1. Find the odd man out.

(a) Famine, earthquake, cloudburst, railway accident.

Ans: railway accident.

(b) Drought, heavy rains, storm, tsunami.

Ans: Drought.

(c) Lava, hot mud, ash, locusts.

Ans: Locusts.

(d) Washing away of crops, attack of pests on crops, volcano, singeing of crops

Ans: Volcano

2. What are the remedial measures for the following calamities?

(a) Famine 

Ans:

(i) Water should be used with care and proper water management.

(ii) Raising the water whenever necessary.

(iii) Constructing dams and adopting rainwater harvesting techniques.

(iv) By planting trees on a large scale and preventing trees from falling, deforestation can be stopped, which will help hold more water in the ground and prevent soil erosion.

(v) Making appropriate changes in plans as the impact of climate change is seen everywhere.

(b) Lightning strike

Ans:

(i) One should stay at home when there is thunder and lightning.

(ii) One should not stand on the ground or under a tree.

(iii) Do not stand near an electric pole, a telephone pole, a tower, etc.

(iv) Do not gather all together in one place.

(v) Do not lean on wire fences around the farm, a compound, a garden, or a house.

(vi) If you are on a two-wheeler, a bicycle, a tractor, or a boat, get off immediately and go to a safe place.

(vii) Do not use a mobile phone or a telephone.

(viii) Do not use plugged-in electrical appliances.

(c) Storm

Ans:

(i) During stormy weather, trees may fall due to strong winds.

(ii) If you are outside, take shelter in a safe place and inform your close relatives and friends about your exact location.

(iii) At home, the electric supply should be shut off in order to avoid any accidents.

(iv) Give temporary shelter to people who are far away from their home.

(d) Cloudburst

Ans:

(i) Pay heed to warnings issued by the Meteorological Department carefully.

(ii) Do not take shelter at the foot of a hill.

(iii) Be ready with your first-aid kit and other necessary equipment.

(iv) Use battery-operated mobiles and radios.

3. True or false? Give reasons for your answer.

(a) Information about a forthcoming storm is to be kept secret.

Ans: False – Information about a forthcoming storm should be given to the people who may be affected because this can save their lives.

(b) You should not swim when there is lightning in the sky.

Ans: True – The electric current from the lightning can enter the water easily and can be dangerous for a person who is swimming.

(c) It is possible to prevent the eruption of a volcano.

Ans: False – A volcanic eruption is a natural disaster that may happen at any time. There is no technology that can stop such a calamity.

(d) Heavy rains result in famine.

Ans: True – Heavy rains may wash away the crops and cause damage to the farmland.

4. Write answers to the following questions in your own words.

(a) What is a tsunami ? What gives rise to a tsunami?

Ans:

(i) “Tsunami” means huge harbour waves that break at the coastal regions, causing tremendous damage.

(ii) These waves are found due to the volcanic eruption on the ocean floor or due to the earthquake at the bottom of the ocean.

(iii) The energy released pushes the water upward, resulting in the formation of waves.

(iv) These waves are not very high near the source, but they spread rapidly over long distances.

(v) The velocity of these waves is 800 to 900 km/h.

(vi) When the waves reach a coastal area, their velocity is reduced, but their height is found to have increased tremendously, even to about 30 meters.

(b) What is a cloudburst ?

Ans:

(i) A “cloudburst” is excessive rainfall suddenly pouring in a short span of time in a specific area.

(ii) Due to the very high temperature near the land, the water coming down from the rain clouds does not reach the land in the form of rain but vaporises and goes back into the same clouds.

(iii) This causes a large amount of vapour in those clouds.

(iv) When rapid condensation occurs in such water-laden clouds, it rains suddenly at a rate of 100 mm per hour or more in a specific area.

(c) Explain the effects of a volcano.

Ans: The effects of a volcano are:

(i) The chemical substances such as lava, vapour, hot mud, sulphur, etc. get collected on the surface of the earth, thereby creating mountains and hills.

(ii) The atmosphere gets polluted due to the ash and gases ejected by the volcano.

(iii) Often, it rains as a result of a volcanic eruption.

(iv) Temperatures rise due to hot gases.

(v) Forests and settlements get buried under the hot mud.

(d) What are the measures to prevent loss of life due to lightning?

Ans:

(i) One should stay at home when there is thunder and lightning.

(ii) One should not stand on open ground or under a tree.

(iii) Do not stand near an electric pole, a telephone pole, a tower, etc.

(iv) Do not gather all together in one place.

(v) Do not lean on wire fences around a farm, a compound, a garden, or a house.

(vi) If you are on a two-wheeler, get off the bicycle immediately and go to a safe place.

(vii) Do not use a mobile phone or a telephone.

(viii) Do not use plugged-in electrical appliances.

5. What measures have been taken to deal with calamities such as floods and landslides under the disaster management programme in Maharashtra?

Ans:

(i) A disaster cell has been established by the government of Maharashtra to protect the lives and property of the people of Maharashtra.

(ii) According to this cell, people are given warnings about storms, earthquakes, orfloods in advance.

(iii) In 1976, the government established the National Flood Commission. The commission has made special efforts toward the control of floods. This is a planmade for flood control from the national level to the village level.

(iv) The government makes efforts to stop the large-scale damage to property and loss of life by executing its plan.

(v) If there are landslides or cloudbursts that cause the loss of houses for the people, then the government provides shelter homes. The people are relocated in case of any threat of natural calamities.

(vi) The government also has plans for giving all kinds of help to citizens during calamities.

6. With reference to disaster management what are the things in your house that you will check?

Ans: With reference to disaster management, the following things in the house need to be checked:

(i) Check whether glass panels and windows are not broken and fitted securely.

(ii) Check if the heavy, bulky thing is not hanging from the ceiling.

(iii) Have some extra medication on hand for times when disaster strikes.

(iv) Check whether no electric wires are broken or exposed.

(v) Immediately take action against the above-mentioned items to ensure your security.

(vi) Teach family members how to turn off electricity, gas, etc.