UNIT

IV

NATURAL HAZARDS AND DISASTERS:

CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES AND MANAGEMENT
This unit deals with
• Floods and droughts
• Earthquakes and tsunami
• Cyclones
• Landslides

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 CHAPTER

NATURAL HAZARDS AND DISASTERS

Y
ou might have read about tsunami or the change of seasons, ripening of fruits, while
seen the images of horror on there are others like earthquakes, floods and
television set immediately after it wars that are considered bad and undesirable.
happened. You may also be aware of the severe
earthquake in Kashmir on both sides of the Observe the environment you live in and
Line of Control (LOC). The damage caused to prepare a list of changes, which take
place over a long period of time and
human life and properties during these
those, which take place within a short
episodes has moved us all. What are these as period of time. Do you know why some
phenomena and how they are caused? How changes are considered good and others
can we save ourselves? These are some bad? Prepare a list of changes, which
questions which come to our minds. This you notice in your daily life and give
chapter will attempt to analyse some of these reasons why some of these are
questions. considered good and others bad.
Change is the law of nature. It is a continuous
process that goes on uninterruptedly involving In this chapter, we will read about some of
phenomena, big and small, material and non- these changes, which are considered bad and
material that make our physical and socio- have haunted humankind for a long time.
cultural environment. It is a process present Disasters in general and natural disasters
everywhere with variations in terms of in particular, are some such changes that are
magnitude, intensity and scale. Change can be always disliked and feared by humankind.
a gradual or slow process like the evolution of
landforms and organisms and it can be as What is a Disaster?
sudden and swift as volcanic eruptions, “Disaster is an undesirable occurrence
tsunamis, earthquakes and lightening, etc. resulting from forces that are largely
Similarly, it may remain confined to a smaller outside human control, strikes quickly
area occurring within a few seconds like with little or no warning, which causes
or threatens serious disruption of life
hailstorms, tornadoes and dust storms, and it
and property including death and injury
can also have global dimensions such as global to a large number of people, and requires
warming and depletion of the ozone layer. therefore, mobilisation of efforts in excess
Besides these, changes have different of that which are normally provided by
meanings for different people. It depends upon statutory emergency services”.
the perspective one takes while trying to
understand them. From the perspective of For a long time, geographical literature
nature, changes are value-neutral (these are viewed disasters as a consequence of natural
neither good nor bad). But from the human forces; and human beings were treated as
perspective, these are value-loaded. There are innocent and helpless victims in front of the
some changes that are desirable and good like mighty forces of nature. But natural forces are

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54 INDIA : PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

not the only causes of disasters. Disasters are features in the Himalayas or extreme climatic
also caused by some human activities. There conditions in deserts or glaciated areas.
are some activities carried by human beings As compared to natural hazards, natural
that are directly responsible for disasters. disasters are relatively sudden and cause
Bhopal Gas tragedy, Chernobyl nuclear disaster, large scale, widespread death, loss of
wars, release of CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons) and property and disturbance to social systems
increase of green house gases, environmental and life over which people have a little or no
pollutions like noise, air, water and soil are some control. Thus, any event can be classed as
of the disasters which are caused directly by disaster when the magnitude of destruction
human actions. There are some other activities and damage caused by it is very high.
of human beings that accelerate or intensify Generally, disasters are generalised
disasters indirectly. Landslides and floods due experiences of people the world over, and no
to deforestation, unscientific land use and two disasters are similar and comparable to
construction activities in fragile areas are some each other. Every disaster is unique in terms
of the disasters that are the results of indirect of the local socio-environmental factors that
human actions. Can you identify some other control it, the social response it generates, and
human activities going on in and around your the way each social group negotiates with it.
neighbourhood and schools that can lead to However, the opinion mentioned above is
disasters in the near future? Can you suggest indicative of three important things. Firstly, the
some measures to prevent it? It is a common magnitude, intensity, frequency and damages
experience that human-made disasters have caused by natural disasters have increased
increased both in their numbers and over the years. Secondly, there is a growing
magnitudes over the years and concerted concern among people the world over to deal
efforts are on at various levels to prevent and with the menace created by these so that the
minimise their occurrences. Though the loss of human life and property can be
success has been only nominal so far, it is minimised. And finally, significant changes
possible to prevent some of these disasters have taken place in the pattern of natural
created by human actions. As opposed to this, disasters over the years.
very little is possible to prevent natural There has also been a change in the
disasters; therefore, the best way out is to perception of natural disasters and hazards.
emphasise on natural disaster mitigation and Previously, hazards and disasters were seen
management. Establishment of National as two closely associated and interrelated
Institute of Disaster Management, India, Earth phenomena, i.e. areas prone to natural
Summit at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1993 and hazards, were more vulnerable to disasters.
the World Conference on Disaster Management Hence, people avoided tampering with the
in May 1994 at Yokohama, Japan, etc. are delicate balance that existed in a given
some of the concrete steps towards this ecosystem. People avoided intensification of
direction initiated at different levels. their activities in such areas and that is how
Most often it is observed that scholars use disasters were less damaging. Technological
disasters and natural hazards as interchangeable. power has given large capacity to human
Both are related phenomena, yet quite distinct intervention in nature. Consequently, now,
from each other. Hence, it is necessary to human beings tend to intensify their activities
distinguish between the two. into disaster prone areas increasing their
Natural Hazards are elements of vulnerability to disasters. Colonisation
circumstances in the Natural environment that of flood plains of most of the rivers and
have the potential to cause harm to people or development of large cities and port-towns like
property or both. These may be swift or – Mumbai and Chennai along the coast, and
permanent aspects of the respective touching the shore due to high land values,
environmental settings like currents in the make them vulnerable to the occurrence of
oceans, steep slope and unstable structural cyclones, hurricanes and tsunamis.

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NATURAL HAZARDS AND DISASTERS 55

These observations can also be corroborated environmental diversities and cultural

by the data given in Table 7.1 showing the pluralities that scholars often described it
magnitude of deaths caused by twelve serious using two meaningful adjectives like the
natural disasters in the past sixty years in ‘Indian-subcontinent’ and the ‘land of unity in
different countries of the world. diversity’. Its vastness in terms of natural
It is evident from the table that natural attributes combined with its prolonged colonial
disasters have caused widespread loss of life past, continuing various forms of social
and property. Concerted efforts are on at discriminations and also equally large
various levels to take appropriate measures population have enhanced its vulnerability to
natural disasters. These observations can also
to deal with the situation. It is also being felt
be illustrated by focussing on some of the
that the damages caused by natural disasters
major natural disasters in India.
have global repercussions that are beyond
the means and capabilities of individual Earthquakes
nation-states to cope up with. Hence, this
issue was raised at the U.N. General Earthquakes are by far the most unpredictable
Assembly in 1989 and it was finally and highly destructive of all the natural
formalised at the World Conference on disasters. You have already learnt the causes
Disaster Management in May 1994 at of earthquakes in your book Fundamentals of
Yokohama, Japan. This was subsequently Physical Geography (NCER T, 2006).
Earthquakes that are of tectonic origin have
called the Yokohama Strategy and Plan of
proved to be the most devastating and their
Action for a Safer World.
area of influence is also quite large. These
earthquakes result from a series of earth
CLASSIFICATION OF NATURAL DISASTERS movements brought about by a sudden release
Human beings the world over have of energy during the tectonic activities in the
experienced disasters and have faced and lived earth’s crust. As compared to these, the
with them. Now people are becoming aware earthquakes associated with volcanic
and various steps have been initiated at eruption, rock fall, landslides, subsidence,
different levels for mitigating the effects of particularly in the mining areas, impounding
of dams and reservoirs, etc. have limited area of
disasters. Identification and classification of
influence and the scale of damage.
disasters is being considered as an effective and
It was mentioned in Chapter 2 of the book
scientific step to deal promptly and efficiently that the Indian plate is moving at a speed of one
with the disasters. Broadly, natural centimetre per year towards the north and
disasters can be classified under four northeastern direction and this movement of
categories (See Table 6.2). plates is being constantly obstructed by the
India is one of those countries which has Eurasian plate from the north. As a result of this,
experienced most of the natural disasters
mentioned in Table 6.2. Every year it loses
thousands of lives and property worth
millions of rupees due to these natural
calamities. In the following section, some of
the highly devastating natural disasters have been
discussed, particularly in the context of India.

NATURAL DISASTERS AND HAZARDS IN INDIA

It was discussed in one of the previous chapters
that India is vast and diverse in terms of its
physical and socio-cultural attributes. It is
Figure 6.1 : A Damaged Building
largely due to its vast geographical area, Due to an Earthquake

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56 INDIA : PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

Yokohama Strategy and International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR)
Yokohama Strategy and Plan of Action for a Safer World
All the member states of the United Nations and other states met at the World Conference
on Natural Disaster Reduction in the city of Yokohama from May 23rd-27th 1994. It
acknowledged that the impact of natural disasters in terms of human and economic losses
has risen in recent years, and society, in general, has become vulnerable to natural disasters.
It also accepted that these disasters affected the poor and disadvantageous groups the
worst, particularly in the developing countries, which are ill-equipped to cope with them.
Hence, the conference adopted the Yokohama strategy as a guide to rest of the decade and
beyond, to mitigate the losses due to these disasters.
The resolution of the World Conference on Natural Disasters Reduction is as mentioned below:
(i) It will note that each country has the sovereign responsibility to protect its citizens from
natural disasters;
(ii) It will give priority attention to the developing countries, particularly the least developed,
land-locked countries and small-island developing states;
(iii) It will develop and strengthen national capacities and capabilities and, where appropriate,
national legislation for natural and other disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness,
including the mobilisation of non-governmental organisations and participation of local
communities;
(iv) It will promote and strengthen sub-regional, regional and international cooperation in activities
to prevent, reduce and mitigate natural and other disasters, with particular emphasis on:
(a) human and institutional capacity-building and strengthening;
(b) technology sharing: the collection, the dissemination and utilisation of information; and
(c) mobilisation of resources.
It also declared the decade 1990-2000 as the International Decade for Natural Disaster
Reduction (IDNDR).

both the plates are said to be locked with each National Geophysical Laboratory, Geological
other resulting in accumulation of energy at Survey of India, Department of Meteorology,
different points of time. Excessive accumulation Government of India, along with the recently
of energy results in building up of stress, which formed National Institute of Disaster
ultimately leads to the breaking up of the lock Management, have made an intensive analysis
and the sudden release of energy causes of more than 1,200 earthquakes that have
earthquakes along the Himalayan arch. Some occurred in India in different years in the past,
of the most vulnerable union territories/states and based on these, they divided India into the
are Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal following five earthquake zones:
Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and the
Darjeeling subdivision of West Bengal, and all (i)Very high damage risk zone
the seven states of the northeast. (ii)High damage risk zone
Apart from these regions, the central-western (iii)Moderate damage risk zone
parts of India, particularly Gujarat (in 1819, (iv) Low damage risk zone
1956 and 2001) and Maharashtra (in 1967 and (v) Very low damage risk zone.
1993) have also experienced some severe Out of these, the first two zones had
earthquakes. Earth scientists have found it experienced some of the most devastating
difficult to explain the occurrence of earthquakes earthquakes in India. As shown in the Figure 6.2,
in one of the oldest, most stable and mature areas vulnerable to these earthquakes
landmass of Peninsular block for a long time. are the North-east states, areas to the
Recently, some earth scientists have come up north of Darbhanga and Araria along the
with a theory of emergence of a fault line and Indo-Nepal border in Bihar, Uttarakhand,
energy build-up along the fault line represented Western Himachal Pradesh (around
by the river Bhima (Krishna) near Latur and Dharamshala) and Kashmir Valley in the
Osmanabad (Maharashtra) and the possible Himalayan region and the Kuchchh (Gujarat).
breaking down of the Indian plate (Figure 6.2). These are included in the Very High Damage

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NATURAL HAZARDS AND DISASTERS 57

Risk Zone. Similarly, the remaining parts of fissures on the upper layers of the earth’s crust
Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal through which water and other volatile
Pradesh, Northern parts of Punjab, Eastern materials gush out, inundating the
parts of Haryana, Delhi, Western Uttar neighbouring areas. Earthquakes are also
Pradesh, and Northern Bihar fall under the responsible for landslides and often these
High Damage Risk Zone. Remaining parts
cause obstructions in the flow of rivers and
of the country fall under moderate to very
Low Damage Risk Zone. Most of the areas channels resulting in the formation of
that can be considered safe are from the reservoirs. Sometimes, rivers also change their
stable landmass covered under the course causing floods and other calamities in
Deccan plateau. the affected areas.

Socio-Environmental Consequences of Earthquake Hazard Mitigation

Earthquakes
Unlike other disasters, the damages caused
The idea of an earthquake is often associated with by earthquakes are more devastating. Since
fear and horror due to the scale, magnitude and it also destroys most of the transport and
suddenness at which it spreads disasters on the communication links, providing timely relief
surface of the earth without discrimination. It
to the victims becomes difficult. It is not
becomes a calamity when it strikes the areas of
high density of population. It not only damages possible to prevent the occurrence of an
and destroys the settlements, infrastructure, earthquake; hence, the next best option is to
transport and communication network, emphasis on disaster preparedness and
industries and other developmental activities but mitigation rather than curative measures
also robs the population of their material and such as:
socio-cultural gains that they have preserved
over generations. It renders them homeless, (i) Establishing earthquake monitoring
which puts an extra-pressure and stress, centres (seismological centres) for
particularly on the weak economy of the regular monitoring and fast
developing countries. dissemination of information among the
people in the vulnerable areas. Use of
Effects of Earthquakes Geographical Positioning System (GPS)
Earthquakes have all encompassing disastrous can be of great help in monitoring the
effects on the area of their occurrence. Some of movement of tectonic plates.
the important ones are listed in Table 6.1. (ii) Preparing a vulnerability map of the
Table 6.1 : Effects of Earthquakes country and dissemination of
vulnerability risk information among the
On Ground On Manmade On Water
Structures people and educating them about the
ways and means minimising the adverse
Fissures Cracking Waves
Settlements Slidings Hydro-Dynamic impacts of disasters.
Pressure (iii) Modifying the house types and
Landslides Overturning Tsunami building-designs in the vulnerable areas
Liquefaction Buckling and discouraging construction of high-
Earth Pressure Collapse
Possible rise buildings, large industrial
Chain-effects Possible Possible establishments and big urban centres
Chain-effects Chain-effects in such areas.
(iv) Finally, making it mandatory to adopt
Apart from these, earthquakes also have earthquake-resistant designs and use
some serious and far-reaching environmental light materials in major construction
consequences. Surface seismic waves produce activities in the vulnerable areas.

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Figure 6.2 : India: Earthquake Hazard Zones

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NATURAL HAZARDS AND DISASTERS 59

Tsunami visuals on Banda Ache (Indonesia) presented

in the book Practical Work in Geography - Part I
Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that
(NCERT, 2006).
cause the sea-floor to move abruptly resulting
Unlike other natural hazards, the
in sudden displacement of ocean water in the
mitigation of hazards created by tsunami is
form of high vertical waves are called tsunamis
difficult, mainly because of the fact that losses
(harbour waves) or seismic sea waves.
are on a much larger scale.
Normally, the seismic waves cause only one
It is beyond the capacity of individual state
instantaneous vertical wave; but, after the initial
or government to mitigate the damage. Hence,
disturbance, a series of afterwaves are created
combined efforts at the international levels are
in the water that oscillate between high crest
the possible ways of dealing with these
and low trough in order to restore the water
disasters as has been in the case of the tsunami
level.
that occurred on 26th December 2004 in which
The speed of wave in the ocean depends
more than 300,000 people lost their lives. India
upon the depth of water. It is more in the
shallow water than in the ocean deep. As a
result of this, the impact of tsunami is less over
the ocean and more near the coast where they
cause large-scale devastations. Therefore, a
ship at sea is not much affected by tsunami
and it is difficult to detect a tsunami in the
deeper parts of sea. It is so because over deep
water the tsunami has very long wave-length
and limited wave-height. Thus, a tsunami wave
raises the ship only a metre or two and each
rise and fall takes several minutes. As opposed
to this, when a tsunami enters shallow water,
its wave-length gets reduced and the period Figure 6.3 : Tsunami Affected Area
remains unchanged, which increases the wave-
has volunteered to join the International
height. Sometimes, this height can be up to
Tsunami Warning System after the December
15m or more, which causes large-scale
2004 tsunami disaster.
destructions along the shores. Thus, these are
also called Shallow Water Waves. Tsunamis
Tropical Cyclone
are frequently observed along the Pacific ring
of fire, particularly along the coast of Alaska, Tropical cyclones are intense low-pressure
Japan, Philippines, and other islands of South- areas confined to the area lying between 30°°
east Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Sri N and 30°° S latitudes, in the atmosphere
Lanka, and India etc. around which high velocity winds blow.
After reaching the coast, the tsunami waves Horizontally, it extends up to 500-1,000 km
release enormous energy stored in them and and vertically from surface to 12-14 km. A
water flows turbulently onto the land tropical cyclone or hurricane is like a heat
destroying port-cities and towns, structures, engine that is energised by the release of latent
buildings and other settlements. Since the heat on account of the condensation of
coastal areas are densely populated the world moisture that the wind gathers after moving
over, and these are also centres of intense over the oceans and seas.
human activity, the loss of life and property is There are differences of opinion among
likely to be much higher by a tsunami as scientists about the exact mechanism of a
compared to other natural hazards in the tropical cyclone. However, some initial
coastal areas. The extent of devastation caused conditions for the emergence of a tropical
by tsunami can be assessed through the cyclone are:

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(i) Large and continuous supply of warm A surge is generated due to interaction
and moist air that can release enormous of air, sea and land. The cyclone provides
latent heat. the driving force in the form of very high
(ii) Strong Coriolis force that can prevent horizontal pressure-gradient and very
strong surface winds. The sea water flows
filling of low pressure at the centre across the coast along with strong winds
(absence of Coriolis force near the and heavy downpour.
equator prohibits the formation of
t r o p i c a l c y c l o n e b e t w e e n 0 °- 5 °° This results in inundation of human
latitude). settlements, agricultural fields, damaging
(iii) Unstable condition through the crops and destruction of structures created
troposphere that creates local disturbances by human beings.
around which a cyclone develops.
(iv) Finally, absence of strong vertical wind Floods
wedge, which disturbs the vertical You read in newspapers and watch images of
transport of latent heat. floods on televisions occurring in some regions
during rainy seasons. Inundation of land and
Spatio-temporal Distribution of Tropical human settlements by the rise of water in the
Cyclone in India channels and its spill-over presents the
Owing to its Peninsular shape surrounded condition of flooding. Unlike other natural
by the Bay of Bengal in the east and the disasters, the causes of floods are well-
established. Floods are relatively slow in
Arabian Sea in the west, the tropical
occurrences and often, occur in well-identified
cyclones in India also originate in these
regions and within expected time in a year.
two important locations. Though most of Floods occur commonly when water in the
the cyclones originate between 10°-15°° form of surface run-off exceeds the carrying
north latitudes during the monsoon capacity of the river channels and streams and
season, yet in case of the Bay of Bengal, flows into the neighbouring low-lying flood
cyclones mostly develop during the months plains. At times, this even goes beyond the
of October and November. Here, they capacity of lakes and other inland water bodies
originate between 16°-2°° N latitudes and in which they flow. Floods can also be caused
to the west of 92° E. By July the place of due to a storm surge (in the coastal areas), high
origin of these storms shifts to around 18° N intensity rainfall for a considerably longer time
l a t i t u d e a n d w e s t o f 9 0 °E n e a r t h e period, melting of ice and snow, reduction in
Sunderban Delta. the infiltration rate and presence of eroded
material in the water due to higher rate of soil
erosion. Though floods occur frequently over
Consequences of Tropical Cyclones wide geographical area having disasterous
It was mentioned that the energy to the ramifications in many parts of the world, floods
tropical cyclone comes from the latent heat in the South, Southeast and East Asian
released by the warm moist air. Hence, with countries, particularly in China, India and
the increase in distance from the sea, the force Bangladesh, are frequent and equally
of the cyclone decreases. In India, the force disastrous.
Once again, unlike other natural disasters,
of the cyclone decreases with increase in
human beings play an important role in the
distance from the Bay of Bengal and the
genesis as well as spread of floods.
Arabian Sea. So, the coastal areas are often
Indiscriminate deforestation, unscientific
struck by severe cyclonic storms with an
agricultural practices, disturbances along the
average velocity of 180 km/h. Often, this
natural drainage channels and colonisation
results in abnormal rise in the sea level
of flood-plains and river-beds are some of the
known as Storm Surge. human activities that play an important role

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NATURAL HAZARDS AND DISASTERS 61

Figure 6.4 : Wind and Cyclone Hazard Zones

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62 INDIA : PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

in increasing the intensity, magnitude and also damage physical infrastructure such as
gravity of floods. roads, rails, bridges and human settlements.
Various states of India face heavy loss of lives Millions of people are rendered homeless and
and property due to recurrent floods. Rashtriya are also washed down along with their cattle
Barh Ayog (National Flood Commission) in the floods. Spread of diseases like cholera,
identified 40 million hectares of land as flood- gastro-enteritis, hepatitis and other water-
prone in India. The Figure 6.6 shows the flood- borne diseases spread in the flood-affected
affected areas in India. Assam, West Bengal and areas. However, floods also make a few
Bihar are among the high flood-prone states of positive contributions. Every year, floods
India. Apart from these, most of the rivers in the deposit fertile silt over agricultural fields
northern states like Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, which is good for the crops. Majuli (Assam),
are also vulnerable to occasional floods. It has the largest riverine island in the world, is the
been noticed that states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, best example of good paddy crops after the
Haryana and Punjab are also getting inundated annual floods in Brahmaputra. But these are
in recent decades due to flash floods. This is insignificant benefits in comparison to the
partly because of the pattern of the monsoon grave losses.
and partly because of blocking of most of the The Government of India as well as the state
streams and river channels by human governments are well aware of the menace
activities. Sometimes, Tamil Nadu experiences created by floods every year. How do these
flooding during November-January due to governments generally respond to the floods?
the retreating monsoon. Construction of flood protection embankments
in the flood-prone areas, construction of dams,
Consequence and Control of Floods afforestation and discouraging major
Frequent inundation of agricultural land and construction activities in the upper reaches of
human settlement, particularly in Assam, most of the flood-creating rivers, etc. are some
West Bengal, Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh steps that need to be taken up on urgent basis.
(flooding rivers), coastal areas of Odisha, Removal of human encroachment from the
Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat river channels and depopulating the flood
(cyclone) and Punjab, Rajasthan, Northern plains can be the other steps. This is
Gujarat and Haryana (flash floods) have particularly true in western and northern parts
serious consequences on the national of the country which experience flash-floods.
economy and society. Floods do not only Cyclone centres may provide relief in coastal
destroy valuable crops every year but these areas which are hit by a storm surge.

Figure 6.5 : Brahmaputra During Flood

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NATURAL HAZARDS AND DISASTERS 63

Dib
ang
R.
R.
hit
Lo

Figure 6.6 : Flood Hazard Zones

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64 INDIA : PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

Droughts the country and 12 per cent of its total

The term ‘drought’ is applied to an extended population suffer due to drought every year.
period when there is a shortage of water About 30 per cent of the country’s total area is
availability due to inadequate precipitation, identified as drought prone affecting around
excessive rate of evaporation and 50 million people. It is a common experience
over-utilisation of water from the reservoirs and that while some parts of the country reel under
other storages, including the ground water. floods, there are regions that face severe
drought during the same period. Moreover, it
Drought is a complex phenomenon as it is also a common sight to witness that one
involves elements of meteorology like region suffers due to floods in one season and
precipitation, evaporation, evapo- experiences drought in the other. This is mainly
transpiration, ground water, soil because of the large-scale variations and
moisture, storage and surface run-off, unpredictability in the behaviour of the
agricultural practices, particularly the monsoon in India. Thus, droughts are
types of crops grown, socio-economic widespread and common phenomena in most
practices and ecological conditions.
parts of the country, but these are most
recurrent and severe in some and not so in
Types of Droughts others. On the basis of severity of droughts,
India can be divided into the following regions:
Meteorological Drought : It is a situation when
there is a prolonged period of inadequate Extreme Drought Affected Areas : It is evident
rainfall marked with mal-distribution of the from the Figure 6.7 that most parts of
same over time and space. Rajasthan, particularly areas to the west of the
Agricultural Drought : It is also known as soil Aravali hills, i.e. Marusthali and Kachchh
moisture drought, characterised by low soil regions of Gujarat fall in this category. Included
moisture that is necessary to support the crops, here are also the districts like Jaisalmer and
thereby resulting in crop failures. Moreover, if Barmer from the Indian desert that receive less
an area has more than 30 per cent of its gross that 90 mm average annual rainfall.
cropped area under irrigation, the area is Severe Drought Prone Area : Parts of eastern
excluded from the drought-prone category. Rajasthan, most parts of Madhya Pradesh,
Hydrological Drought : It results when the eastern parts of Maharashtra, interior parts of
availability of water in different storages and Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka Plateau,
reservoirs like aquifers, lakes, reservoirs, etc. northern parts of interior Tamil Nadu and
falls below what the precipitation can replenish. southern parts of Jharkhand and interior
Odisha are included in this category.
Ecological Drought : When the productivity of
a natural ecosystem fails due to shortage Moderate Drought Affected Area : Northern
of water and as a consequence of ecological parts of Rajasthan, Haryana, southern districts
distress, damages are induced in the of Uttar Pradesh, the remaining parts of
ecosystem. Gujarat, Maharashtra except Konkan,
Various parts of India experience these Jharkhand and Coimbatore plateau of Tamil
droughts recurrently which result in some Nadu and interior Karnataka are included in
serious socio-economic and ecological problems. this category. The remaining parts of India can
be considered either free or less prone to the
Drought Prone Areas in India drought.
Indian agriculture has been heavily dependent Consequences of Drought
on the monsoon rainfall. Droughts and floods
are the two accompanying features of Indian Droughts have cascading effects on various
climate. According to some estimates, nearly other aspects of environment and society. Crop
19 per cent of the total geographical area of failure leading to scarcity of food grains (akal),

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NATURAL HAZARDS AND DISASTERS 65

Figure 6.7 : Drought Prone Areas

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66 INDIA : PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

drought-mitigation. Rainwater harvesting can

also be an effective method in minimising the
effects of drought.

Observe the methods adopted for roof-

top rainwater harvesting in your
locality and suggest measures to make
it more effective.

Landslides
Have you ever read about the blocking of roads
to Srinagar or disruption of rail services by
stones falling on the Konkan Railway track? It
Figure 6.8 : Drought happens due to landslide, which is the rapid
fodder (trinkal), inadequate rainfall, resulting sliding of large mass of bedrocks. Disasters
in shortage of water (jalkal), and often shortage due to landslides, are in general, far less
in all the three (trikal) is most devastating. dramatic than due to earthquakes, volcanic
Large-scale death of cattle and other animals, eruptions, tsunamis and cyclones but their
migration of humans and livestock are the impact on the natural environment and
most common sight to be seen in the drought- national economy is in no way less severe.
affected areas. Scarcity of water compels people Unlike other disasters that are sudden,
to consume contaminated water resulting in unpredictable and are largely controlled by
spread of many waterborne diseases like macro or regional factors, landslides are largely
gastro-enteritis, cholera, hepatitis, etc. controlled by highly localised factors. Hence,
Droughts have both immediate as well as gathering information and monitoring the
long-term disastrous consequences on the possibilities of landslide is not only
social and physical environments. difficult but also immensely cost-
Consequently, planning for drought has to intensive.
take both aspects into consideration. It is always difficult to define in a precise
Provision for the distribution of safe drinking statement and generalise the occurrence and
water, medicines for the victims and behaviour of a landslide. However, on the
availability of fodder and water for the cattle basis of past experiences, frequency and
and shifting of the people and their livestock certain causal relationships with the
to safer places, etc. are some steps that controlling factors like geology, geomorphic
need to be taken immediately. agents, slope, land-use, vegetation cover and
Identification of ground water potential in the human activities, India has been divided into
form of aquifers, transfer of river water from a number of zones.
the surplus to the deficit areas, and Landslide Vulnerability Zones
particularly planning for inter -linking of
rivers and construction of reservoirs and Very High Vulnerability Zone : Highly unstable,
dams, etc. should be given a serious thought. relatively young mountainous areas in the
Remote sensing and satellite imageries can be Himalayas and Andaman and Nicobar, high
useful in identifying the possible river-basins rainfall regions with steep slopes in the Western
that can be inter-linked and in identifying the Ghats and Nilgiris, the north-eastern regions,
ground water potential. along with areas that experience frequent
Dissemination of knowledge about ground-shaking due to earthquakes, etc. and
drought-resistant crops and proper training areas of intense human activities, particularly
to practise the same can be some of the those related to construction of roads, dams,
long-term measures that will be helpful in etc. are included in this zone.

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NATURAL HAZARDS AND DISASTERS 67

High Vulnerability Zone : Areas that have almost roadblock, destruction of railway lines and
similar conditions to those included in the very channel-blocking due to rock-falls have far-
high vulnerability zone are also included in this reaching consequences. Diversion of river
category. The only difference between these two courses due to landslides can also lead to
is the combination, intensity and frequency of flood and loss of life and property. It also
the controlling factors. All the Himalayan states makes spatial interaction difficult, risky as
and the states from the north-eastern regions well as a costly affair, which, in turn,
except the plains of Assam are included in the adversely affects the developmental
high vulnerability zones. activities in these areas.

Moderate to Low Vulnerability Zone : Areas Mitigation

that receive less precipitation such as Trans-
It is always advisable to adopt area-specific
Himalayan areas of Ladakh and Spiti
measures to deal with landslides. Restriction
(Himachal Pradesh), undulated yet stable
on the construction and other developmental
relief and low precipitation areas in the
activities such as roads and dams, limiting
Aravali, rain shadow areas in the Western and
agriculture to valleys and areas with
moderate slopes, and control on the
development of large settlements in the high
vulnerability zones, should be enforced. This
should be supplemented by some positive
actions like promoting large-scale
afforestation programmes and construction of
bunds to reduce the flow of water. Terrace
farming should be encouraged in the
northeastern hill states where Jhumming
(Slash and Burn/Shifting Cultivation) is still
prevalent.

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Figure 6.9 : Landslide
Disasters due to cyclones, unlike the ones
Eastern Ghats and Deccan plateau also caused by earthquakes, tsunamis and
experience occasional landslides. Landslides volcanic eruptions are more predictable in
due to mining and subsidence are most terms of the time and place of their
common in states like Jharkhand, Odisha, occurrences. Moreover, with the help of
Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, development of techniques to monitor the
Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, behaviour of cyclones, their intensity,
Tamil Nadu, Goa and Kerala. direction and magnitude, it has become
Other Areas : The remaining parts of India, possible to manage the cyclonic hazard to
particularly states like Rajasthan, Haryana, some extent. Construction of cyclone-shelters,
Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal (except embankments, dykes, reservoirs and
district Darjiling), Assam (except district Karbi afforestation to reduce the speed of the winds
Anglong) and Coastal regions of the southern are some of the steps that can help in
States are safe as far as landslides are minimising the damages. However, increase
concerned. in the loss of life and property in countries
like India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, etc. in
Consequences of Landslides successive storms is largely due to high
Landslides have relatively small and vulnerability of their population residing in
localised area of direct influence, but the coastal areas.

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68 INDIA : PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

(i) Pre-disaster management involves

Disaster Management Bill, 2005 generating data and information about the
The Disaster Management Bill, 2005, disasters, preparing vulnerability zoning
defines disaster as a catastrophe, maps and spreading awareness among the
mishap, calamity or grave occurrence people about these. Apart from these,
affecting any area, arising from disaster planning, preparedness and
natural or man-made causes, or by preventive measures are other steps that
accident or negligence which results need to be taken in the vulnerable areas.
in substantial loss of life or human (ii) During disasters, rescue and relief
suffering or damage to, and operations such as evacuation, construction
destruction of, environment, and is of of shelters and relief camps, supplying of
such nature or magnitude as to be water, food, clothing and medical aids etc.
beyond the coping capacity of the should be done on an emergency basis.
community of the affected area. (iii) Post-disaster operations should involve
rehabilitation and recovery of victims. It
should also concentrate on capacity-
building in order to cope up with
CONCLUSION future disasters, if any.
On the basis of the above discussion, it can be These measures have special significance to
concluded that disasters can be natural or the a country like India, which has about two-
results of human activities, and all hazards third of its geographical area and equal
need not turn into disasters since it is difficult proportion of its population, vulnerable to
to eliminate disasters, particularly natural disasters. Introduction of the Disaster
disasters. Then the next best option is Management Bill, 2005 and establishment of
mitigation and preparedness. There are three National Institute of Disaster Management are
stages involved in disaster mitigation and some examples of the positive steps taken by
management: the Government of India.

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NATURAL HAZARDS AND DISASTERS 69

EXERCISES

1. Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below.
(i) Which one of the following states of India experiences floods frequently?
(a) Bihar (c) Assam
(b) West Bengal (d) Uttar Pradesh
(ii) In which one of the following districts of Uttaranchal did Malpa Landslide
disaster take place?
(a) Bageshwar (c) Almora
(b) Champawat (d) Pithoragarh
(iii) Which one of the following states receives floods in the winter months?
(a) Assam (c) Kerala
(b) West Bengal (d) Tamil Nadu
(iv) In which of the following rivers is the Majuli River Island situated?
(a) Ganga (c) Godavari
(b) Brahmaputra (d) Indus
(v) Under which type of natural hazards do blizzards come?
(a) Atmospheric (c) Terrestrial
(b) Aquatic (d) Biological
2. Answer the following questions in less than 30 words.
(i) When can a hazard become a disaster?
(ii) Why are there more earthquakes in the Himalayas and in the north-eastern
region of India?
(iii) What are the basic requirements for the formation of a cyclone?
(vi) How are the floods in Eastern India different from the ones in Western India?
(v) Why are there more droughts in Central and Western India?
3. Answer the following questions in not more than 125 words.
(i) Identify the Landslide-prone regions of India and suggest some measures to
mitigate the disasters caused by these.
(ii) What is vulnerability? Divide India into natural disaster vulnerability zones
based on droughts and suggest some mitigation measures.
(iii) When can developmental activities become the cause of disasters?
Project/Activity
Prepare a project report on any one of the topics given below.
(i) Malpa Landslide (v) Tehri Dam/Sardar Sarovar
(ii) Tsunami (vi) Bhuj/Latur Earthquakes
(iii) Odisha and Gujarat Cyclones (vii) Life in a delta/riverine island
(iv) Inter-linking of rivers (viii) Prepare a model of rooftop rainwater
harvesting

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70 INDIA : PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

G LOSSARY

Alluvial Plain : A level tract of land made up of alluvium or fine rock material brought
down by a river.
Archipelago : A group of islands that lie in fairly close proximity.
Arid : Denoting any climate or region in which the rainfall is insufficient or barely
sufficient to support vegetation.
Backwater : A stretch of water that has become bypassed by the main flow of a
stream, although still joined to it. It has a very low rate of flow.
Bedrock : The solid rock lying beneath soil and weathered material.
Biosphere Reserve : These are multi-purpose protected areas, where every plant
and animal size is to be protected in its natural habitat. Its major objectives are :
(i) to conserve and maintain diversity and integrity of the natural heritage in its full
form, i.e. physical environment, the flora and the fauna; (ii) to promote research on
ecological conservation and other aspects of environment at preservation; (iii) to provide
facilities for education, awareness and explaining.
Bunding : The practice of constructing embankments of earth or stone for conserving
water and soil to increase crop production.
Calcareous : Composed of or containing a high proportion of calcium carbonate.
Catchment Area : The area drained by a major river and its tributaries.
Climate : The average weather conditions of a sizeable area of the earth’s surface
over a period of time (usually spread over a span of at least 30 years).
Coast : The boundary between land and sea. It includes the strip of land that borders
the sea shore.
Coastal Plain : It is a flat low lying land between the coast and higher ground inland.
Conservation : The protection of natural environment and natural resources for the
future. It includes the management of minerals, landscape, soil and forests to prevent
their destruction and over exploitation.
Coral : It is a small calcium secreting marine polyp that occurs in colonies, mainly in
warm shallow sea water. It forms the coral reefs.
Depression : In meteorology; it denotes an area of relatively low atmospheric pressure,
which is found mainly in temperate regions. It is also used as synonym for temperate
cyclones.
Estuary : The tidal mouth of a river where fresh and saline water get mixed.
Fauna : The animal life of a given area or time.
Fold : A bend in rock strata resulting from compression of an area of the earth’s
crust.
Glacier : A mass of snow and ice that moves slowly away from its place of accumulation
carving gradually a broad and steepsided valley on its way.
Gneiss : A coarse grained metamorphic rock with a banded structure. It is formed by
the large scale application of heat and pressure associated with mountain building
and volcanic activity.
Gorge : A deep valley with steep and rocky side walls.

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Gully Erosion : It is the erosion of the soil and rock by the concentration of runoff into
gullies.
Humus : The dead organic content of the soil.
Island : A mass of land that is surrounded by water and is smaller than a continent.
Jet Stream : A very strong and steady westerly wind blowing just below the tropopause.
Lake : A body of water that lives in a hollow in the earth’s surface and is entirely
surrounded by land.
Landslide : A form of mass movement in which rock and debris moves rapidly
downslope under the influence of gravity as a result of failure along a shear plane.
Meander : A pronounced curve or loop in the course of a river channel.
Monsoon : A complete reversal of winds over a large area leading to a change of
seasons.
National Park : A National park is an area which is strictly reserved for the protection
of the wildlife and where activities such as forestry, grazing or cultivation are not
allowed.
Pass : A route through a mountain range which follows the line of a col or a gap.
Peninsula : A piece of land jutting out into the sea.
Plain : An extensive area of flat or gently undulating land.
Plateau : An extensive elevated area of relatively flat land.
Playa : The low flat central area of a basin of inland drainage. Playas occur in areas
of low rainfall.
Protected Forest : An area notified under the provisions of Indian Forest Act or the
State Forest Acts having limited degree of protection. In Protected Forests, all activities
are permitted unless prohibited.
Rapids : A stretch of swift flowing water where a river bed suddenly becomes steeper
due to the presence of hard rocks.
Reserved Forest : An area notified under the provisions of Indian Forest Act or the
State Forest Acts having full degree of protection. In Reserved Forests, all activities
are prohibited unless permitted.
Sanctuary : A sanctuary is an area, which is reserved for the conservation of animals
only and operations such as harvesting of timber, collection of minor forest products
are allowed so long as they do not affect the animals adversely.
Soil Profile : It is the vertical section of soil from the ground surface to the parent
rock.
Subcontinent : A big geographical unit which stands out distinctly from the rest of
the continent.
Terai : A belt of marshy ground and vegetation on the lower parts of the alluvial fans.
Tectonic : Forces originating within the earth and responsible for bringing widespread
changes in the landform features.
Unclassed Forest : An area recorded as forest but not included in reserved or protected
forest category. Ownership status of such forests varies from state to state.

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NOTES

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