Natural Disasters
Introduction
Disasters can strike anywhere and anytime, and it’s crucial to stay safe during their occurrence. However, it’s equally important to extend help to the victims. For instance, during a fire, the primary concern should be to save lives and put out the fire, while also ensuring your own safety as a child.
A disaster is an unexpected event, such as a bad accident, flood or fire that kills a lot of people or causes a lot of damage. A disaster can cause a great deal of destruction to life and property. Disasters can be natural or manmade.
|
Natural Disasters |
Man-made Disasters |
|
The disasters that are caused by the nature, like earthquake, flood, volcano, tsunami etc. |
The disasters that are caused by man, knowingly or unknowingly, such as accident, fire, war, riot etc. |
We shall study only natural disasters in this class.
Earthquake
The occurrence of an earthquake is common in the world. In some areas, they keep occurring off and on, like in Indonesia and Japan. An earthquake is the shaking of the earth. There are several plates in the earth’s surface. These plates are called tectonic plates. They move in relation to each other. In this process, they rub against each other, due to which energy is released. This energy is the cause behind the shaking of the earth.
An earthquake is measured on the Richter Scale to know its intensity. This scale was invented by Charles Richter, after whom it has been named. The scale ranges from 0 to 9. The intensity of an earthquake is recorded on an instrument called seismograph.
A more intense earthquake causes much destruction, while a light earthquake may not even be felt. You may not feel an earthquake with an intensity of 3 or less; while the one measuring 6 or above can be highly destructive.
Tsunami
An earthquake happens deep within the earth. If it happens below the sea level, it can create a rise in water waves known as a tsunami. The sudden shaking can cause a sudden shift in seawater, resulting in high tidal waves. These waves travel at a very high speed towards the coast. When they hit the coastal areas, a sudden flood occurs, causing extensive damage.
Volcano
It is very hot deep inside the earth. Everything is in a molten state there. If there is a deep crack or hole in the earth’s surface,
this molten material can flow out at a high speed. This hot molten rock is called lava. Lava is accompanied by rock particles, hot water, gases and other chemicals. Lava is very hot and is like a thick juice which flows like a river. As it moves in the surrounding area, it takes everything in its embrace. Due to it being very hot, things coming in its way can burn.
Thus, it causes destruction of life and property. When out of the earth, lava does not take a long time to cool down and turn into solid rock. This means that anything surrounded by lava cannot be retrieved. A massive volcano can even cause an earthquake.
Flood
An area may be covered with a very large amount of water, such a situation is called a flood. It can occur due to a 3 number of causes. Rainfall is the main cause behind a flood. Sometimes, it can occur owing to a river changing its course or a dam getting damaged. In the seacoast, sea waves can cause a flood.
A flood can cause destruction of life and property. It also A flood harms in different ways. In the stagnant water, dreaded diseases can break out, such as cholera, diarrhoea, malaria, dengue etc.
Drought
Excessive rainfall leads to floods, while a lack of rainfall causes drought. Droughts are often prolonged periods without rain, resulting in water scarcity. This leads to a lack of crops, food, and water for use in homes and industries.
At present, groundwater is extracted on a large scale. Due to this, water table (the level of Underground water) has depleted, leading to a massive shortage of water in our country.
Did you notice?
A famine means severe shortage of food.
Landslide
In the hills and mountains, rocks slide down the hilly slopes. This situation is called a landslide. The falling rocks cause destruction to life and property which may be in its way. Roads are damaged and houses, vehicles or other facilities are destroyed.
Cyclone
During a storm, winds move quickly, but during a cyclone, winds move in a circular or oval shape. It is more dangerous than a storm as it can uproot trees, vehicles, buildings, and cause significant destruction. Cyclones are often accompanied by heavy rain which can result in floods. They are a very serious situation, and in India, they occur almost every year, particularly in coastal areas.
Disaster Management
Owing to large scale destruction, a disaster a is the cause of massive suffering to the people. It can also lead to death of people and animals; diseases can spread and the land may be submerged in water. A site of a disaster presents a pitiable sight. So, there is a need to rehabilitate the victims.
In India, natural disasters are a common sight, so there have been created a National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and a National Disaster Plan (NDP). Under them, the NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) has been created.
This force has several units, which are sent to places where a disaster is likely to occur. In addition to this, armed forces (Army, Navy, Air Force), paramilitary forces (CRPF, BSF etc.) and police force of the state are also commissioned to deal with a disaster as per the need.
Your Role in a Disaster
When a disaster occurs, helping the victims is a moral obligation for everyone, but it should be within one’s capacity and ability. As a child, your safety should be your top priority. If you come across someone trapped or drowning, you should immediately inform others for their rescue. Trying to rescue them yourself could result in harm to both yourself and the victim.