DISASTER

MANAGEMENT
DISASTE
R
 What Is 3

Disaster?
A disaster can be defined as any occurence that cause damage,
ecological disruption, loss of human life, deterioration of health and
health services on a scale , sufficient to warrant an extraordinary
response from outside the affected community or area.
A disaster can be ostensibly defined as any tragic event stemming
from events such as earthquakes, floods, catastrophic accidents, fires,
or explosions.
 Types Of 4

Disasters
Disaster

Natural Man-Made Pandemic

Disasters Emergencies
Disasters
 Natural 5

Disaster
Natural Disasters are naturally
occurring physical phenomena
caused either by rapid or slow
onset events that have immediate
impacts on human health and
secondary impacts causing further
death and suffering.
Examples:-
Earthquake,cyclone,Tsunami etc.
 Types Of Natural 6

Disasters
❖ Tsunamis ❖ Landslid
es
❖ Earthquak
es ❖ Floods
❖ Avalanche ❖ Droughts
s
❖ Forest
❖ Volcanoes fires
 Causes of Natural 7

Disasters
The disasters are different according to their occurrence. For example,
the causes of an earthquake cannot be the same as that of forest-fire.
Natural disasters are caused due to different reasons like soil erosion,
seismic activity, tectonic movements, air pressure, and ocean currents
[Link] activities taking place in the earth’s crust, as well as
surface, are the main reasons for these disasters. Flooding and erosion
can occur are really prone to the areas where mining, deforestation,
and manufacturing have taken place.
 Man-Made 8

Disasters
❖ Man-made or
disasters
instigated
element of human Human
disasters intent,
negligence or error have
involving
a failure of a man-made
system. an
❖ They are the consequences of
technological and human
hazards.
❖ As new technology develops,
unseen risks or improper
precautions can result in
tragedy.
 Types Of Man Made 9

Disasters
❖ Industrial accidents : An industrial accident is a sudden and unexpected occurrence in the industry which interrupts the
orderly progress of the work. These can be caused due to technical faults, psychological/personal reasons, unsafe acts and
other causes.
❖ Nuclear disasters : Nuclear disasters generally occur in nuclear reactors which are used to generate electric power. They occur
as a result of release of massive amount of radiation and radioactive material into the environment.
❖ Transportation accidents : A transport accident is any accident that occurs during any type of transportation. These can be
road traffic accidents, marine accidents, railroad accidents and aviation accidents.
❖ Terrorism : Terrorism is unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a Government,
the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.
❖ Biological disasters : Biological disasters are natural scenarios involving disease, disability or death on a large scale among
humans, animals and plants due to microorganisms like bacteria, or virus or toxins. Biological disasters may be in the form of
epidemic and pandemic.
 Pandemic 1
Emergencies 0

● Pandemic is an epidemic of infectious disease that has spread

across a large region, which can occur to the human population or
animal population and may affect health and disrupt services
leading to economic and social costs.
● Occurring on a scale that crosses international boundaries, usually
affecting people on a worldwide scale. A disease or condition is not
a pandemic merely because it is widespread or kills many people; it
must also be infectious.
● For instance, cancer is responsible for many deaths but is not
considered a pandemic because the disease is not contagious (i.e.
easily transmittable) and not even simply infectious.
 Worst Pandemics In History 1
1

● 541–542: Plague of Justinian ● 1957–1958: Asian flu (H2N2)

● 1346–1350: The Black Death ● 1968–1969: Hong Kong flu
● 1899–1923: Sixth cholera ● 2009–2010: Swine
pandemic flu (H1N1)
● 1918–1920: Spanish flu ● 2020: COVID-19
(H1N1)
 Disaster Management 1
2

A continuous and integrated process of planning, organizing, co-

ordinating & implementing the measures which are necessary or
expedient for:
❖ Prevention of danger or threat of any disaster.
❖ Reduction of risk of any disaster or its severity or consequences.
❖ Preparedness to deal with any disaster.
❖ Prompt response to any threatening disaster situation or disaster.
❖ Assessing the severity or magnitude of effects of any disaster.
❖ Evacuation ,rescue and relief.
❖ Rehabilitation and reconstruction.
 PHASES/CYCLE OF DISASTER 1
3
MANAGEMENT
[Link]

The Disaster management cycle

illustrates the
ongoing process by which
[Link] governments,
businesses, and civil society plan for
N [Link]
and
reduce the impact of disasters, react
during
and immediately following a disaster,
and take
steps to recover after a disaster has
occurred

[Link] [Link]
 PREVENTION 1
4
The best way to address a disaster is by being proactive. This means identifying potential
hazards and
devising safeguards to mitigate their impact. Although this stage in the cycle involves
putting permanent
measures into place that can help minimize disaster risk, it’s important to acknowledge
that disasters
can’t always be prevented. Emergency planning activities will allow organizations to
reduce loss of life
Prevention
and sustaininvolves scenarios
environmental such as the
challenges by developing organizational specific plans,
following:
standardized planning
● Implementing an evacuation plan in a school, for example, showing teachers how to
tools and emergency management
lead
to students
safety in the event of a tornado
protocols.
or fire
● Planning and designing a city in a way that minimizes the risk of flooding, for example,
with the use
of locks, dams or channels to divert water away from
populous areas
 MITIGATIO 1
5
N
Mitigation aims to minimize the loss of human life that would result from a disaster. Both
structural and
nonstructural measures may be taken. Mitigation activities allow organizations to reduce
loss of life
and physical assets such as buildings and supplies that will lessen the overall effect of
disaster
● A on an
structural measure means changing the physical characteristics of a
organizations
buildingandor community
an as a
[Link] to curb the effects of a disaster. For example, clearing trees away
from a house
can ensure that dangerous storms don’t knock down the trees and send them
crashing into
homes and public
buildings.
● Nonstructural measures involve adopting or amending building codes to optimize
safety for all
future building
construction.
 PREPAREDNESS 1
6
Preparedness is an ongoing process in which individuals, communities, businesses and
organizations
can plan and train for what they’ll do in the event of a disaster. Preparedness is defined
by ongoing
training, evaluating and corrective action, ensuring the highest level of
readiness.
Examples of Preparedness measures are :
❖ The formulation & maintenance of valid, up-to-date counter
disaster plans
❖ Special provisions for emergency action
❖ The provisions of warning systems
❖ Emergency communications
❖ Public education and awareness
❖ Training programs, including exercises and test
 RESPONSE 1
7
Response is wha happen after the disaste occurs. It involve both short- and long-
t s r s term
[Link] the response stage, any ongoing hazards are removed from the area;
for example,
in the aftermath of a wildfire, any lingering fires will be put out, and areas that pose a high
flammability
risk will be stabilized. As organizations respond to disaster, they must use all their
emergency
Typical measures
preparedness toolsinclude
such as: emergency plans, policies and procedures and staff training to
respond
❖ to
Implementation of plans
❖
any type of
Activation of the counter-disaster system
disaster.
❖ Search and Rescue
❖ Provision of emergency food, shelter, medical
assistance etc.
❖ Survey and assessment
❖ Evacuation measures
 RECOVERY 1
8
The fifth stage in the disaster-management cycle is recovery. This can take a long time,
sometimes
years or decades. It involves stabilizing the area and restoring all essential
community functions.
Recovery requires prioritization: first, essential services like food, clean water, utilities,
transportation
It focuses on restoring critical business functions to stabilize day to day services and
and healthcare
increase will be restored, with less-essential services being
capacity
to continue
prioritized to serve their community after a disaster. The recovery phase allows
later.
organizations
normal servicetolevels
returnas soon as
possible.
Ultimately, this stage is about helping individuals, communities, businesses and
organizations
normal return
or a new to depending on the impact of the
normal
disaster.
 INDIA’S VULNERABILITY TO 1
9
DISASTERS
❖ 57% of India’s land is vulnerable to earthquakes. Of
this, 12% is prone to severe earthquakes.
❖ 42% of land is vulnerable to droughts.
❖ 12% of land is vulnerable to floods.
❖ 8% of land is vulnerable to cyclones.
❖ Apart from these, some cities in India are also
vulnerable to man-made disasters like chemical and
industrial disasters.
 DISASTER MANAGEMENT AGENCIES OF 20
INDIA
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)
● NDRF is an Indian specialized force constituted "for the purpose of special response to a threatening
disaster situation or disaster" under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
● The force is gradually emerging as the most visible and vibrant multi-disciplinary, multi-skilled, high-tech
force of the NDMA capable of dealing with all types of natural and man-made disasters.

National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM)

● NIDM, is a premier institute for training and capacity development programs for managing natural disasters
in India, on a national as well as regional basis.
● Under the DM Act 2005, NIDM has been assigned nodal responsibilities for human resource development,
capacity building, training, research, documentation and policy advocacy in the field of disaster
management.
 NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT
2
AUTHORITY 1

NDMA as the apex body is mandated to lay down the policies, plans and guidelines for Disaster Management to
ensure timely and effective response to disasters. Towards this, it has the following responsibilities:-
1. Lay down policies on disaster management
2. Approve the National Plan , plans prepared by the Ministries or Departments of the Government of
India in accordance with the National Plan
3. Lay down guidelines to be followed by the different Ministries or Departments of the Government of
India for the Purpose of integrating the measures for prevention of disaster or the mitigation of its
effects in their development plans and projects
4. Coordinate the enforcement and implementation of the policy and plan for disaster management
5. Recommend provision of funds for the purpose of mitigation
6. Provide such support to other countries affected by major disasters as may be determined by the
Central Government
INTERNATIONAL STRATEGY FOR DISASTER REDUCTION ( ISDR )
22

❖ Created in December 1999, UNISDR is the secretariat of the ISDR.

❖ The ISDR is a global framework established within the United Nations for the promotion of
action to reduce social vulnerability and risks of natural hazards and related technological and
environmental disasters.

❖ Its core areas of work includes ensuring disaster risk reduction (DRR) is applied to climate
change adaptation, increasing investments for DRR, building disaster-resilient cities, schools and
hospitals, and strengthening the international system for DRR.
 NODAL AGENCIES FOR DISASTER MANAGEMENT
23
DISASTER AGENCY

Floods Ministry of Water Resources, Central Water Commission (CWC)

Cyclones , Heat & Cold Waves , Earthquakes Indian Meteorological Department

Tsunami Indian National Centre for Oceanic Information Services

Epidemics Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

Avian Flu Ministry of Health, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry

Chemical Disasters Ministry of Environment and Forests

Industrial Disasters Ministry of Labour

Rail Accidents Ministry of Railways

Air Accidents Ministry of Civil Aviation

Fire Ministry of Home Affairs

Nuclear Incidents Department of Atomic Energy

Mine Disasters Department of Mines

Landslides Geological Survey of India

 HAZARD SPECIFIC MITIGATION PROJECTS
24

National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project ( NCRMP )

AIM The scheme aims to upgrade cyclone forecasting, tracking and warning systems, build capacity in multi-hazard risk management and to construct
major infrastructures including multi-purpose cyclone shelters and embankments.

OUTCOME The project is expected to benefit 5.60 lac people in Orissa and over 5.50 lacs in Andhra Pradesh.

EXECUTION The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has been designated as the implementing agency. The scheme is regularly monitored by
NDMA and MHA.
AUTHORITY

PRINCIPAL 1) Community mobilisation and training

COMPONENTS 2)Cyclone Risk Mitigation Infrastructure (construction of cyclone shelters, roads/missing links and construction/repair of Saline Embankments
etc.)
3) Technical assistance for capacity building on Disaster Risk Management (risk assessment, damage and need assessment)
4) Capacity Building and knowledge creation along with project management and implementation support.

STATES In the first phase of the project, states of Orissa and Andhra Pradesh are being covered.
COVERED

PROJECT The total outlay of the project is ₹1496.71 crore. The World Bank is providing financial assistance equivalent to ₹1198.44 crore and
COST contribution from the state governments is ₹298.27 crore ( i.e. Orissa- ₹132.98 crore and Andhra Pradesh – ₹165.29 crore).
 25

Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (ICZMP)

The Government of India under the aegis of Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has launched the ICZMP. The objective of the project is to
assist GoI in building the national capacity for implementation of a comprehensive coastal management approach in the country and piloting the
integrated coastal zone management approach in states of Gujarat, Orissa and West [Link] are four components of this project :-

CAPACITY BUILDING It includes mapping, delineation and demarcation of the hazard lines, and delineation of coastal sediment cells
all along the mainland coast of India.

PILOTING ICZM APPROACHES IN GUJARAT This component will support capacity building of the state level agencies and institutions, including
preparation of an ICZM plan for the coastal sediment cell that includes the Gulf of Kachchh and pilot
investments

PILOTING ICZM APPROACHES IN ORISSA It provides for capacity building of the state level agencies and institutions, including preparation of an ICZM
plan for the coastal sediment cells that include the stretches of Paradip-Dhamra and Gopalpur-Chilika,
including a regional coastal process study, and pilot investments.

PILOTING ICZM APPROACHES IN WEST BENGAL The project cost is ₹1425 crores ($285.67 million) and it is slated to be completed by 31 Dec. 2015.
 OTHER MITIGATION PROJECTS 2
6
National Earthquake Risk Mitigation Project The Government of India has taken a national initiative for launching the project . Aim :-
(NERMP): strengthening the structural and nonstructural earthquake mitigation efforts and
reducing the vulnerability in the high risk districts prone to earthquakes. Necessary risk
mitigation measures are proposed to be put in place in the highly seismic zones. The
proposed components of the project include techno-legal regime, institutional
strengthening, capacity building and public awareness etc.

It aims at strengthening the structural and non-structural landslide mitigation efforts,

National Landslide Risk Mitigation Project : reducing the landslide risk and vulnerability in the hilly districts prone to landslides and
mudflows and minimise the risks arising out of disasters in landslides.

National Flood Risk Mitigation Project NFRMP has been envisaged for mitigation or reduction in risk, severity or consequences of
(NFRMP): floods. It aims at ensuring that arrangements are in place to mobilise the resources and
capability for relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction and recovery from disasters besides
creating awareness among vulnerable communities.
 2
7

Flood Management Programme

Under the programme, a total of 311 flood management work schemes of critical nature are included from 19 States for
central assistance up to 31st March, 2010, out of which 117 works for 10 States are reported to be physically complete. It is
expected that 1.33 billion hectares of flood prone areas have thus been restored and protected which will provide safety to
about 12.89 million people during high floods.

The FMP scheme was launched by the Ministry of Water Resources under the central plan at a total cost of ₹8000 crores.
BACKGROUND

AIM The scheme provides financial assistance to the state governments for undertaking flood management works in critical areas during the 11th
Plan period (2007-12).

COMPONENTS (i)Critical flood control and river management works in the entire country (includes river management, flood control, anti-erosion, drainage
development, anti-sea erosion, and flood proofing works besides flood prone area development programme in critical regions and restoration of
damaged flood control/ management works).
(ii) The spillover works of ongoing central plan schemes of Xth Plan would also be supported under this scheme during XI Plan.

EXECUTING The FMP scheme has been implemented by Flood Control, Water Resources / Irrigation Departments of the state governments

AUTHORITY
 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 28

1. DISASTER MANAGEMENT AT CENTER AND STATE LEVEL

1. Basic responsibility for rescue, relief and rehabilitation with the State Governments .
2. Central Government supplements the efforts of State Governments by
providing financial and logistic support in case of major disasters.
3. The logistic support includes deployment of aircrafts and boats, specialist teams of
Armed Forces,
Central Para Military Forces and personnel of National Disaster Response Force
(NDRF), arrangements for relief materials & essential commodities including medical
stores, restoration of critical infrastructure facilities including communication
network and such other assistance as may be required by the affected States to meet
the situation effectively.
4. In the state level disaster management it is the responsibility of the chief minister
or the chief
secretary of the state.
1. All decisions on relief operations are taken by them.
2. Work is further delegated to the Relief
commissioner who is in charge of relief and rehabilitation measures. He
functions under the directive of the state level committee.
3. The secretary of the department of Review is sometimes in charge of
relief measures.
 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (Continue..)
29

[Link] MANAGEMENT BY COMMUNITY GROUPS AND CITIZENS

● Local community groups and voluntary agencies including NGOs should actively
assist in prevention and mitigation activities under the overall direction and
supervision of the DDMA.
● They should actively participate in all training activities as may be organized and
should familiarize themselves with their role in disaster management.
● It is a duty of every citizen to assist the DDMA or such other person entrusted
with or engaged in disaster management whenever his aid is demanded
generally for the purpose of disaster management.
GoI-UNDP
● Disaster risk management programme started by government along with the
support of community aimed at reducing people's vulnerability to natural and
man-made disasters through building community preparedness.
● Program conducts many activities to aware and train people like Mason Training
Programme.
● This approach enhanced the level of preparedness at the administrative level as
well as community level that resulted in minimizing the loss in Flood 2008, of
Sambalpur.
 KEY 30
ISSUES
[Link]’ Irresponsible Intervention - The lack of knowledge and understanding of the
people who try to help the disaster responders makes it a very difficult situation.
Eg: Different decisions taken by different people under the 2001 terrorist attack at WTC (US).
[Link] of Equipment, Tools and Infrastructure - In order to meet the emergency
demands, resources (personnel, facilities, equipment and materials) are needed by
emergency response organisations.
[Link] Resource - Unfortunately, the required financial resource is not always used at
the deserving place.
[Link] Process - There is a lack of contingency plans in a large number of important
facilities, which is designed according to standardized criteria and training.
Eg: COVID-19 pandemic disaster
 3
1

CASE
STUDIES
 2020 Kerala 3
2
Floods
# On 7 August 2020, due to heavy rainfall in the monsoon season, severe floods
affected Kerala, India. # Landslide in Munnar leads to death of at least 52 people
and nearly 19 were reported missing .
# Air India Express Flight 1344 carrying 191 people crashed in Kerala, resulting in the
death of 18 people.

How it was
#over 11,000 managed
people ?
were evacuated to
relief camps.
# 512 camps opened, housing 11,446 people from
3,530 families.
# Red alerts were issued for the 7 districts and Orange alerts for
the 6 districts
# Kerala's State Disaster Management Authority, Kerala police, Indian Air Force,
civilians, volunteers, fishermen from coastal Kerala took part in the rescue
operations in flood-affected regions..
# NGO's - IAG Kerala, RedR India and Sphere India conveyed a meeting on Palakkad for
the preparedness and response plan with respect to the ongoing heavy rainfall
situation and all districts Inter Agency Group (IAGs) are activated in the State on
August 8th.
 Where did we 3
3
lack ?
Experts retrospectively contended that the damage
would have
been greatly mitigated if water had been gradually
released from
at least 30 of the state's dams in advance. It was only
when the
floods peaked that the state began doing this, in what
ultimately
ended up worsening the
situation.
There are no proper basic facilities for the tea
plantation
workers and their families living in Munnar.
Houses of tea
plantation workers are situated exactly below the
hill. They
have been risking their lives and residing under
these hills.
Future Preventions Against Flood 34

Disaster
The embankment system in the river
restricts the river to its existing course
and prevents it from overflowing the
banks to some extent during floods.

Better drainage system allows excess water to

enter in it and act as a barrier against flooding
especially in urban areas.

Anti-erosion works are normally

taken up only for protection of
towns, industrial areas, groups of
thickly populated villages, railway
lines and roads where re-location is
not possible on socio-techno-
economic grounds.
 AMAZON FOREST FIRES 3
2020 5
» Brazil’s Amazon forests were burning at an unprecedented rate in
2020. About 516 major forest fires have been detected across
9,12,863 acres of land between May 28 and August 25—the burnt
land roughly equivalent to about 6.5 times the area of Mumbai city.

» In the first seven months of 2020, more than 13,000sq km

(5,019 sq miles) of the Brazilian Amazon was burned. That's more
than eight times the size of London.

» One of the largest forest fire incidents was reported on August 17

which burned nearly 25,605 acres of land—which amounts to about
14,500 football fields. The blaze was detected near the Xingu River
in the Amazon state of Pará in Northern Brazil.
 36

» Satellites in September recorded 32,017 hotspots in the world’s largest rainforest, a 61% rise
from the same month in 2019.
» Overall, the 2020 season’s forest fires are being regarded as the worst in the last decade.
» The main data source used to examine fires in the Amazon rainforest is DETER-b — a real-time
deforestation detection service of the INPE .
» The number of fires burning the Brazilian Amazon increased 28 per cent in July 2020 over the
previous year, and the fires in the first week of September are double those in 2019,
according to INPE, Brazil’s national research space agency.
» Scientists told AFP that more than 2.3 million animals may have died in the flames racing
through the protected forest areas in the region, as well as grasslands like the the tropical
savannas of the Chiquitania region.
» The health systems of the Amazon region, already overloaded by the COVID-19 pandemic,
were even more overloaded due to respiratory diseases due to smoke.
 3
Brazilian climate scientist Carlos Nobre says there are two main issues contributing to forest 7
firesfirst
The this is
year.
that this year's dry season is much drier
thanwaters
The usual. of the tropical north Atlantic are warmer this year and when that happens, we have less
rainfall
southern over the
Amazon,The second is that there is a lot of felled forest left over from last year's logging - woo
this is chopped
that can fuel d
fires.
A lot of it didn't get burned as there was a military campaign to stop illegal
activity
This in the
year, the army
foresthas been conducting an operation to stop deforestation since June, and in Bolsonar
July, President
imposed a four-month ban on forest [Link], fires have continued in the region and criticso
complain
of sufficient about a lack
enforcement.
However, fires in the Amazon Basin in the last two decades have been driven primarily by two
recent and related
phenomena: drought and the expansion of ranching and agricultural activity. As forests are cleared for
cattle or crops,
they are first cut and then deliberately set on fire once the felled trees are dry enough to burn. The
surrounding forest is
typically wet enough to stop the fire at the edges of the new fields and pastures, however prolonged
drought in the
Amazon Basin means fires are escaping into neighboring intact forests and burning out of control across
thousands of
 How are the fires being fought? 38

● In August, President Jair Bolsonaro response was that "the media and foreign governments are
presenting a false narrative about the Amazon". The same month Brazil's National Institute for Space
Research reported that satellite data shows that the number of fires in the Amazon increased by 28% to
~6,800 fires in July compared to the ~5,300 wildfires in July 2019. This indicated a, potentially
worsened, repeat of 2019's accelerated destruction.
● Although the Brazilian government has instituted a 120-day ban on burning in the Amazon, an analysis
led by NASA indicates that this was of little effect.
● After weeks of international and internal pressure, Bolsonaro deployed the military to help battle the
fires on August 24, sending 44,000 troops to six states.
● “WE DON’T HAVE AN ADEQUATE STRUCTURE TO PREVENT, TO CONTROL, AND TO
FIGHT THE FOREST FIRES”. He wants to establish a forest fire protection system in the Amazon
that brings together government entities, indigenous peoples, local communities, the military, large
companies, NGOs. “We have to integrate everybody,” Barroso says, adding, “we need money to do
this, we have to receive a great investment.”
 39

Adding to the worsening outlook for Amazon deforestation in 2020 are two additional factors:

1. The COVID-19 pandemic, which is making it difficult to mobilize resources to communities in

lockdown who are threatened by fires or deforestation, and

2. The reduction or pure absence of law enforcement activities performed by national environmental
agencies due to the COVID-19 lockdown or government orders.
● Using planes to put out wildfires in the Amazon isn’t a typical method of firefighting in tropical forests, and
is likely to get expensive
● Barlow says, “The best fire fighting technique in the Amazon is to prevent them in the first place — by
controlling deforestation and managing agricultural activities.”
● “Fighting the fires is of course important now “. “For the longer term, it is way more important to focus on
deforestation.”
 VIZAG GAS LEAK 40

WHAT HAPPENED?
» The Visakhapatnam gas leak, also referred to as the Vizag gas leak, was an industrial accident that occurred at the LG Polymers
chemical plant in the R. R. Venkatapuram village located at the outskirts of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India, during the
early morning of 7 May 2020.
» The resulting vapour cloud spread over a radius of around 3 km (1.86 mi), affecting the nearby areas and villages. As per the
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the death toll was 13, and more than 1,000 people became sick after being exposed
to the gas.
HOW IT HAPPENED?
» Preliminary investigations concluded that the accident was likely the result of insufficient maintenance of units storing the
styrene monomer, improper storage, and operation errors.
» The plant was re-opened on 7 May 2020 following the nationwide lockdown implemented as a response to the
COVID-19
pandemic. The plant stored 2,000 metric tons of styrene in tanks, which were left unattended.
» Styrene monomer must be stored between 20–22 °C (68–72 °F) because higher temperatures result in rapid vaporization. It is
believed that a computer glitch in the factory's cooling system allowed temperatures in the storage tanks to exceed safe levels,
causing the styrene to vaporize.
» Between 2:30 a.m. and 3:00 a.m., when maintenance activity was in progress, the gas leaked from the plant and spread to nearby
villages.
 VIZAG GAS LEAK (CONTD..) 4
1
RELIEF AND RESCUE
» Nearly 200-250 families were evacuated from villages in a five-kilometre (3.1 mi) radius around the plant. About 300 people were
hospitalized.
» To neutralize the gas, 500 kilograms (1,100 lb) of the antioxidant 4-tert-butylcatechol (PTBC) was airlifted by the Government of
Andhra Pradesh and sent to the crippled factory.
» Additionally, the central government flew in a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) specialized CBRN (chemical, biological,
radiological, and nuclear) team from Pune to the site.
LEGAL ACTIONS
» As part of the police investigation following the leak, a first information report (FIR) was filed against LG Polymers by the local
police. The report allowed for possible charges under sections 278, 284, 285, 337, 338, and 304 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
» A petition was filed in the National Green Tribunal (NGT), India's top environmental court, demanding an investigation into the
incident by a high-level committee. The report of the high-level committee headed by the NGT chair found that the storage tanks were
outdated and lacked temperature sensors, allowing the styrene vaporization to go undetected. With factory workers and the overall
company inexperienced in storing tanks of such dangerous chemicals, the report blamed the incident on "gross human failure" and a
lack of basic safety norms.
» The same day as the incident, the National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) gave notice to the Andhra Pradesh
Government and the central government that it considered the incident a gross violation of India's constitutional right to [Link] also
asked the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs to investigate any possible breaches of workplace health and safety law.
COVID - 19 42
 COVID-19 Pandemic 43

The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic caused by severe acute
respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. The WHO
declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern regarding COVID-19 on 30 January 2020, and later declared a
pandemic on 11 March 2020. As of 16 April 2021, more than 139 million cases have been confirmed, with more than 2.99 million
deaths attributed to COVID-19, making it one of the deadliest pandemics in history.
The virus spreads mainly through the air when people are near each other. It leaves an infected person as they breathe, cough, sneeze,
or speak and enters another person via their mouth, nose, or eyes. It may also spread via contaminated surfaces.
Recommended preventive measures include social distancing, wearing face masks in public, ventilation and air-filtering, hand
washing, covering one's mouth when sneezing or coughing, disinfecting surfaces, and monitoring and self-isolation for people
exposed or symptomatic. Authorities worldwide have responded by implementing travel restrictions, lockdowns/quarantines,
workplace hazard controls, and business closures.
It has led to widespread supply shortages exacerbated by panic buying, agricultural disruption and food shortages, and decreased
emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases. Numerous educational institutions and public areas have been partially or fully closed,
and many events have been cancelled or postponed. Misinformation has circulated through social media and mass media. The
pandemic has raised issues of racial and geographic discrimination, health equity, and the balance between public health imperatives
and individual rights.
 Symptoms 44

Most common symptoms Less common symptoms Serious symptoms

● Fever ● aches and pains ● difficulty
● dry cough ● sore throat breathing or
● tiredness ● Diarrhoea shortness of breath
● Conjunctivitis ● chest pain or pressure
● Headache ● loss of speech
● loss of taste or smell or movement
● a rash on skin, or
discolouration of fingers
or toes
 WHO Pandemic Phase Descriptions 45

● Phase 1: No local health authorities have reported that an influenza virus circulating among animals can cause disease in humans.
● Phase 2: An animal influenza virus circulating in domesticated or wild animals has caused infection in humans. The WHO consider this a
potential pandemic threat.
● Phase 3: An animal or human-animal influenza virus has caused disease in small clusters of people. However, it has not resulted in
human-to-human transmission that is rapid enough to sustain community-level outbreaks.
● Phase 4: The WHO verify that human-to-human transmission of an animal or human-animal influenza virus is now able to sustain
community-level outbreaks.
● Phase 5: The same virus has caused sustained community-level outbreaks in two or more countries within a single WHO region.
● Phase 6: In addition to the phase 5 criteria, the same virus has caused sustained community-level outbreaks in at least one other country in a
different WHO region.
○ Post-peak period: Levels of pandemic influenza in most countries with adequate surveillance have dropped below peak levels.
○ Post-pandemic period: Levels of influenza activity have returned to the usual levels of seasonal influenza in most countries with
adequate surveillance.
 46

Impact Of Covid -
19
 47

AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SYSTEMS :- The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted agricultural and food systems
worldwide. COVID-19 hit at a time when hunger or undernourishment was once again on the rise in the world, with an
estimated 690 million people already going hungry in 2019. This is mainly due to a lack of access to food – linked to falling
incomes, lost remittances and, in some cases, a rise in food prices. The pandemic, alongside lockdowns and travel
restrictions, has prevented movement of aid and greatly impacted food production. As a result, several famines are forecast,
which the UN called a crisis "of biblical proportions," or "hunger pandemic."

EDUCATION :- The pandemic has severely impacted educational systems globally. Most governments have temporarily
closed educational institutions, with many switching to online education. School closures impact not only students, teachers,
and families but have far-reaching economic and societal consequences. School closures in response to the pandemic have
shed light on various social and economic issues, including student debt, digital learning, food insecurity, and homelessness,
as well as access to childcare, health care, housing, internet, and disability services. The impact has been more severe for
disadvantaged children and their families. The Higher Education Policy Institute conducted a report which discovered that
around 63% of students claimed that their mental health had been worsened as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and
alongside this 38% demonstrated satisfaction with the accessibility of mental health services.
 ECONOMICS 48

❖ The outbreak is a major destabilising threat to the global economy. Global stock markets fell on 24 February due to a
significant rise in the number of COVID-19 cases outside China. One estimate from an expert gave a $300+ billion
impact
on the world's supply chain that could last up to two
❖ years. is one of the worst affected sectors due to travel bans, closing of public places including travel attractions, and
Tourism
advice of governments against travel. Numerous airlines have cancelled flights due to lower demand, and British regional
airline Flybe [Link] cruise line industry was hard hit, and several train stations and ferry ports have also been closed.
International mail between some countries stopped or was delayed due to reduced transportation between them or
suspension of domestic service.
❖ The retail sector has been impacted globally, with reductions in store hours or temporary closures. Visits to retailers in
Europe and Latin America declined by 40 percent. North America and Middle East retailers saw a 50–60 percent drop.
❖ Hundreds of millions of jobs could be lost globally. More than 40 million Americans lost their jobs and filed unemployment
insurance claims. The economic impact and mass unemployment caused by the pandemic has raised fears of a mass
eviction crisis.
❖ According to the World Bank, up to 100 million more people globally could fall into extreme poverty due to the
[Link] International Labour Organization (ILO) informed that the income generated in the first nine months of
2020 from work across the world dropped by 10.7 per cent, or $3.5 trillion, amidst the COVID-19 outbreak.
 OTHER HEALTH ISSUES
49

❖ The pandemic has had many impacts on global health beyond those caused by the COVID-19 disease
itself. It has led to a reduction in hospital visits for other reasons. There have been 38 % fewer hospital
visits for heart attack symptoms in the United States and 40 per cent fewer in Spain. Shortages of medical
supplies have impacted people with various conditions.
❖ In several countries there has been a marked reduction of spread of sexually transmitted infections,
including HIV/AIDS, attributable to COVID-19 quarantines, social distancing measures, and
recommendations to not engage in casual sex.
❖ Similarly, in some places, rates of transmission of influenza and other respiratory viruses significantly
decreased during the pandemic.
❖ The pandemic has also negatively impacted mental health globally, including increased loneliness
resulting from social distancing and depression and domestic violence from [Link] of June 2020,
40% of U.S. adults were experiencing adverse mental health symptoms, with 11% having seriously
considered trying to kill themselves in the past month.
❖ Paying attention and taking measures to prevent mental health problems and post-traumatic stress
syndrome, particularly in women, is already a need.
 50

Management
steps
 Precautionary 5
Steps 1

❖ The first responses of the government of India to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country
involved thermal screenings of passengers arriving from China, as well as of
passengers arriving from other countries.
❖ As the pandemic spread worldwide, the Indian government recommended social
distancing measures
and also initiated travel and entry restrictions. Throughout March 2020, several
shutdowns and business closures were initiated by State government.
❖ By the end of the month, the Prime Minister announced a complete 21-day lockdown
for the entire
nation, banning people to move out of their houses. This act, thus, severely restricted
the community spread of the virus.
❖ The Government Divided the entire nation into three zones – Green Zone, Red Zone,
Orange Zone.
Relaxations would be allowed accordingly.
 Informative 5
2
Steps
❖ To curb the growing panic and to distribute viable information, the government
provides authentic information on the virus, its spread, preventions, guidelines,
helpline numbers, registered cases, death toll, etc. on the Ministry of Health’s official
website.
❖ The government introduced the Aarogya Setu mobile application to educate citizens
about novel coronavirus and help them make informed decisions amid the crisis.
❖ PM Modi asked the citizens to follow seven steps to help in the fight against
coronavirus, "Use
homemade masks, Take care of elderly people, Protect jobs, Help the poor and needy,
follow the guidelines set by Ministry of AYUSH to improve immunity and download the
Aarogya Setu app to track your health.”
❖ Several initiatives were taken by government through tv-commercials ,posters,
stickers and
announcements at public places to aware people to wash their hands, wear mask
properly and maintain social distance.
 Medical 5
3
Steps
❖ The government has designated 72 centres across the country for the diagnosis and
treatment of COVID-19. As per the WHO estimate, there should be 3 beds/1,000 people
while India has only 0.7 beds/1,000 people. Thus, to provide for more isolation wards,
the government converted 20,000+ railway coaches,banquet halls, hotels into
isolation stations.
❖ The Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) has taken various measures to ensure the
availability of
essential drugs at reasonable prices during the COVID-19 pandemic
❖ The laboratory network is continuously being strengthened. From a situation of a single
laboratory equipped to undertake testing for COVID in January, by the end of
December, 2288 laboratories (as on 30th December 2020) are conducting COVID-19
Testing.
❖ Today India has an indigenous production capacity of more than 10 lakh kits/day.
❖ A three-tier arrangement of health facilities was created for appropriate management
of COVID-19 cases .Tertiary care hospitals under ESIC, Defence, Railways, paramilitary
forces, Steel Ministry etc. have been leveraged for case management.
 Medical Steps 54
(Continued)
❖ A total of 15,378 COVID treatment facilities with 12,67,127 dedicated isolation bed
without O2 have been created. Also, a total of 2,70,710 oxygen supported isolation
beds and 81,113 ICU beds (including 40,627 ventilator beds) have been created.
Constant monitoring of the disease trend, analysis of available infrastructure and
planning in advance for the future has averted a major crisis as was faced by many
developed countries. In addition, a total of 12,669 quarantine centres with 5,91,496
beds have been created.
❖ Provisions for investigational therapies were also made for using Remdesivir,
Convalescent plasma and
Tocilizumab for managing severe cases under close medical supervision.
❖ Weekly webinars
Ayushman Bharatare being organized
:Ayushman by AIIMS toofguide
Bharat comprises two these State level on crucial
components:
clinical issues that doctors may require guidance on managing COVID cases.
The first component pertains to creation of 1,50,000 Health and Wellness Centres
(AB-HWCs)
upgrading theby Sub Health Centres (SHCs) and rural and urban Primary Health Centres
(PHCs),and
urban in both
rural areas, which will bring health care closer to the
community.
 Medical Steps 5
(Continued) 5

The second component is the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan ArogyaYojana(AB-

PMJAY). Under Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), around
10.74 crore poor and vulnerable families identified as per Socio-Economic Caste
Census are entitled for health cover of Rs.
5.00 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.
❖ The government is also providing medical insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh per person to
health workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic and also a ₹150 billion (US$2.1
billion) aid for the healthcare sector. This money would be used for developing testing
facilities, PPEs, ICUs, Ventilators and for training medical workers.
❖ Meanwhile, the centre had also ramped up steps to develop a vaccine for the
[Link] 16 January
2021 India started its national vaccination programme against the SARS-CoV-2 virus
which has caused the COVID-19 pandemic. The drive prioritises healthcare workers
and frontline workers, and then those over the age of 60, and then those over the age
of 45 and suffering from certain comorbidities.
 Financial 56
Steps
❖ The Prime Minister, in an address to the nation, said that the coronavirus crisis should
be seen as an opportunity, laying emphasis on domestic products and "economic
self-reliance", creation of an Atma Nirbhar Bharat (Self-reliant India) through Atma
Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.
❖ He announced a 20 trillion rupees stimulus package, equivalent to 10% of India's GDP,
which was laid
out in detail by the Finance Minister in a series of tranches.
❖ During the COVID-19 pandemic in India, Finance Minister announced a ₹1.70 Lakh
Crore($24 billion) relief package under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana for the
poor.
❖ ₹500 each to 19.86 crore women Jan Dhan account holders
❖ LPG cylinders to be provided to 8 crore poor families for the next three months free of
cost.
❖ ₹1,000 for senior citizens to tide over difficulties during next three months.
❖ As of 11 April, ₹28,256 crores($4 billion) were disbursed through PMGKY to nearly 32
crore beneficiaries.
❖ Rs 50,000-Crore in Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan For returnee migrant workers .
 Financial Steps 5
(Continued) 7
❖ The government said it plans to set up a chain of 20 lakh retail shops called ‘Suraksha
Stores’ across India which will provide daily essentials to citizens while maintaining
stringent safety norms, news agency PTI reported.
❖ Earlier this week, the finance ministry announced that it will make an immediate
release of Rs 18,000
crore in tax refunds to individuals and businesses.
❖ The government has also released around Rs 30,000 crore in assistance to various
sections of the [Link] government said it will release 12 million MT of food grain
during the April-June quarter under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana amid the
Covid-19 crisis.
❖ Under the PM-KISAN scheme, the finance ministry said that over 6 crore farmers have
been benefited
amid the lockdown. Rs 13,855 crore have gone towards payment of the first
instalment of PM-KISAN.
❖ Wages under MGNREGA to be hiked to Rs 202 from Rs 182. The move would bring in Rs
2,000 in addition to workers.
❖ Under a special provision, the government had announced that individuals could now
withdraw three
months salary from Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) account amid the coronavirus
crisis. The EPF withdrawals have been exempt from service charge.
 Engineers as Social Servant during Covid - 19
58
1. ITALY'S REVERSE-ENGINEERED 3D-PRINTED VENTILATORS
When one Italian hospital ran out of valves for crucial respiratory
machines,
local manufacturers stepped in to 3D print replacements That's why a group of
volunteers in Italy, including Massimo Temporelli, decided to help out by
making 3D-printed versions of the sorely-needed item. Despite the
possibility
of being sued by the medical technology company that manufactures a
specific ventilator, the volunteers reverse-engineered the piece that was
required and were able to print it in a matter of hours to help save
lives.
2. THE SNORKELING MASK VENTILATOR The engineers shared a 3D
printed design for an adapter that converts snorkel masks into
ventilators.
Through the use of the adapter, a converted "Easybreath'' snorkel mask
becomes a functional C-PAP mask for oxygen therapy — a treatment that is
critical for the recovery of people with severe cases of COVID-
19.
 59

3. AT UW-MADISON, CONTACTLESS THERMOMETER HELPS

MONITOR STUDENT HEALTH Lennon Rodgers, created a prototype
“contactless” thermometer by borrowing the sensor from a commercially
available thermometer and adding a microcontroller and distance sensor
controlled by open-source code. Now, devices based on that initial design are
helping UW–Madison students monitor their COVID-19 symptoms.

4. THE BADGER SEAL Whether homemade or commercially manufactured,

breathable cloth and disposable face masks fit everybody differently, leaving
gaps at the top, sides, bottom—or any combination thereof—that could allow
virus particles to escape. Now, a team of University of Wisconsin–Madison
engineers has developed a simple and inexpensive do-it-yourself fitter that
ensures a tighter mask seal around the wearer’s nose, mouth and face. Known as
the Badger Seal, the mask fitter is a soft, adjustable “frame” with elastic worn
either as ear loops or behind the head. With readily available materials, such as
elastic cord, foam wire or pipe cleaners, the fitter is easy to make at home in
minutes. When worn over non-medical-grade disposable masks, the Badger Seal
significantly improves the masks’ filtration performance.
 Aarogya Setu Mobile App - Tracking COVID-
60
19
In the fight against COVID-19 in India, the Government launched a mobile application Aarogya Setu to connect essential health
services with the citizens of India.

A tracking app that uses GPS and Bluetooth features of smartphones to track the infection. It helps in determining whether the
person has been in close contact with any other infected person or not.

The government has launched the app in 11 different languages (Now 12). Through Aarogya Setu people will be able to know or
track the infection in close vicinity more accurately and effectively. The mobile app has been developed by the National
Informatics Centre (NIC) that comes under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

The Aarogy Setu is developed keeping in mind the following

objectives:
1. To spread awareness of the novel Coronavirus outbreak among Indian citizens.
2. To augment the Government of India’s initiatives, particularly the Department of Health, in proactively reaching out to
the users and informing them about the risks, best practices and relevant advisories relating to the containment of
COVID-19.
3. To establish a connection between the government and the people of India for health services, facilities and updates
from the health ministry nationally and state-wise.
Apple and Google are forming a united front to leverage smartphones to track
COVID-19 cases 6
1
On April 10, the tech giants jointly announced they are collaborating on an API and a platform that will work across both iOS
and Android smartphones to help track COVID-19 exposures and warn people who may have been exposed to the novel
coronavirus.
The new API will be rolling out in May and will be followed by a broader Bluetooth-based contact tracing platform. The API
will
facilitate interoperability between various public health apps on iOS and Android. The Bluetooth tracing platform will be opt-in
and will provide a more robust solution that allows people to be notified if they’ve been potentially exposed to COVID-19.

Both companies have made clear that they’re committed to preserving privacy in this effort. The tracing platform does not collect
identifying user information or location data, it does not share your contacts with any external devices or servers, and it
maintains
the anonymity of those who test positive for the
disease.
The platform will ping the phone of anyone you’ve physically interacted with using an anonymous beacon (both of you must
opt
in first). Anyone that tests positive for COVID-19 can opt to enter their test results into an app provided by a public
health
authority. Once this is done the platform will search for the beacons of anyone you’ve come into close contact with (up to 14
days) and anonymously notify them that they have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 as well as
instructions on how to take appropriate action.
Google has provided graphics outlining how the bluetooth platform
will work 62
63
 64

Ethical
Issues
 China Deceived the 65

WHO
On January, WHO declared preliminary
investigations conducted by the Chinese
authorities have found no clear evidence of
human-to-human transmission of the novel
coronavirus and on the same day chinese
Government declared the possibility of limited
human-to-human transmission.
It took another week for the WHO to declare the
spread of the virus a global health emergency—
during which time Dr. Tedros Adhanom
Ghebreyesus, the WHO’s director-general, visited
China and praised the country’s leadership for
“setting a new standard for outbreak response.”
Another month and a half went by before the
WHO called COVID-19 a pandemic, at which point
the virus had killed more than 4,000 people, and
had infected 118,000 people across nearly every
continent.
 Boycotts of Chinese 66
products
There have been campaigns advocating for a boycott of
products made in China. Commonly cited reason for
government's
boycotting mismanagement
China include the of the COVID-19
pandemic.
Forced into quarantine and self-isolation due to the
deadly virus,
people are calling for revocation of China’s position as a
permanent
member of the UN Security Council, and are also
Even US President
demanding that the Donald Trump and senior members
of his
country pay compensation to other countries infected
administration
by the virus. have been referring to Covid-19 as the
‘Chinese virus’.
In order to curb the stigma against China, UNESCO also
clarified that
“viruses have no nationality” and that the “fight against
coronavirus
needs science and not
stigma”.
 Covid 'hate crimes' against Asian 6
7
Americans
Covid 'hate crimes' against Asian Americans on
rise

An elderly Thai immigrant dies after being shoved

to the ground. A Filipino-American is slashed in
the face with a box cutter. A Chinese woman is
slapped and then set on fire.

Advocates and activists say these are hate crimes,

and often linked to rhetoric that blames Asian
people for the spread of Covid-19.
 Second 68
Wave
The first wave of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19)
appears
to be receding for the first time across the
country after
october [Link] 16 January 2021 India started its
national
vaccination programme against the SARS-CoV-2 virus
which
“Caution
has causedfatigue' lead to pandemic.
the COVID-19 COVID spike.
ThenSurge in
why this
COVID-19
second
cases in Delhi, Maharashtra as people not following
protocols
Wave?
properly: AIIMS
professor.
 Political Rallies:it’s poll over 69
people
The alarming surge in Covid-19 cases in India can
be blamed largely on Prime Minister Narendra
Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, and their
reckless messaging through overcrowded,
unmasked election rallies.
Of course, all political rallies — whether
addressed by Modi, Shah, other BJP leaders or by
their opposition like Mamata Banerjee and Rahul
Gandhi — are problematic. And politicians across
party lines need to share the blame.
The EC had warned political parties of strict
action, including banning rallies and meetings, if
Covid-19 norms are not followed. The
commission, in its letter, pointed out specific
instances of candidates, star campaigners and
other leaders who did not wear masks and
flouted norms.
After that also,no one cares about EC Covid
warning & rallies continue as usual.
 No Plan TO end Kumbh Mela despite rise in second wave 70

People participating in the ongoing Kumbh Mela in Haridwar

were seen openly flouting Covid-19 protocol. The state
administration said it's trying its best, but there are limitations
in handling such large gatherings, and enforcing social
distancing is very challenging.
No masks, no social distancing and Covid-19 protocol tossed
away. This was the scene at the Haridwar Kumbh Mela on
Monday as nearly 31 lakh people thronged to the Kumbh Mela
for a holy dip in river Ganga at Haridwar Har Ki Pauri.

Why the two religious events should not be equated

(Nizamuddin Markaz and Kumbh) as Kumbh also draws
crowds and could strengthen the second wave of the
coronavirus infection?
 Conclusion 7
1
We can't stop natural phenomena from happening. But we can make them less
damaging if we understand better why they happen, and what we can do to
prevent or mitigate them.
Since people are partly responsible for disasters happening, we have to
change what we are doing wrong, in order to avoid or reduce the impact of
natural phenomena.
Every community must get to know its own features and surroundings: the
natural environment as well as environment built by human beings. This is the
only way for a community to manage the hazards that surround it and to
reduce its own vulnerability to these hazards.

“ Don't be scared, be prepared!”