Venue NIT DURGAPUR

Mr. Sanjay Kumar Singh

Sr. Env. Er., M/s AECOM-URS (India)
 In simple words, it is defined as major accident which
causes great loss of life & property at a particular place.
A disaster is a serious disruption of functioning of a
community (or) a society involving widespread human,
material, economic (or) environmental losses & impacts
which exceeds the ability of affected community (or)
society to cope with its own resources.
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Developing countries suffers the greatest cost when a

disaster hits as greater than 95% of deaths caused by
hazards occur in developing countries & losses due to
natural hazards are 20 times greater (as % of GDP) in
Developing than in Industrialized countries.
Classifications : a) Natural Hazard
b) Human- Instigated/Man-made
c) Combination of both (e.g. SMOG)
 Elements of Disaster
EARTH AIR WATER FIRE LIFE

Earthquake, Tornado, Tsunami, Volcano, Population

Drought, Typhoon, Floods/flash Meteorites, explosion,
Ice/snow storm, Hurricane, floods, Rising Forest fire, Epidemic,
Floods, Sand storm, of sea level, Asteroids etc. Pandemic,
Mudslides, Noxious cloud, Acid rain etc. Superbug,
Avalanche, Heat Smog, AIDS
wave, Sand Global (Acquired
storm, Cold warming, Immuno
storm etc. Ozone layer Deficiency
depletion etc. Syndrome),
Swine flu,
Avian flu, Ebola
virus etc.
905 natural disasters have been reported worldwide, 93% of
which were weather-related disasters, rest 7% were
geophysical events like earthquake & volcanic eruption.
Among weather-related,

45% Meteorological (Storms)

36% Hydrological (Floods)
12% Climatologically(Heat/Cold waves, Droughts, Wildfires)
 DISASTER MANAGEMENT
It is an applied science which seeks by the systematic
Observation & Analysis of disaster, to improve measures
relating to the Prevention, Mitigation, Preparedness,
Emergency Response & Recovery (Known as Disaster
Management Cycle).
UN declared 1990-2000 as International Decade for
Natural Disaster Management (IDNDM).
It is strange coincidence that India suffered Uttarkashi &
Latur earthquake in same decade in year 1991 & 1993.
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Disaster Management is a continuous & integrated

process of planning, organizing, coordinating &
implementing measures for:
Prevention of danger (or) threat of any disaster
Mitigation (or) reduction of risk
Capacity building
Preparedness
Prompt response
Assessment
Evacuation, Rescue & Relief
Rehabilitation & Reconstruction
DISASTER MANAGEMENT ACT
Enacted by Ministry of Law & Justice on 26th
December, 2005 to provide for effective management of
disasters & for matters connected therewith &
incidental thereto.
As per DMA, Disaster is defined as a catastrophe,
mishap, calamity or grave occurrence in any area,
arising from natural or man-made causes (or) by
accident or negligence which results in substantial loss
of life (or) human suffering, or damage to, or
degradation of environment.
 Fury of Nature
Current year : Kashmir floods & cyclone Hud-hud in Visakhapatnam.
According to recent research, Kolkata can see even bigger natural calamity
wherein @ 1.8 Crores lives may get affected. Due to changing climatic
conditions, 2 Indian cities Kolkata & Mumbai, have highest risk of
submergence under water by year 2070, if rate of rise in sea level is not
reversed.
As per Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD)after
studying 136 port city:
Description KOLKATA MUMBAI

Rank 1 2

Country India India

Current exposed population 1,929,000 2,787,000

Future exposed population 14,014,000 11,418,000

As per Swiss Reinsurance Company Limited (Swiss Re),
Worlds 2nd largest reinsurer company, the cities which
may witness large scale natural disaster:

Description TOKYO-YOKOHAMA KOLKATA

Rank 1 7

Country Japan India

No. of people at risk 5,710,000 1,790,000

 Amongst all Natural Disasters,
Earthquakes (EQs) are feared most.
Probably due to fact that No season, No fixed time, No
political boundary & neither predicted nor prevented
(which is true to some extent). Further, they didnt occur in
Tailor-made format.
EQ is nothing but sudden release of accumulated strain
energy within a limited rock mass underneath.
In order to understand process of EQ & physics of EQ, it is
advisable to understand Theory of Seismic wave
propagation.
Waves which travel on surface of earth are Surface waves.
Propagation of various waves is useful in determining
various sub-surface properties of earth.
Any natural disaster including EQ never occur without
prior intimation (or) precursory indicators.
Destruction of Republic days Kutch EQ of Gujarat in
2001 was a lesson unlearnt during previous
occurrences in Kutch region on 16th June, 1819 of
magnitude 8.3 followed by moderate EQ of 6.5 at Anjar
(Kutch) in July, 1956. Kutch region was dormant for 180
years.
1819 EQ generated 80 Km long soil-wall known as
Allah Bund (Wall of GOD) & height @ 50-60 m with
base approx. 250-300 m.
 Some great EQs of India
Year Region Magnitude

1819 Kutch 8.3

1897 Assam 8.7
1905 Kangra 8.0
1934 Bihar-Nepal border 8.4
1941 Andaman > 8.0
1950 Assam 8.7
Source: Bapat, et al, 1983, pp 211

Note: Above table shows EQ of Assam in year 1897 & 1950 has highest intensity of
magnitude 8.7
Some recent EQs of India
Year Region Magnitude
1967 Koyna 6.5
1988 Bihar-Nepal 6.6
1991 Uttar Kashi 6.6
1993 Killari, Latur 6.4
1997 Jabalpur 6.0
1999 Chamoli 6.5
2001 Bhuj 7.7
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_EQ_in_India
Note: Above table shows Bhuj had highest intensity of mag. 7.7 occurred on 26th
January, 2001 which has woken us up to reality of seismic vulnerability.
The World Bank & Asian Development Banks Gujarat EQ
Assessment Mission assessed Economic Impact in
Feb01
Disaster loss estimated Rs. 99 billion
Reconstruction loss estimated Rs. 106 billion
Annual loss of State Domestic Product Rs. 20 billion for the
first year from date of EQ

This resulted in revision of Bureau of Indian Standards code

IS: 1893-1984 Criteria for EQ Resistant Design of
Structures in 2002 and IS: SP7-1983 National Building
Code of India in 2005 (Amended in year 2013) to include
chapter on Approach to Sustainability containing Sections
on Disaster preparedness, Disaster risk assessment &
mitigation during construction.
EQ Hazard Zoning Map of India
(Source: BMTPC Vulnerability Atlas)
Prediction (or) accurate Forecasting of EQ
It will help save thousands of life & there are often
warning signs before an EQ.
Many people reported strange happenings like water
level rising & falling abruptly in citys wells, sometimes
several times a day before Haicheng EQ.
There were no advance warning of EQ in Kobe city
(1995 in Japan) & Kashmir valley (2005 in India).
Predicting EQ in any reliable way is a significant
challenge for the future.
 Bio-mimetics (or) Bionics
It may be defined as Anomalies in
animal behavior & meteorological
phenomena before major earthquakes.
It aims at learning disaster
anticipation from the animals.
Qinglong city of China started
massive education campaign in
anticipation of major EQ.
 Bio-mimetics (or) Bionics
Early Indian Scientist Varahamihira (505-587
A.D) knew @ abnormal animal behaviour & also
strange weather anomaly preceding an EQ in his
encyclopedic work Brihat Samhita.

Scientist Rikitake (1998) concluded that one of

most probable mechanism of bio-anomalies
seems to be electromagnetic effects.
 EQ Education & Awareness
Most significant part of EQ disaster mitigation is EQ education &
creating awareness amongst common people specifically rural folk.
Indian schools have introduced lesson of disaster awareness in primary
class as a part of Environmental studies in the form of Times of
Emergency taking into consideration various types of Natural/Man-
made calamity.
A good e.g. reported in book When Nature Turns Fury by Readers
Digest is of a 10 year old English schoolgirl Tilly Smith titled A
geography lesson saved lives.
Sharp observations of natural processes by Onge Tribe of A&N Island
living at Dugong creek during Tsunami of Indian Ocean Dec. 2004.
As per Mr. Kazusa Shuhei, Director of Disaster Management, Japan,
We have learnt hard-way for managing natural calamities by
implementing Disaster Management at every step of disaster
prevention, emergency response to disaster and recovery &
reconstruction following disaster. He hope that entire nation will join
hands in work of disaster preparation.
 Bhopal Gas Tragedy
Human instigated disaster on the night of 2nd December, 1984
at Bhopal (Capital of Madhya Pradesh), an eye-opening
incident of India.
It cannot merely be seen as Failure of Technology but as a
Failure of Knowledge.
Reconstruction of events in Bhopal show that striking gap in
information available @ MIC (Methyl iso-cyanide) & in
process of communicating it within & outside Union Carbide
organization.
This incident forced Indian Government to enact
Environment (Protection) Act [EPA] of 1986 under Article 253
of the Constitution & Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986
thereof.
 Ticking Destruction Clock
Painting by Shri Sanjib K Pani in year 1995
 Ancient Indian Environmental Ethics
A brief account of Environmental Ethics in Olden times,'Main motto of social life
during Vedic time was to live in harmony with Nature.
Sages, saints & great teachers of India lived in forests & expressed themselves in
the form of Vedas, Upnishads, Smritis & Dharmas. It was regarded a sacred duty of
every person to protect Mother Earth, Sky, Air, Water, Trees & Animals.

Many verses in the Rigveda & Atharvaveda have been devoted to the praise of Lord
Surya, Vayu Devta, Agni Devta, Varuna Devta, Prithvi Mata, Vanya Devi (Goddess
of Forests) etc. Rigveda, Manusmriti, Charak Samhita have emphasized on Purity
of water and its healing & medicinal value.

Trees are worshipped as Varikchay Devta and Matsya Puran has regarded
plantation of one Tree equal to 10 Sons (Why they have not considered as
Daughters!).

Manusmriti has prescribed various punishments for destroying trees & plants.
Charak Samhita has considered Destruction of Forests as most dangerous act
for humanity & its welfare'.
Environmental Ethics & the Constitution of India
2 Articles were incorporated in the Indian Constitution related to
Environment viz. Article 48-A & 51-A(g).
Article 48-A is for the State to protect & improve the environment and
to safeguard the forests & wildlife of the country.
Article 51-A(g) confers a fundamental duty on the Citizens of India to
protect & improve the environment and have compassion for living
creatures.
This clearly shows that the Indian Parliament fell in line with old
traditional values.
Various social movements like Chipko by Amrita Bai in village
Kherjarilli of Rajasthan, was the first instance for protection of trees,
which initiated various other movements viz. Narmada Bachao
Andolan by Environmentalist Medha Patkar, Chipko movement by
Shri Sunderlal Bahuguna etc.
Hence, it may be said that, "More & more Knowledge is bound to
bring sorrow to the human-kind, unless it is accompanied by
WISDOM B. Russel.
Nature always find Ways to Survive
 CONCLUSION
We cant prevent EQ but let us strive & hope that advanced
technology, efficient disaster management supplemented by
the Bionics and systematic observations of the changes in
meteorological parameters will provide solutions in the
form of early warning so that these hazards do not turn into
National Disaster.

Father of Nation rightly said that, There is enough on

earth for humans Need but not enough for humans
Greed.

JAI HIND
 Green Environment Clean Environment
Suggestion/Comments Mail at
sanjay_env03@yahoo.com

Afforestation brings Cheers, Deforestation brings Tears

A seed while growing makes no Noise but a tree while felling makes huge Noise
i.e. Creativity is Silent whereas Destruction is Noisy.