What is a DISASTER ? A disaster is a natural or manmade event which results in widespread human loss , Loss of livelihood , property and life.

Disasters can be categorized into two types based on the speed and origin

Based on SpeedA. Slow onset disaster: -

Disaster that prevails for many days, months or years. Eg:- drought, environmental degradation, pest infestation, famine, etc.

B. Rapid onset disaster: - Disaster that is triggered by an instantaneous shock .Eg:-Earthquake , cyclone, flash flood, Volcanic Eruptions, etc.

Based on cause/origin.

A. Natural Disaster:-Natural disasters in world, many of them related to the climate cause , massive losses of world life and property. Eg:- floods , volcanic Earthquakes , tsunamis , and other geologic processes.

B. Human induced Disaster:- Anthropogenic hazards or human-made hazards can result in the form of a human-made disaster. Eg:- Serial blasts, Bhopal Gas tragedy-1984 etc.

UTTRAKHAND Uttrakhand has a total area of

53,484 km2 of which 93 % is mountainous and 64 % is covered by forests.

Two of India’s largest rivers – the Ganges and the Yamuna , originate in the glaciers of Uttrakhand.

Most of the Uttrakhand part of the state is covered by high Himalayan peaks and glaciers.

UTTARKHAND DISASTER

The incessant rain that hit Uttarakhand from June 14 triggered flash floods and landslides, leading to thousands of deaths, while thousands more were missing. Over 1,00,000 people have been evacuated so far from the affected areas. Helping people rebuild their lives is the biggest challenge for the Uttarakhand government – in fact, for the whole country.

From14 to 17 June 2013 , Indian state of Uttarakhand and adjoining area received heavy rainfall , which has about 375 percent more than the benchmark rainfall during a normal monsoon.

Causes This caused the melting of Chorabari Glacier at the height of 3800 meters , and eruption of the Mandakini River which led to heavy floods near Kedar Dome , Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand , Himachal Pradesh.

Damages376 houses destroyed , 275 houses partially damaged in Uttarpradesh .

Rescue operationThe Army , Air force , Navy , Indo-

Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) , Border Security Force ,National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) , Public works Department and local administrations worked together for quick rescue operation.

Are we apathetic towards the disaster?

“Teenagers today are apathetic towards the less fortunate.” To be apathetic is to show no care or feeling no interest, enthusiasm, or concern. I feel that this statement is too general as not all teenagers are apathetic towards the less fortunate. Most teenagers these days do have sympathy for the less fortunate and are trying their best to help those in need.

An analysis of why did the tragic incident occur? This is certainly a man-made disaster which

could have been avoided . This resulted in two key factors which lead to

a chain of events: 1. Due to less cement etc, quality of dams was poor and weak. 2. when cement became available at throwaway prices in "black", people felt motivated to build houses . But due to poor administration and unplanned land allocation, many of the houses were built on the banks of the river . This lead to change in the course of the river. 

Could it be averted?

Yes , It can be averted by Uttarakhand government and the India Meteorological Department in New Delhi, literally slept over repeated warnings issued by the state meteorological officials warning of "very heavy rains" and specific advisories asking for evacuating Char Dham Yatra pilgrims to safety.

Most of these warnings were issued as early as June 14, 15 and again on June 16, the night when disaster struck, but nobody paid heed.

How one should prepare oneself for any kind of unforeseen disaster ? During disaster is simply behaving

as if nothing has gone wrong. It sounds incredible, but it's actually a fairly common response. People remain in their seats, people wait for orders and people assume others will be the ones to act. You are in charge of keeping yourself well, nobody else. Take that seriously and exert yourself when necessary.

Mitigation It involves measures to eliminate or reduce the incidence of severity of disasters.

Preparedness It involves measures

to ensure that communities and services are capable of coping with the effect of disaster.

If you are one of the rescuers what would your duties include? If I was rescuer my first duty is to assess

the area so as to save time, which would help in effective response. It is very important for a rescuer to collect information on the extent of damage, approach to the damage area, particulars of the damage and understand if any further damage is likely to occur. The local leaders or the people residing in that particular locality provide all this information.

Be ‘BRAVE’ and ‘STAY CALM’ if you have to rescue people

Made By :- DEEP SHAH