Disaster Management
* A disaster is a destructive event that occurs suddenly and involves loss of life and property.
* Disaster can be of two, natural and man-made.
* Earthquakes, volcanic activity, Tsunamis, flood, cyclones, landslides, avalanches and droughts are natural disasters.
* Some of the ma-made disasters are: bomb explosions, terrorism, war or civil war, leakage of poisonous chemicals, breach in dams, air or water pollution, industrial accidents and epidemics.
* Disaster Management refers to the measures taken for the safety and protection of life and property from natural or man-made disasters.
Earthquakes
* Earthquakes are caused mainly by the movement of the tectonic plates and have their origins deep within the earth’s crust.
* The point of origin of the earthquake is called the seismic focus and the point in the earth’s surface directly over this focus is called the epicentre.
* Earthquakes can be measured and recorded by seismographs while the Richter scale is used to measure their magnitude.
* There is no definite way to predict when an earthquake will strike.
* We can take steps to minimise the damages caused to building structures that are earthquake-proof and have a good strong foundation that can withstand shocks.
* During an earthquake we must take shelter under tables or at doorways inside the house, or in large open spaces outside.
* After an earthquake, immediate steps should be taken to provide medical help, shelter and vaccination to the affected people.
Volcanoes, Tsunami and Cyclones
* Volcanic eruption happens when molten lava comes out of the earth.
* Tsunamis are huge waves mainly caused by earthquakes under ocean beds.
* Even though tsunamis or big earthquakes cannot be precisely predicted, there are automated early warning systems that can provide warnings immediately after earthquakes in time to save lives.
* Cyclones are caused due to formation of low pressure circles in the atmosphere.
* Satellite helps us to track these cyclones and enables the government to issue warning.
All about Floods
* Floods occur due to accumulation of excessive water in an area due to various causes.
* Flooding damages crops and contaminates sources of fresh water thus leading to shortage of food and drinking water.
* Apart from damaging life and property, floods can also lead to epidemics
* Any flood is preceded by a threat period known as the probability period, which allows the authorities to issue warnings and plan evacuation.
Land Slides and Avalanches
* Land Slides occurs when the earth on hilly areas slides down along with building and trees.
* An avalanches happens when a huge mass of snow down a mountain.
* Both landslides and avalanches happen rather suddenly. It is not possible to warn people about them.
* The damage from these natural disasters can be limited by identifying the areas that are prone to them and planting more trees on the mountains.
Droughts
* A severe drought occurs when rainfall in an area is 50% of the average rainfall of that region.
* A general drought occurs when the rainfall in an area is 25% less than the average rainfall of that region.
* Destruction of forests causes droughts.
* Droughts can be prevented by storing excess rain water.
* Atomic, Biological and Chemical Disasters
* Human disasters are man-made and involve elements of human intent, negligence, or the failure of a man-made system. atomic disasters are extremely damaging and are mostly caused through weapons of mass destruction.
* Biological disasters affect humans and animals
* Chemicals and radioactive leakages are also the result of human error and result in far reaching damages.
General Human Disasters.
* Fires disasters are mostly man-made and caused due to negligence and lack of maintenance.
* Fires can occur both indoors and outdoors
* It is possible to take measures to prevent fires and limit the damage caused by them.
Disasters Involving Modes of Transport
* Human disasters include accidents that occur while rules are broken by people.
*Accidents mostly occur when rules are b people.
* Rules, if followed strictly, can prevent such disasters from happening.
Stages of Disasters Management
* Disaster management prepares us to face a calamity in all its stages before, during and after disaster strikes.
* The objective of disaster management is to prevent any calamity, minimize the effects, and take timely action for normalising the situation.
* The four important stages of disaster management are advance preparation, relief to the victims, restoration of normalcy, and prevention plan for the future.
Role of Administration
* The central government is primarily responsible for managing disaster.
* The responsibility is shared by the administration in the state, district, block and village levels.
* The number of other organisation like the UNDMT, NCC and NSS also help in managing disasters.