make a report on the basis of natural disasters affecting the states of Himachal Pradesh and Kerala from 2018-2021
Answers
Answer:
Himachal Pradesh is exposed to various concrete
realities. Frequent natural disasters of various intensity
and their impact on society and land is one of such
problems, which hamper the development of the state.
Earthquakes, landslides, cloudbursts, flash floods,
avalanches, forest fires, droughts, etc. have caused
tremendous loss to the state. Besides loss of life, these
disasters also strain the state exchequer.
Landslide is the most common disaster in Himachal
Pradesh which causes immense loss of life and
property. The Luggar Bhatti landslide on 12 September,
1995, buried 65 persons in the Kullu valley. The state
is also avalanche prone. In March 1978, about 30
persons lost their lives in Lahaul and Spiti district.
Another avalanche in March 1979, besides causing
widespread damage to roads and property, also buried
237 persons.
Frequent flash floods in the last few years have
baffled both the meteorologist and the common man
equally. The flash flood of 1 August, 2000, in the Satluj
left a trail of destruction in Shimla and Kinnaur
districts killing more than 150 persons and washing
away 14 bridges. The estimated loss to public and
private property in this calamity was Rs. 1000 crore.
The water level rose suddenly from 12 to 20 metres,
damaging a 320 km stretch of the National Highway
and the 1500 MW Nathpa Jhakri power project.
In 1995, 114 lives were lost and public property
worth Rs. 7552 lakh was damaged in various disasters.
Loss to agriculture and horticulture was Rs. 13,251
lakh and Rs. 10,108.29 lakh respectively. Similarly in
1997, 223 lives were lost and private property worth
Rs. 8146 lakh was damaged.
On the basis of the damage caused by disasters and
their widespread nature, Himachal Pradesh can be called
Chapter 3
Natural Disaster Management
one of the most unstable and disaster-prone states of
the country. Although the state is endowed with rich
natural resources, the geology, the general topography,
the physical features, the climate and active geographic
changes have made the area vulnerable to various
natural disasters. In addition to the natural causes,
various anthropogenic activities have had a multiplier
effect and created an imbalance in the overall ecology of
the area. All these factors have combined to turn this
state into a unique region affected by almost all types
of natural disasters. A brief description of the common
disasters and their impact is discussed in the
succeeding paragraphs.
Earthquakes
Earthquake, quite devastating and sudden in nature,
is one of the most common type of disasters that hits
the State. This natural disaster has caused immense
loss to the state. Lying in the sensitive Himalayan belt,
at the juncture of two active tectonic plates, the state
is prone to severe seismic activity. Seismologists have
categorised Himachal Pradesh in seismic zones IV & V,
highly prone to earthquakes. Statistically, more than
250 earthquakes of magnitude above 4.0 on the Richter
scale, including 51 with magnitude above 5.0 have
rocked the state during the last century
Answer: Earthquakes, landslides, cloudbursts, flash floods, avalanches, forest fires, droughts, etc. have caused tremendous loss to the state. Besides loss of life, these disasters also strain the state exchequer. Landslide is the most common disaster in Himachal Pradesh which causes immense loss of life and property.
Explanation: The 2018 floods were the worst in Kerala in a century, and displaced more than one million people. An assessment carried out by the federal government that same year found that the state, which has 44 rivers flowing through it, was among the 10 most vulnerable in India to flooding