WHAT IS DISASTER?

Disaster is a sudden, calamitous event bringing great damage, loss, and destruction and
devastation to life and property. The damage caused by disasters is immeasurable and varies with
the geographical location, climate and the type of the earth surface/degree of vulnerability. This
influences the mental, socio-economic, political and cultural state of the affected area. Generally,
disaster has the following effects in the concerned areas,

1.  It completely disrupts the normal day to day life

2.  It negatively influences the emergency systems

3.  Normal needs and processes like food, shelter, health, etc. are affected and deteriorate depending on
the intensity

    and severity of the disaster.

It may also be termed as “a serious disruption of the functioning of society, causing widespread human,
material or environmental losses which exceed the ability of the affected society to cope using its own
resources.”

TYPES OF DISASTER

Generally, disasters are of two types – Natural and Manmade. Based on the devastation, these are
further classified into major/minor natural disaster and major/minor manmade disasters. Some of the
disasters are listed below,

Minor natural disasters:

Major natural disasters:  
         Cold wave
         Flood
         Thunderstorms
         Cyclone
         Heat waves
         Drought
         Mud slides
         Earthquake
         Storm
 Minor manmade disaster:

         Road / train accidents, riots

Major manmade disaster:          Food poisoning

 Setting of fires          Industrial disaster/ crisis

 Epidemic
 Deforestation          Environmental pollution
 Pollution due to prawn cultivation
 Chemical pollution.
 Wars  

   

Risk:

Risk is a measure of the expected losses due to a hazardous event of a particular magnitude occurring in
a given area over a specific time period. Risk is a function of the probability of particular occurrences and
the losses each would cause. The level of risk depends on:

      Nature of the Hazard

      Vulnerability of the elements which are affected

      Economic value of those elements

Vulnerability:

It is defined as “the extent to which a community, structure, service, and/or geographic area is likely to be
damaged or disrupted by the impact of particular hazard, on account of their nature, construction and
proximity to hazardous terrain or a disaster prone area”

Hazards:

Hazards are defined as “Phenomena that pose a threat to people, structures, or economic assets and
which may cause a disaster. They could be either manmade or naturally occurring in our environment.”

 
Programme Phases:

The programme has been divided into two phases over a period of six years. Phase I [2002-2004]
would provide support to carry out the activities in 28 select districts in the states of Bihar, Gujarat
and Orissa.  In phase II [2003-2007], the Programme would cover 141 districts in the states of
Assam, Meghalaya, Sikkim, West Bengal, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Maharashtra,
Tamilnadu, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.  

Flood Management in India: National Guidelines

India is affected by severe floods on an average, every third year. Out of the total geographical area of
329 million hectare more than 40 mha is prone to floods. On an average floods affect 75 lakh hectare of
land and result in a loss of more than 1600 lives annually. Average annual damage to crops houses and
public utilities is more than Rs. 1800 crores.The monetary value of the flood damage is showing an
increasing trend. The average annual damage during the last 10 years (1996-2005) was Rs. 4745 crores
as against the last 53 years average of Rs.1805 crores.The economically and socially weaker segments of
the population are the worst affected.

On 25 December 2005 the Disaster Management Act 2005 was enacted. The Act seeks constitution of
National Disaster Management Authority, State disaster Management Authorities and District Disaster
Management Authority at national, states and district levels respectively. It also envisages development
of National Institute of Disaster Management as centre of excellence. The National Disaster Response
Force is to be established for effective and prompt response. The NDMA has the responsibility of laying
down the policies, plans and guidelines for effective Disaster Management.NDMA is also responsible for
coordinating the enforcement and implementation of the policy and plans for DM.

The emphasis of the state government has so far been on structural measures of flood management
requiring long period of time for execution and huge investments. These guidelines emphasize
importance of non-structural measures which are very effective in reducing loss of life and property and
can be implemented in a short time. Flood management works in one state may affect the other basin
states and increase flood vulnerability of the area. The guidelines recommend establishment of River
Basin Organizations as a mechanism for inter state coordination to overcome above problem. It is
proposed to set up a National Institute of Flood Management for taking up training, research and
development activities related to floods and their management. Flood forecasting and warning is an
important measure for minimizing loss of life and property. It is proposed to expand and modernize the
existing network to cover all flood prone rivers and rivulets and develop a decision support system for
managements of floods. Both natural and man-made reservoirs, lakes and ponds play an effective role in
moderating floods. It is proposed to review and modify if necessary the reservoirs operation rules and
curves for optimizing the flood moderation benefits and simultaneously ensure safety of dam and other
structures.

Unplanned and unregulated developmental activities in the flood plains of the rivers and encroachments
in the waterways have led to the increase in flood losses as well as flooding of the town and cities. The
guidelines envisage that the states will enact and enforce the flood plain zoning regulations on the lines
of model bill circulated by the ministry of water resources. The state governments will prevent
reclamation and promote conservation of lakes, ponds, chaurs and depressions. The amendments to
building bylaws and measures for making the structures and buildings flood safe have been proposed.
The existing system on education, training, research and development and documentation will be
strengthened. Measures for creating awareness about floods and simple ways to cope up with them to
save life and property are also proposed.
Effective and prompt response to floods is very important in minimizing loss of life and property and
providing immediate relief to the affected people. Institutionalizing the role of communities and NGOs
in search, rescue, and relief and recovery operations is recommended. Immediate medical assistance to
the affected people and steps for prevention of outbreak of epidemics after the floods are essential
components of flood response. Over and above a mechanism for coordinating approach for effective
response, a system of Incident Command System will be used

CYCLONE

Cyclones are hurricanes (wind speed exceeds 73mph) that are generated in the Indian Ocean.
Circulating winds under 39mph are called tropical depression, winds reaching 39 to 73mph are
classified as tropical storms.

1737 October 7 India, Bay of Bengal: a cyclone destroyed 20,000 ships in the densely populated area
with a huge amount of shipping and trade; it is estimated that more than 300,000 people died.

1789 December India, City of Coringa: three tidal waves caused by a cyclone destroyed the harbor city at
the mouth of the Ganges river. Most ships were sunk and estimated 20,000 people drowned

1839 November India, City Coringa: a gigantic 40-foot tidal wave caused by an enormous cyclone wiped
out the harbor city that was never entirely rebuilt; 20,000 vessels in the bay were destroyed and 300,000
people died.
1864 October 5th., India: most of calcutta denuded by cyclone, 70,000 killed

1876 October 31 India, Megna River Delta, City of Backergunge: a tidal wave caused by a cyclone
flooded the river delta; some areas became covered with 40 feet of water. 100,000 people drowned and
another 100,000 are reported to have perished from subsequent diseases caused by polluted water.

1942 October 16th., India cyclone devastated Bengal, about 40,000 lives lost

1960 October 10th., East Pakistan: cyclone and tidal wave killed about 6,000

1963 May 20-23rd., East Pakistan: cyclone killed about 22,000 along coast

1965 11-12th. May and June 1-2nd., East Pakistan: cyclone killed about 47,000

1965 December 15th., Karachi, Pakistan: cyclone killed about 10,000

1967 October 12th. India, State of Orissa: massive cyclone struck the rural state consisting of small
villages; basically all life (human and animal) and each structure was wiped out; the precise number of
fatalities and destruction is unknown.

1970 November 12-13th., East Pakistan: cyclone and tidal waves killed 200,000 and another 100,000
were resported missing

1971 September 29th., Orissa State, India: cyclone and tidal wave off Bay of Bengal killed as many as
10,000

1974 December 20th- 24th. Northwestern Australia, Darwin: Cyclone "Tracy" was first detected as a
depression in the Arafura Sea. It moved slowly southwest and intensified, passing close to Bathurst
Island, then turned sharply east-southeastward, and headed straight at Darwin, striking the city early on
Christmas Day. The combination of extremely powerful winds and the loose design of many structures led
to widespread destruction of buildings, infrastructure, and utilities; 65 people died (49 in the city and 16 at
sea).

1974 December 25th. Darwin, Australia: cyclone destroyed nearly the entire city, causing mass
evacuation; 50 reported dead

1977 November 19th. Andhra Pradesh, India: cyclone and tidal wave claimed lives of 20,000

1985 May 25th. Bangladesh, Meghna River delta: a cyclone with winds of over 100mph created a surge
15-to 20-foot high that impacted a 400-square-mile area, mainly islands located in the mouth of the river;
10,000 people and 500,000 head of cattle died; hundreds of thousands were left homeless.

1991 April 31st., southeastern Bangladesh: cyclone killed over 131,000 and left as many as 9 million
homeless. Thousands of survivors died from hunger and water borne disease

1996 November 6th. India, State of Andhra Pradesh: a cyclone that was headed for the neighboring
Krisdhna district make an unexpected turn toward the Godavari river delta; with winds of up to 100mph it
sent a massive surge inland at high speed; 1,600 people died and tens of thousands were rendered
homeless.
1997, May 19th. Bangladesh: affected more than 5 million people, devastated farmland, cattle and other
livestock, about 500 people died

1999 October 29th. India, eastern state of Orissa: Supercyclone with wind gusts up to 190mph and
waves of up to 15 feet in height crashed into the 85 mile of coastal stretch and caused devastation in the
districts of Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Suttack, and Jaipur. Transportation routes, infrastructure,
public buildings including schools and hospitals, communication lines, utilities, and thousands of acres of
farmland were destroyed. More than 9,500 people died, 2.5 million became homeless, four hundred
thousand head of livestock had drowned, and the damage estimation reached US $3.5 billion.

FIRE

Although a fire disaster need not necessarily reach catastrophic proportions, it will present some
of the characteristic aspects of a disaster because of the highly destructive action of fire and of
the considerable number of victims. The surviving casualties will have mainly serious and
extensive burns requiring immediate rescue procedures that cannot always be provided by local
resources.
A fire of vast proportions can moreover cause damage to the surrounding environment by the
massive production of heat and the emanation of burn gases and fumes. 5
Smoke and gas, because of their suffocating action and their direct action on the airways,
represent other specific danger elements. The danger of smoke and gas is generally
underestimated by the population.
One factor that makes all fire disasters dramatic is panic. Anybody close to a sudden fire is
affected by panic. This is due to the realization that the fire can kill within a few moments, cause
injuries and permanent disfigurement, and inexorably destroy everything in the vicinity. When a
violent fire breaks out, there is an initial moment of psychological paralysis, generally followed
by total incapacity for logical thought, and this leads to instinctive behavioural reactions whose
one aim is to save oneself and all that is most dear, and reach safety. 6
This sequence of actions not infrequently serves only to worsen the extent of damage caused and
to create an even more dramatic and tragic situation. In animals this may indeed be the only
reaction possible, which is purely instinctive, but in man there is another option which at first
sight may seem almost paradoxical: to keep calm and take rational decisions. This can be
achieved only in one way: through information about the risks involved, through understanding
of the dangers, and through instruction about how to behave in case of fire.5,6
A fire disaster has very special characteristics if one considers the particularities of the causative
agent and the type of damage it produces in living beings. When fire comes into contact with
objects and materials it burns or destroys them in a relatively short time.5,6
The action of fire on a living organism can be lethal within a few seconds. In man, if not
immediately lethal, fire determines a pathological condition, the burn, which is considered to be
the most complex trauma that can strike the human body. 5,6
For the above reasons, burn disaster management must, besides prevention, be mainly directed
towards planning and application of measures necessary to mitigate the damage caused to man,
to prevent its aggravation, and to promote healing.5,6
It is therefore useful to bear in mind some specific aspects of a fire disaster, briefly summarized
as follows: 5

 the number of persons involved is usually high;

 the burns tend to be extensive, and the general condition of the victims precarious;
 the burn is often associated with other serious pathologies, such as wounds, fractures,
electrocution, and blast or inhalation lesions;
 hypovolaernic shock, a characteristic feature in the first phase of the burn illness, as early
as within three hours of the trauma, induces a state of tissue hypoxia, with irreversible
damage to the various organs and systems; the time interval between the burn accident
and initiation of resuscitatory therapy must be less than two hours;
 the inhalation of combustion gases, fumes, and hot air causes damage to the airways and
this alone can jeopardize survival;
 the place where the disaster occurs is not always easily accessible, and speedy care and
assistance may be inadequate;
 triage in loco of the victims must be carried out by specialists, as only experts are able to
evaluate the immediate gravity of the burn and the measures to take;
 besides the number of dead, the overall assessment of the severity and damage must be
made on the basis of the number of persons in a condition of potential mortality and
severe risk of disability;
 the rapid assessment and care of the viable and potentially curable victims is paramount.

Types of Disaster
Earthquake

Earthquake is an unexpected and rapid shaking of earth due to the breakage and shifting of
underneath layers of Earth. Earthquake strikes all of a sudden at any time of day or night and
quite violently. It gives no prior warning. If it happens in a populated area, the earthquake can
cause great loss to human life and property.

Tornado

Tornado is one of the most violent storms on earth. It seems like a rotating and funnel shape
cloud. It expands from the thunderstorm to the ground in the form of whirl winds reaching
around 300 miles per hour. The damage path could move on to one mile wide and around 50
miles long. These storms can strike quickly without any warning.

Flood
Flood is also one of the most common hazards in the United States and other parts of the world.
The effects of a flood can be local to a neighborhood or community. It can cast a larger impact,
the whole river basin and multiple states could get affected. Every state is at its risk due to this
hazard.

Water Damage

Water damage has a huge effect on your home, its neighborhood and your city. It is very much
necessary that you should prepare for water damage. You must know what should be done
during and after water damage.

Hail

Hail comes into existence when updrafts in the thunder clouds take the raindrops up towards the
extremely cold regions in the atmosphere. They freeze and combine forming lumps of ice. As
these lumps can be very heavy and are not supported by the updraft, they fall off with the speeds
of about 100 km per hour or more. A Hail is created in the form of an enormous cloud,
commonly known as thunderheads.

Wildfire

Wild forest areas catching fire is a very big problem for the people who live around these areas.
The dry conditions caused several times in the year in different parts of United States can
increase the possibility for wildfires. If you are well prepared in advance and know how to
protect the buildings in your area, you can reduce much of the damage caused by wildfire. It is
everyone’s duty to protect their home and neighborhood from wildfire.

Hurricane

Hurricane also like the tornado is a wind storm, but it is a tropical cyclone. This is caused by a
low pressure system that usually builds in the tropical. Huricanes comes with thunderstorms and
a counterclockwise spread of winds near the surface of the earth.

Winter Freeze

Winter freeze storms are serious threats for people and their property. They include, snow,
frozen rain, strong winds and extreme cold. Many precautions have to be taken in order to
protect yourself, your family, home or property.

Lightning

Lightning is a much underestimated killer. Lightning is an abrupt electric expulsion which comes
from cloud to cloud or from cloud to earth followed by an emission of light. Lightning is a
common phenomenon after heavy rain and can also occur around 10 miles off from rainfall.
Most lightning victims are people who are captivated outdoors in summer during the afternoon
and evening.
Volcano

Volcano is a mountain that has an opening downwards to the reservoir of molten rock towards
the surface of earth. Volcanoes are caused by the accrual of igneous products. As the pressure
caused by gases in the molted rock becomes intense, the eruption takes place. The volcanic
eruption can be of two kinds, quiet or volatile. The aftermaths of a volcano include flowing lava,
flat landscapes, poisonous gases and fleeing ashes and rocks.Read on to know more on types of
disasters

What is a Tsunami?

 The term "tsunami" describes a series of long oceanic waves that is created in after a large
volume of water has been displaced.  “Tsunami” is derived from the Japanese language, and
when transcribed to English, it means “Harbor (“tsu”) Wave (“nami”).  The term was first coined
by Japanese fisherman to describe the destruction caused by large waves that would wipe out
entire areas surrounding the harbor.  The strange thing was that they would experience little to no
effects of the tsunami on their boats in their sea.    

Tsunamis are waves characterized by moving at fast speeds, sometimes having a high amplitude
(wave height), and long wavelength – thus tsunamis are essentially giant waves.  In the deep
ocean, tsunamis are barely felt since they are masked by the sheer vastness of the rest of the
ocean.  This is the reason why those aforementioned Japanese fishermen were not affected. 
However, tsunamis can be absolutely devastating as ocean’s depth decreases with approaching
land.    

The speed at which a tsunami travels is another impressive characteristic.  Tsunamis can travel at
great speeds across an ocean, usually from 500 to 1000 kilometers per hour, with hardly any
energy losses and are barely noticeable out at sea.  This is the reason why tsunami’s generated
from one region can affect other regions thousands of kilometers away.  With the recent tsunami
is South Asia, the epicenter of the tsunami was just of the coast of Indonesia, and yet the tsunami
struck with the same amount of force in Eastern Africa – some 14 hours after Southeast Asia was
hit.     

Wavelengths (the distance between wave crests) of tsunami can be in excess of 100 kilometers or
more.  This means that once a tsunami initially hits the coast, the second wave might not occur
for up to an hour afterwards.  That is part of the inherent dangers of tsunamis.  With the recent
tsunami in South Asia, many individuals were killed with the initial wave.  However, more
tragedy struck when a second tsunami claimed just as many people about an hour after the first
tsunami, who had rushed back onto the beach after to help out survivors.       

As a tsunami leaves the deep water of the ocean and travels into the shallower water near the
coast, it behaves like a normal wave, only that it travels significantly faster and packs more
power with its long wavelength.  The tsunami slows down because of the shallow water, but that
also makes the water “pile up” to increase the tsunami’s height.  By the time it reaches land, the
tsunami’s height can be horrifically imposing (some have been known to be as high as 30
meters), and their effects can be equally devastating as they batter the coast with tremendous
amounts of energy.  Tsunamis can strip sand from beaches, tear up trees, and even obliterate
whole towns as seen with the latest South Asian tsunami disaster. 

A more familiar term that is often used to describe tsunamis is “tidal wave”.  This was used since
the violent onrushing of tsunamis can be seen as being similar to a very large and fast tide. 
Oceanographers are quick to point out that tidal wave is a misleading term that is incorrect in use
because tsunamis are not connected with tides in any way.  Tides are the periodic movement of
water produced by the gravitational pull of the sun and moon, whose entrance and exit can be
accurately predicted.  Tsunamis are a rare phenomenon that is caused by the displacement of
massive amounts of water and manifest itself as a series of massive waves.      

What is Terrorism?

Terrorism is not new,

and even though it has
been used since the
beginning of recorded
history it can be
relatively hard to define.
Terrorism has been
described variously as
both a tactic and
strategy; a crime and a
holy duty; a justified
reaction to oppression
and an inexcusable
abomination. Obviously,
a lot depends on whose
point of view is being
represented. Terrorism
has often been an
effective tactic for the
weaker side in a conflict. As an asymmetric form of conflict, it confers coercive power with
many of the advantages of military force at a fraction of the cost. Due to the secretive nature and
small size of terrorist organizations, they often offer opponents no clear organization to defend
against or to deter.