Eastern Ghats and Western Ghats. It is
estimated that 30 percent of the World’s landslides occur in the
Himalayan ranges
 In the Nilgiris, in 1978 alone, unprecedented rains in the region

triggered about one hundred landslides which caused severe damage to
communication lines, tea gardens and other cultivated crops
 Scientific observations in north Sikkim and Garhwal regions in the

Himalayas clearly reveal that there is an average of two landslides per
sq. km. The mean rate of land loss is to the tune of 120 meter per km per
year and annual soil loss is about 2500 tons per sq. km.
 In Himalaya, avalanches are common in Drass, Pir Panijal, Lahaul-Spiti

and Badrinath areas. As per Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment
(SASE), of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), on
an average, around 30 people are killed every year, due to this disaster
in various zones of the Himalayan range

 Global Assessment Report (GAR) 2015 notes that agricultural drought is

probably the most “socially constructed” of all disaster risks (UNISDR
2015c) and warns that due to global climate change, its frequency is
expected to vary much
 1/3 rd of the country is drought prone
 Chemical (Industrial) Disaster is showing relatively higher presence

along the west coast, largely due to the proximity to raw materials and
ports. Gujarat alone is estimated to contribute around 53 percent to the
total production in the country
 A nuclear disaster is caused due to an extraordinary release of

radioactive material or radiation either in the operation of nuclear
reactors or other nuclear events like explosion of a Radiological
Dispersal Device (RDD) or Improvised Nuclear Device (IND) or
explosion of a nuclear weapon.
 The hazards in coastal areas include 1) Geological and shoreline

changes 2) Rip currents 3) Cyclones 4) Sea level rise 5) Coastal flooding
6) Storm surges and flooding 7) Flooding from heavy rainfall events, 8)
Saline ingress and 9) Tsunamis.
 Riverine regions can be grouped into four as : (a)Brahmaputra region

drained by Brahmaputra-Ganga system (b)Ganga region drained by
River Ganga (c)North West drained by Indus and tributaries and (d)
Central India and Deccan region drained by river like Narmada and Tapi

 There are more than 1,200 islands (including uninhabited) within the
territorial limits of India of which some are very remote from the
mainland
 Union Territory Division of the MHA is responsible for all the legislative
and constitutional matters in the seven Uts
 National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) works within the

framework of broad policies and guidelines laid down by the NDMA.
 The general superintendence, direction, and control of the National

Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is vested in and will be exercised by the
NDMA
 NDMA has the mandate to deal with all types of disasters
 As per the provisions of the Chapter-VII of the DM Act, Government of

India constituted the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM)
under an Act of Parliament with the goal of being the premier institute
for capacity development for disaster management in India and the
region
 Presently NIDM is supporting as many as 30 Disaster Management

centres. Six of them are being developed as Centres of Excellence in the
specialised areas of risk management – flood, earthquake, cyclone,
drought, landslides, and industrial disasters

 NDRF has been constituted as per the Chapter-VIII of the DM Act 2005 as
a specialist response force that can be deployed in a threatening
disaster situation or disaster. As per the DM Act, the general
superintendence, direction and control of the NDRF shall be vested and
exercised by the NDMA.
 As per the DM Act of 2005, each state in India shall have its own
institutional framework for disaster management
 The DM Act mandates the setting of a State Disaster Management

Authority with the Chief Minister as the ex officio Chairperson. Similar
system will function in each Union Territory with Lieutenant Governor
as the Chairperson. At the district level, District Disaster Management
Authority (DDMA), the District Collector or District Magistrate or the
Deputy Commissioner
 As per provisions in Chapter-III of the DM Act, each State Government

shall establish a State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) or its
equivalent under a different name with the Chief Minister as the
Chairperson. In case of other UTs, the Lieutenant Governor or the
Administrator shall be the Chairperson of that Authority.
 As per provisions in Chapter-IV of the DM Act, each State Government

shall establish a District Disaster Management Authority for every
district in the State with such name as may be specified in that
notification. The DDMA will be headed by the District Collector, Deputy
Commissioner, or District Magistrate

 The DM Act 2005 enjoins central and state governments to make

provisions for the implementation of the disaster management plans. In
this respect, the sections of the DM Act 2005 applicable for national,
state, and district DM plans are 11, 23, and 31. The Chapters V and VI of
the DM Act spell out the responsibilities of the central, state, and local
governments with respect to disaster management
 India, due to its, physiographic and climatic conditions is one of the

most disaster prone areas of the World. Nearly 59 per cent of the
landmass is prone to earthquakes of moderate to very high intensity.
More than 40 million hectares (12 per cent of land) is prone to floods
and river erosion. Of the nearly 7,500 km long coastline, close to 5,700
km is prone to cyclones and tsunamis. Nearly 68 percent of the
cultivable area is vulnerable to drought. Large tracts in hilly regions are
at risk from landslides and some are prone to snow avalanches.
Vulnerability to disasters/emergencies of CBRN origin also exists.
Heightened vulnerabilities to disaster risks can be related to expanding
population, urbanisation and industrialisation, development within
high-risk zones, environmental degradation, and climate change.
 1st Indian Disaster Management Congress was inaugurated on 29.11.2006
 National Institute of Disaster Management publishes a biannual journal titled

“Disaster and development”
 According to World Bank, during the period 1996 to 2000, the

approximate percentage loss of GDP due to disasters was 2.25%

 National Disaster Response Fund is the result of the 13th Finance

Commission
 Hazard is an incident of accident caused by Earthquake, tsunami and

floods
 Hazard may result in Human loss, property loss and cattle loss
 A cyclone killed more than 50,000 in Bangladesh (1970)
 The word tsunami was derived fom Japanese language
 Central Emergency Relief Training Institute (CERTI) was founded on

29th April, 1957 at Nagpur
 CERTI was renamed as National Civil Defence College on 1st April, 1968
 National Tsunami Warning System (NTWS) has come into force from
2005
 Staff of Disaster Management will be trained in First Aid, Cleanliness and

advices on mental/physical tensions
 The worldwide share on earthquakes and tsunamis in total hazards is

8%

 The high power committee on Disaster Management, constituted in 1999,

has identified 31 various disasters categorized into 5 major sub groups as
Water and Climate related disasters, Geological related disasters,
Chemical, industrial and nuclear related disasters, Accident related
disasters and Biological related disasters
 National Disaster Management Authority is the apex body for Disaster

Management in India
 National Executive Council is the executive committee of NDMA
 State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) is headed by the Chief Minister
 District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) is headed by District

Collector
 General superintendence, direction and control of National Disaster

Response Force (NDRF) shall be vested in and exercised by NDMA
 The command and supervision of NDRF shall be vested in DG of Civil

Defence and National Disaster Response Force
 Pacific Tsunami Warning System (PTWS) was developed with its

operational center at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) near
Honolulu, Hawaii

 In India, “Survey of India” maintains a day-to-day maintenance of the

tide gauge with the assistance from authorities of the ports
 On an average the life cycle of a cyclone takes 6 days
 The longest cyclone is “Typhoon John” which lasted for 31 days (Aug to
Sep, 1994) in the north east and north west pacific basins
 Around 8% of the total land area in India is prone to cyclones
 About 2/3rd of the cyclones that occur in the Indian coast line occur in
the Bay of Bengal
 Indian Meteorological dept is the nodal dept for wind detection,

tracking and forecasting cyclones
 Cyclone warning is disseminated by several means such as satellite

based disaster warning systems, radio, television, telephone, fax, high
priority telegram, public announcements and bulletins in press
 Around 12% (40 million hectare) of land in India is prone to floods
 Around 68% of India’s total area is drought prone
 Cyclone “SIDR” hit bangladesh on 15th Nov, 2007

 On 29th Oct, 1999 supercyclone with windspeed 260-300 km/hr hit the
140 km coast of orissa
 Disaster Management activities may be conducted before a disaster, during a

disaster and after a disaster
 Andhra Pradesh was severely battered by a cyclone storm killing more

than 10,000 people on 15th Nov, 1977
 12% of India’s land is prone to floods
 Earthquake can happen at any time ie morning, evening and night
 Components of a School Disaster Management Plan are (a) Hazard

identification and assesment (b) sensitization of teachers and school
management (c) mapping
 Earthquakes and tsunamis constitute 8% of the world distribution of

disasters
 Floods constitute 30% of the world distribution of disasters
 Tsunami is a Japanese Word

 Bureau of Indian Standards divided earthquake prone areas into 5

zones
 On 11.04.2012, a powerful underwater earthquake rock western

Indonesia, triggered a Tsunami alert for countries along the Indian
ocean
 An earthquake under the sea is called tsunami
 Main objective of first aid is to prevent life
 Richter scale is used for measuring intensity of earthquakes
 Tsunami waves are generated because of undersea earthquakes
 Earhquake, cyclone and landslides are natural hazards
 Ministry at the central govt. which coordinates all Disaster Management

activities in the country is Home Affairs
 No. of people killed by disasters in India from 1980 to 2010 were

1,43,039
 National institute of Disaster Management is at New Delhi

 Head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction- Robert Glasser,
 UN Disaster Management Team (UNDMT) is responsible for solving the

problems resulting from disasters in all countries
 A disaster is an event which results in loss of human life, loss of

property and loss of livelihood
 United Nations General Assembly proclaimed in 1990s as the

International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction
 During 1980-2010, no. of people affectd by natural disaster in India was

1,521,726,127
 Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in the central govt has the overall
responsibility for Disaster Management in the country
 For a few specific types of disasters the concerned ministries have the
nodal responsibilities for management of disasters, as under
 Drought  Ministry of Agriculture
 Epidemics and Biological disasters  Ministry of Health and family

welfare
 Chemical disasters  Ministry of Environment and

Forests
 Nuclear disasters  Ministry of Atomic energy

 Air accidents  Ministry of Civil Aviation
 Railway accidents  Ministry of Railways
Overview of Natural Disasters from 1980-2010
 No. of events  431
 No, of people killed  143,039

 Average killed per year  4,614
 No. of people affected  1,521,726,127

 Average affected per year  49,087,940
 Economic damage (US $ * 1000)  48,063,830
 Economic damage per year (US $ *  1,550,446

1000)
 Government of India is one of the first in the world to come out

publically with a plan which seeks to implement the four priorities for
action of the Sendai Framework, focussed on spreading a greater
understanding of disaster risk through education and public
information, investing in disaster resilient infrastructure and
committing to improved disaster preparedness and building back
better in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction
 India faces a formidable range of both man-made and natural hazards

as evidenced by the drought which is currently affecting over 300
million people
 India hosted the Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk

Reduction from November 2-5, 2016 in New Delhi.

 National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) - 1 June, 2016.
 In May 2016, the National Mission for Clean Ganga, India’s Ministry of
Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, and
the Jharkhand state government announced a partnership to
rejuvenate the Ganga through improved sanitation and sustainable
livelihoods. The partnership is supported by the United Nations
Development Programme.
 UNDP @ 50 yrs with India - For over 50 years, the Government of

India and the United Nations Development Programme have
partnered in virtually every area of human development, from
democratic governance to poverty eradication, to sustainable energy
and environmental management.
World Disaster Report - 2016
 Climate Disaster Resilience Index (CDRI), under the umbrella of Kyoto

University, is a unique tool to measure urban resilience, taking into
account a city’s current risk to city services and systems.
 Reported in the 2009 World Disasters Report, concerns the 23 cyclone

shelters in Odisha, on the eastern coast of India, which, along with a
local warning system, saved 42,000 lives in a cyclone in 1999, during
which more than 10,000 persons were otherwise killed. Fast-forward to
2013 and 2014 when two cyclones – Phailin and Hudhud respectively –
hit Odisha. The death tolls were in low two-digit numbers – 38 and 25
respectively

 The impact of two earthquakes that struck Nepal in 2015 has ground the
country’s annual economic growth to almost zero per cent. Almost 9,000
lives were lost (Government of Nepal, 2015). A few months later, from
September 2015 to January 2016, Nepal suffered a near-complete trade
blockade enforced by regional political parties, allegedly with unspoken
support from India, which were said to be displeased with the way a
new constitution was evolving (India denied this, stating that blockages
were imposed by ethnic protesters within Nepal). The blockade crippled
the landlocked economy, given its dependence on India for essential
fuel, foods and medicines.
 In December 2004, Maldives was affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami.

While the death toll was fewer than 100, the impact was still dramatic:
total losses were estimated at US$ 472 million, which equated to 62 per
cent of gross domestic product
 According to the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters

(CRED), 371 disasters triggered by natural hazards and 203 triggered by
technological hazards (typified hereafter with the abbreviations DTNH
and DTTH, respectively) were reported worldwide in 2015.
 Natural Hazards  decade’s annual average (375) and technological

hazards  decade’s annual average (234).
 With 114 disasters, storms were in the highest of the decade, at 18 %

above its decade’s annual average (97).

 The deadliest DTNH of 2015 was an earthquake which hit Nepal in April
and killed 8,831 people, a death toll very far from the number of deaths
caused for instance by cyclone Nargis in Myanmar in 2008 (138,375
deaths). Three heat waves in France, India and Pakistan caused 3,275,
2,248 and 1,229 deaths, respectively. These major DTNH, which killed
thousands of people (totalling 15,583), accounted for 69 per cent of all
deaths from DTNH.
 Number of people killed by DTTH (9,826) was the second highest of the
decade, and is 33 per cent above its decade’s annual average (7,383).
The event which resulted in the highest number of deaths (2,236) was a
stampede during the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Fifty-five per cent
of deaths from DTTH were related to transport accidents, with
shipwrecks accounting for 65 per cent of these deaths and road
accidents for 24 per cent
 The number of people reported affected by DTNH  108 million
 The most severe DTNH was a drought which affected 18 million people
in North Korea between June and July. A flood in India in July and August
affected almost 14 million people
 A report issued by India’s Ministry of Home Affairs Disaster Management Division,

claims that at least 480 people have died in rain and flood related incidents since
the start of monsoon in June 2016 .National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has
deployed 53 teams, made up of a total of 2,010 to the affected states to carry out
rescue and relief operations. The deaths occurred in 11 states across the country:
FAO Report
 In developing countries the agriculture sector absorbs about 22% of

the total damage and losses caused by natural hazards

 2004 tsunami affecting India and Indonesia had the greatest economic
impact on fisheries, causing over USD 500 million in damage and losses
to the subsector in each country
 In the case of forestry, biomass fires have a significant impact, burning

annually between 3 and 4.5 million km2 globally – an area equivalent to
India and Pakistan
 Over the last decade , more than 1/3rd developing countries have been
affected by at least three medium- and large-scale disaster
 When considered at country level, the findings show that India was the
most affected by crop and livestock production losses after repeated
floods between 2004 and 2013
 Floods were associated with 77% of the region’s losses. While the region
experienced the largest absolute production losses, it was least affected
in relation to the projected value of production. India was most affected
by losses after recurrent floods from 2004 to 2013
 13th Finance Commission (FC-XIII) has given its recommendations for

maintaining National Disaster Response Fund and State Disaster
Response Fund in accordance with the DM Act 2005. FC-XIV has taken
them forward and made recommendations regarding National Disaster
Response Fund and State Disaster Response Fund

 The state government is primarily responsible for undertaking rescue,

relief and rehabilitation measures in the event of a natural disaster
 The State Disaster Response Fund shall be used only for meeting the
expenditure for providing immediate relief to the victims of cyclone,
drought, earthquake, fire, flood, tsunami, hailstorm, landslide,
avalanche, cloud burst, pest attack, frost and cold wave.
 The state-specific disasters within the local context in the State, which
are not included in the notified list of disasters eligible for assistance
from State Disaster Response Fund and National Disaster Response
Fund, can be met from State Disaster Response Fund within the limit of
10 percent of the annual funds allocation of the State Disaster Response
Fund.
 As per Section 47 of the DM Act 2005, Central Government may

constitute a National Disaster Mitigation Fund for projects exclusively
for the purpose of mitigation
 India is a signatory to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk

Reduction and is committed to achieve the priorities and the objectives
through systematic and institutional efforts. With multi-dimensional
initiatives and expertise, India is taking a leading role in strengthening
regional cooperation among South Asian countries for reducing
disasters.

 The United Nation Disaster Management Team in India comprises of UN

agencies such as Food and Agriculture Organization, International
Labour Organization, United Nations Development Programme, United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, United
Nations Population Fund, United Nations High Commission for Refugees,
United Nations Children’s Fund, World Food Programme, and World
Health Organization.




CRISIS MANAGEMENT
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
This content provides fodder points in APPSC TSPSC Group 1 Essay (Paper - 1) and General Studies
Crisis vs Disaster:
 Crisis may be defined as “an emergency situation arising out of natural or human activity which poses a threat to
human life and property or leads to large scale disruption of normal life.
 A crisis may degenerate into a disaster if it is not properly managed resulting in unnecessary loss of human life and
property on a large scale.
 Second Administrative Reforms Commission, in its 3rd report discussed the Crisis Management.
Crisis: Regeneration or Degeneration ??
‘If governments won’t solve the climate, hunger, health, and democracy crises, then the people will‘”
 When literally billions of people, the 99 percent, are hungry or struggling to survive with justice and dignity;
when the majority of the global body politic are threatened and assaulted by a toxic environment and food
system; when hundreds of millions are overwhelmed with chronic health problems; battered by floods,
droughts, and weather extremes; when endless wars and land grabs for water, land and strategic resources
spiral out of control, it’s time for a change, Big Change.
 It’s time to move beyond degenerate ethics, farming land use, energy policies, politics and economics. It’s time to
move beyond “too little, too late” mitigation and sustainability strategies.
 It’s time to inspire and mobilize a mighty global army of Regenerators, before it’s too late.
Connecting the dots
Melting polar ice caps, dying oceans, global warming? The corporate take-over of governments, commerce and the
world food supply? The loss of the world’s fertile, life-sustaining soil and biodiversity, along with the loss of
indigenous seeds and knowledge?
 Dis-empowed, exploited people, overwhelmed by the challenges of everyday survival, don’t have the luxury.Our
guiding principle must be that everyone, everywhere can potentially be energized and mobilized, i.e. regenerated,
by a “Do-it-Yourself Movement” that “tells it like it is,” that moves beyond mere mitigation, and instead offers a
global roadmap and a holistic menu of regenerative solutions to our most pressing food, farming, health, climate,
political and economic problems.
 Healthy soil, healthy plants, healthy animals, healthy people, healthy climate . . . our physical and economic health,
our very survival as a species, is directly connected to the soil, biodiversity, and the health and fertility of our
food and farming systems.
 Regenerative organic farming and land use can move us back into balance, back to a stable climate.
 The regenerative bottom line for survival and well-being is that we must not only move away from oil, coal, gas and
nuclear energy toward renewable sources of energy. We must also move several hundred billion tons of
excess, climate- destabilizing carbon from the atmosphere back into the soil, where it belongs.
 Consider what happens when the sun shines on a grass plant rooted in the earth. Using that light as a
catalyst, the plant takes atmospheric CO2, splits off and releases the oxygen, and synthesizes liquid carbon–
sugars, basically.
Some of these sugars go to feed and build the aerial portions of the plant
(Aerial parts of plant means parts which are completely exposed in air) we can see, but a large percentage of
this liquid carbon—somewhere between 20 and 40 percent—travels underground, leaking out of the roots and
into the soil. The roots are feeding these sugars to the soil microbes—the bacteria and fungi that inhabit the
rhizosphere—in exchange for which those microbes provide various services to the plant: defense, trace minerals,
access to nutrients the roots can’t reach on their own. That liquid carbon has now entered the microbial
ecosystem, becoming the bodies of bacteria and fungi that will in turn be eaten by other microbes in the soil food
web. Now, what had been atmospheric carbon (a problem) has become soil carbon, a solution—and not just to
a single problem, but to a great many problems.
 Besides taking large amounts of carbon out of the air—tons of it per acre when grasslands are properly
managed… that process at the same time adds to the land’s fertility and its capacity to hold water. Which
means more and better food for us...
 This process of returning atmospheric carbon to the soil works even better when ruminants are added to the
mix. Every time a calf or lamb shears a blade of grass, that plant, seeking to rebalance its “root-shoot ratio,” sheds
some of its roots. These are then eaten by the worms, nematodes, and microbes—digested by the soil, in effect,
and so added to its bank of carbon. This is how soil is created: from the bottom up
 By all accounts, our planet is in deep trouble, and headed for worse. Sustaining a dying planet or mitigating
catastrophic climate change is not an option. We must change the conversation about the climate crisis from
“mitigation” to “reversing” global warming, by organically regenerating the soil, grasslands and forests. Even if
the world moves to zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and “sustains” or stabilizes atmospheric CO2 at 480-
500 ppm, we will still desperately need to remove 100 ppm or more of CO2 from the atmosphere in order to avert
runaway global warming, mass starvation, and chaos.
 A common lesson of the ancient empires of the Old and New Worlds is that even innovative adaptations cannot
make up for a lack of fertile soil to sustain increased productivity. As long as people take care of their land, the land
can sustain them.”
 Ancient civilizations never came face-to-face with global warming. Today, global warming is in our face. And
according to a growing number of scientists, we are running out of time.
 Will we regenerate our soils, our food, our health, our economies, and our spirits? Or will we continue to
degenerate, to stumble down the path toward destruction?
Why disasters are increasing ??
 Natural disasters have been an integral part of human history right from the dawn of civilization. The rise and fall of the
Indus Valley and Babylonian civilizations are a testimony to this.
 globalization, urbanization, large-scale migrations of human population and climate changes = more disaster.
 The scourge of terrorism has created new types of crises
 increasing dependence on communications and computer networks have increased the threat of newer
emergencies in case these are disabled by accident or design.(Net-banking, sharemarket, Financial Terrorism etc)
 modernization, information explosion, transnational migrations, and the economic interdependence among nations
have all contributed to extending the impact of crisis situations.
 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) came to the conclusion that, worldwide the frequency and
magnitude of all types of natural disasters are on the rise
 In some regions of the country, the frequency and intensity of droughts have increased over the past few decades.
 Extreme rainfall events will increase over many areas, resulting in greater number of floods and landslides.
 Mid-continental areas would generally become drier, thus increasing the risk of summer droughts and forest fires.
 tropical cyclone expected to be on the rise.

Such increasing trends in natural disasters will inevitably create crisis situations.
Therefore Disaster management will become a very critical issue in the coming years.
Types of Disasters:
caused by acts of nature
 Climatic events
 cyclones
 storms (associated sea erosion),
 floods and
 drought
 Geological events:
 earthquakes,
 tsunamis,
 landslides
 avalanches;
 by environmental degradation
 by accidents.
 by biological activities
 public health crises, epidemics etc;
 by hostile elements
 war, terrorism, extremism, insurgency etc;
 by disruption/failure of major infrastructure facilities
 by large crowds getting out of control
Life Cycle of a crisis
 It is also necessary to recognize that often a crisis does not emerge suddenly; it has a life cycle, which may take
days, months or even decades to develop depending on its causative factors.
 This ‘life cycle’ of crisis management may be divided broadly in three phases –
 pre-crisis,
 during crisis
 post crisis.
 Recovery
 Rehabilitation
 Reconstruction
 Most of the natural disasters can now be predicted with a fair degree of accuracy (earthquakes are an exception).
 Similarly, a reservoir of knowledge and experience now exists about managing all aspects of disasters. The challenge
is to ensure that the community at large and the decision makers are empowered with this knowledge.
Traditional Knowledge for Disaster Management
 Why should people be brought in for a community approach to disaster management? The answer should be easy to
appreciate. If tribals in the Andamans could survive the tsunami, it was because their existing warning systems worked
well in comparison to our non-existent modern systems
 The fact that traditional houses of wood and stone survived the Uttarkashi earthquake not so long ago while modern
buildings collapsed offered a similar lesson.
 This intelligence needs to be tapped for devising approaches to management of disasters.
High Cost of Disaster
 India is very vulnerable to natural hazards because of its unique geo-climatic conditions. Disasters occur in India with
grim regularity causing enormous loss of life and property.
 Almost 85% of the country is vulnerable to single or multiple disasters and about 57% of its area lies in high seismic
zones
 40 million hectares of the country’s land area is prone to flood
 68% of the area is susceptible to drought
 investment in disaster prevention and mitigation is highly cost effective: for example, every dollar spent on mitigation
saves three to five dollars on relief and rehabilitation
 Unfortunately, long-term benefits of crisis prevention and mitigation have not been duly factored into our planning and
administrative systems
 A brief description of some major crises/disasters, which India faces is given in the following paragraphs
Earthquakes
 Himalayas – the youngest among the mountain ranges
 very severe earthquakes in several parts of the Himalayan and surrounding regions
 This makes the entire region covering fourteen states (located in western and central Himalayas, northeast, and parts
of Indo-Gangetic basin) highly prone to earthquakes.
 The other seismically active regions of the country include the
 Gulf of Khambhat
 Rann of Kutch in Western Gujarat,
 Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
 Earthquakes can neither be prevented nor predicted in terms of their magnitude, or place and time of occurrence
 Therefore, the most effective measures of risk reduction are
 Building construction norms
 effective rescue and relief actions immediately after the occurrence of the earthquake.
Cyclones
TROPICAL CYCLONE EXAPLAINED: CLICK TO ENLARGE
 More than 8000 km of coastline in the east and the west face the hazards of tropical cyclones,
 A ‘super cyclone’ hit Orissa in 1999
 caused extensive damage killing about 10,000 people and lakhs of livestock population.
 The economy, infrastructure and environment were devastated
 An effective cyclone disaster prevention and mitigation plan requires
 efficient cyclone forecast – and warning services
 rapid dissemination of warnings to the government agencies, particularly marine interests like ports, fisheries and
shipping and to the general public
 construction of cyclone shelters in vulnerable areas, a ready machinery for evacuation of people to safer areas and
community preparedness
Tsunamis
HOW TSUNAMI WORKS?
 Tsunamis are large waves generated by sudden movements of the ocean floor that displace a large volume of
water.
 Tsunamis are usually associated with earthquakes
 But tsunamis can also be triggered by other phenomena like submarine or terrestrial landslides, volcanic eruptions,
explosions or even bolide (e.g, asteroid, meteor, comet) impacts.
 Tsunamis have the potential to strip beaches, uproot plantations, and inundate large inland tracts and extensively
damage life and property in coastal area.
 The tsunami in December 2004 caused severe damage to life and property in the coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh,
Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Kerala and Andaman and Nicobar Islands,
 The confirmed death toll in India was 12,000+ while 5,640 people are still unaccounted for.
 The total estimated value of damages is Rs.11,000+ crores (Approx US $2.56 billion)
Floods
HOW TO PREVENT FLOOD DAMAGE?
 The term flood is generally used when the water-flows in rivers, streams and other water bodies cannot be contained.
 Floods occur regularly in India affecting about 10% of area.
 According to the estimates of the National Flood Commission (1980), commonly known as the Rashtriya Barh Ayog,
Assam and Bihar are the States worst affected by floods followed by U.P. and West Bengal.
 In many cases, the natural process of flooding is aggravated by man-made due to
 unplanned or unauthorized construction activities;
 Increasing pace of urbanization,
 The incidence of floods in recent times in urban areas such as Mumbai, Surat, Vadodara and other places is
symptomatic of this trend and is the direct result of unauthorized construction activities.
 poor urban planning and implementation,
 lack of investment in storm water drainage and sewerage
 The country has to shift towards efficient management of flood plains, disaster preparedness, response planning, flood
forecasting and warning
 There should be strict regulation of settlements and economic activity in the flood plain zones along with flood proofing,
to minimise the loss of life and property on account of floods.
 Flood forecasting activities should be modernized
Landslides
 Landslides are mass movements of rocks, debris or earth, down mountain slopes or riverbanks. Such
movements may occur gradually, but sudden sliding can also occur without warning.
 They often take place in conjunction with earthquakes, floods and volcanic eruptions
 Prolonged rainfall causing heavy landslides block the flow of rivers for quite some time, which on bursting can cause
havoc to human settlements downstream
 hilly terrains of India, particularly in the Himalayas and the Western Ghats, are most vulnerable to landslides.
 In contrast, the Western Ghats and Nilgiri Hills are geologically stable
 regulate settlements in hazard prone area
 construction of retaining walls against steep slopes
Avalanches
 sliding down of snow cover on mountain slope causes avalanches

 Avalanches create various crisis situations for the local administration;
 road traffic may be blocked and communication links to vital areas may be disrupted
 winter sports may be disturbed stranding tourists in places with scant facilities.
 Small rivers may be blocked creating danger of down stream flooding.
 Avalanches may sometimes hit or bury human settlements down the slopes
 Solution
 remove snow deposits on slopes by blasting,
 predicting avalanches and evacuating people from vulnerable areas.
Industrial Disasters
 Among the man made disasters, probably the most devastating (after wars) are industrial disasters.
 These disasters may be caused by chemical, mechanical, civil, electrical or other process failures in an industrial plant
due to accident or negligence,
 But they also cause widespread damage within and/or outside the plant
 worst example = Methyl Iso-cynate gas leak in 1984 from the Union Carbide Factory in Bhopal (known as the
Bhopal Gas Tragedy) which has
 so far claimed more than 20,000 lives and injured several lakh persons
Reforms after Bhopal Gas tragedy
 In the pre-Bhopal Gas Tragedy era, industrial safety was governed by legislations like the Factories Act, 1948 and the
Explosives Act, 1884.
 These laws proved to be inadequate to provide safety to workers as well as to the people living in the surrounding
areas
 So, The Environment Protection Act, 1986 was enacted.
 Stringent environmental protection laws have prevented major industrial disasters after Bhopal, but minor disasters do
take place on and off site and also during transportation of hazardous materials, which claim a number of lives each
year besides creating environmental problems.
 With rapid industrialization, the threat of industrial disasters has increased.
 However, in spite of the existence of a large number of laws, their enforcement has left much to be desired
Epidemics
In India, the major sources of epidemics can be broadly categorized as follows
 Epidemics often take place due to poor sanitary conditions leading to contamination of food and water or due to
inadequate disposal of human or animal carcasses in post-disaster situations.
 They become real dangers during floods and earthquakes. Sometimes, poor solid waste management may create
epidemics like plague.
 Plague is quite uncommon now but it can still occur as it did in Surat in 1994
Nuclear Hazards
FUKISHIMA NUKE POWER PLANT
 Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) is the nodal agency in the country in respect of man made radiological
emergencies in the public domain.
Desert Locusts
 Under favourable environmental conditions, a few insects can dramatically multiply, form large swarms able to
migrate great distances
 they threaten agriculture over a large part of Africa, the Middle East and Southwest Asia = food security problem.
 International cooperation lies at the core of an effective strategy for locust control
Slow vs Rapid Onset disasters
Slow onset disaster Rapid onset disaster
climate change (global warming), desertification, soil degradation, and droughts, Earthquakes, cyclones, floods, tsunamis
Also known as Creeping Emergencies.their impact is not felt immediately.
Climatic Change
 Climate change is defined as ‘a statistically significant variation in either the mean state of the climate for an extended
period (typically decades or even longer)
 Global warming caused due to the “Greenhouse effect” is one of the major reasons for climate change.
 Global warming leads to melting of glaciers, rise in sea level and threatens low lying coastal areas (Like the
Sunderbans and entire nations such as Bangladesh and Maldives)
 Combating global warming requires urgent and concerted efforts by the international community.
Droughts
 Droughts refer to a serious shortfall in availability of water, thus affecting agriculture, drinking water supply and
industry.
 Droughts in India have their own peculiarities requiring appreciation of some basic facts. These are:
 India has an average annual rainfall of around 1150 mm; no other country has such a high annual average,
however, there is considerable annual variation
 More than 80% of rainfall is received in less than 100 days during the South-west monsoon and the geographic spread
is uneven.
 Inadequacy of rains coupled with adverse land-man ratio compels the farmers to practice rain-fed agriculture in large
parts of the country
 Irrigation, using groundwater aggravates the situation in the long run as ground-water withdrawal exceeds
replenishment; in the peninsular region availability of surface water itself becomes scarce in years of rainfall
insufficiency
Desertification and Soil Degradation
 Any kind of land degradation can be termed as desertification.

 This can take place due to soil erosion, increasing alkalinity in soil and water-logging
 Land degradation is estimated to affect one third of the total area of the country
 process of desertification is accelerated due to continuing cultivation.
 alkalinity and salinity coupled with water-logging= seriously reduces agricultural productivity and has grave implications
for our food security system.
Sea Erosion
 landward displacement of the shoreline caused by the forces of waves and currents is termed as erosion.
 Coastal erosion occurs when wind, waves and long shore currents move sand from the shore and deposit it
somewhere else.
 this results in permanent changes in beach shape and structure.
 The impact of the event is not always seen immediately, but it is equally important when we consider loss of property
that it causes.
 It takes months or years to note the impact. So, this is generally classified as a “long term coastal hazard”
 While the effects of waves, currents, tides and wind are primary natural factors that influence the coast,
 construction of artificial structures, mining of beach sand, building of dams
 About 23 per cent of India’s mainland coastline of 5423 km is getting affected by erosion
Crisis/Disaster Response Mechanism in India
 Arthashastra, (a treatise on public administration by Chanakya in the 4th century B.C), devoted a section to mitigation
measures to combat famines
 Modern methods of crisis management began to be applied from the late 1870
 After Independence, drought relief works were undertaken in areas affected by severe droughts.
 With the onset of the green revolution in the late 1960s the necessity for famine relief work declined
 holistic drought management programme was taken up in the form of the Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP).
 Legislation on disaster management at the national level was enacted in the year 2005 with the Disaster Management
Act, 2005
Disaster Response Mechanism in India
 community is usually the first responder in case of a disaster

 in urban areas the response is articulated by agencies like the civic authorities, the fire brigade and the local police
station
 At present, panchayats do not have the capacity to react in case of disaster.
 So, it is the district administration, which retains the basic responsibility of handling crises situations with the Collector
playing a pivotal role.
Constitution of India: Disaster Management
 Indian Constitution has specified specific roles for the Union and State Governments.
 However, the subject of disaster management does not find mention in any of the three lists in the Seventh Schedule of
the Indian Constitution.
State Government & Disaster Management
 State Governments = post disaster relief and rehabilitation

 A few states have created seperate a Disaster Management Department.
Role of CM
 a Cabinet Committee on Natural Calamities under the chairpersonship of the Chief Minister takes stock of situations
and is responsible for all important policy decisions.
Role of Chief Secretary
Every state has a Crisis Management Committee under the chairpersonship of the Chief Secretary,
 It reviews crisis situations on a day-to-day basis at the time of crisis,

 coordinates the activities of all departments and provides decision support system to the district administration
Role of District Collector
 District Magistrate/Collector has the responsibility for the overall management of disasters in the district.
 All departments of the State Government including the police, fire services, public works, irrigation etc. work in a
coordinated manner under the leadership of the Collector during a disaster, except in metropolitan areas where the
municipal body plays a major role.
 District Collector also enjoys the authority to request for assistance from the Armed Forces if circumstances so demand
Union Government & Disaster Management
 Union Government plays a key supportive role by

 Giving physical and financial resources
 early warning and co-ordination of efforts of all Union ministries, departments and organizations
 Till recently, the Department of Agriculture had the nodal responsibility for managing disasters.
 After the Gujarat earthquake in 2001, this responsibility has been shifted to the Ministry of Home Affairs
 Matters relating to nuclear, biological and chemical emergencies are looked after by the Cabinet Committee on
Security.
Role of cabinet Secretary
 Cabinet Secretary, as the highest executive officer, heads the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC).
 NCMC can give directions to any ministry, department or organization for specific action needed for meeting the crisis
situation.
Where does the money come?
 After a natural disaster, Government has to take do relief work.

 To finance such relief work, lot of money is required.
 The allocation of this money is governed by the recommendations of the Finance Commission.
 Finance Commission is appointed by the Government of India every five years.
 Under the existing scheme, each state has a corpus of funds called Calamity Relief Fund (CRF)
 In case the funds under CRF are not sufficient to meet the specific requirements, State Governments can seek
assistance from the National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF)
 Both these funds, as the names suggest, are meant for relief and rehabilitation and do not cover either mitigation or
reconstruction works, which have to be funded separately by the State or Union Government
Role of Army
 They’re most effective in dealing with Natural Disaster relief because of

 their ability to organize action in adverse ground circumstances,
 Their speed of operational response and also their resources and skills (army engineer, doctors etc)
 Thus, they play a major role in assisting the civil administration.
 They provide communications, search and rescue operations, health and medical facilities, transportation, power, food
and civil supplies, public works and engineering, in the immediate aftermath of major disasters
laws
 Essential Services Maintenance Acts (ESMA) to ensure provision of essential services during the time of crisis.
 The Code of Criminal Procedure (Cr.P.C) still remains the most important Act to tackle crisis situations due to public
order problems
 Seperate Disaster Management Act was enacted in 2005.
Timeline of Events: Disaster Management in India
1990s
 United Nations decided to observe the 1990s as the International Decade of Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR).
 National Governments were expected to pay special attention to measures to deal with natural disasters
1999
 Government of India Constituted a High Powered Committee (HPC) on Disaster Management.

 HPC came out with a large number of recommendations.
2001
 Following the Gujarat earthquake, the Government of India took important policy decisions/measures for reforming the
disaster management system in the country. These are:
 Disaster management was moved from the purview of the Ministry of Agriculture to the Ministry of Home Affairs
 Although Ministry of Agriculture retains the responsibility for droughts, pest attacks and hailstorms;
 State Governments were advised to create separate Disaster Management Department
 State Governments were further advised to constitute
 State Disaster Management Authority under the Chairmanship of State Chief Ministers
 District Disaster Management Committee under the Chairmanship of District Collectors
 A specialized force comprising eight battalions to be named as National Disaster Response Force to be constituted
with state-of-the-art equipment and training to respond to various natural and man made disasters;
 advanced fail-proof disaster communication network
 National Institute of Disaster Management was set up at Delhi for training research
 Basics of disaster management to be introduced in school education
 disaster resistant technologies to be introduced in engineering and architecture
 disaster- Management topic introduced in medical and nursing education

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Disaster Management Questions asked in APPSC exams

(Total 65 Question Papers 2012-2017)

Newly formed state – Telangana (2014)

 No. of people killed by natural disasters in India from 1980 to 2010 –

Current Scenario: Latest WDR 2016 wrt India

 National Institute of Disaster Management is located at New Delhi

 1st Indian Disaster Management Congress was inaugurated on

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 National Institute of Disaster Management publishes a biannual journal

 According to World Bank, during the period 1996 to 2000, the

 Increase in vulnerability due to disasters is not because of stagnation in

 Indian National Centre for Information Services – Hyderabad

 Earthquakes are endogenic processes

 Based on intensity of shaking, India is divided into 4 seismic zones

 Geological Survey of India is responsible for landslide inventory,

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 Bureau of Indian Standards lays down the standards for occupational

 In India, rapid damage assessment due to landslides is done by NRSC

 Secretary, Dept of Atomic Energy is not a member of National crisis

 Members of National crisis management committee – SECRETARY

 Name of the smartphone application for android operating system

 Himansh is the name of the research laboratory established by national

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 In 1990, Joint Forest Management involving local communities in forest

 An earthquake striking an uninhabited desert falls in the category of

 In disaster management terminology, if the capacity is “infinite”, “risk”

 Approximately 10000 people died in the cyclone of 1977, which caused

 Cabinet Secretary heads the National Crisis Management Committee for

 National disaster management plan was released by prime minister on

 The response part of national disaster management plan identifies

 2015 3rd UN World Conference on Disaster risk reduction (WCDRR) was

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 Which type of disaster is a “land slide” – Hydrological

 As per national disaster management plan, 2016 the period of normalcy

 Meaning of Japanese word “Tsunami” – harbour wave

 Community has to respond first to a disaster

 Earthquakes are more likely to occur near faults

 Bhopal tragedy is chemical type of disaster

 Which weapon of biological disaster was used by the European

 National day for disaster reduction – 29th October

 The point directly above the focus of earthquake is called Epicentre

 Delhi and Mumbai are in which category of risk zone – Zone 4

 What is the action plan in first aid called in English abbreviation –

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 After earthquake, while searching the collapsed buildings it is better to

 In a tsunami, the first wave may not be the largest

 Naval hydrographic office is located at Dehradun

 P-waves are the fastest travelling waves during an earthquake

 North eastern region is in earthquake risk zone – 5

 Methyl isocyanate killed thousands of people in Bhopal Gas Tragedy

 Anthrax parcels can be termed as biological weapons

 Largest floods in India are caused by Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers

 Environmental degradation is a major factor in increasing the effects of

 To be considered as scanty or deficit rainfall year, compared to the avg

 Approximately 59% of land area in India is prone to earthquakes

 The clody mass of a cyclone can raise to occupy troposphere

 What parameter of an earhquake is measured using modified Mercalli

 At what approximate speed tsunamis can move on coastal plains –

 In NDRF, there are 12 batallions