Basics of Disaster Management - 1.Disaster

What is a Disaster ?

Disasters are not new to mankind. They are as old as the human history.

 Etymology:

The term disaster owes its origin to the French word “Desastre” which is a combination of two words ‘des’ meaning bad and ‘aster’ meaning star. Thus the term refers to ‘Bad or Evil star’.

 Definition:

The Disaster Management Act, 2005 defines a disaster as -

“a catastrophe, mishap, calamity or grave occurrence in any area, arising from natural or man-made causes, or by accident or negligence which results in substantial loss of life or human suffering or damage to, and destruction of, property, or damage to, or degradation of, environment, and is of such a nature or magnitude as to be beyond the coping capacity of the community of the affected area”.

 The United Nations defines disaster as -

“the occurrence of sudden or major misfortune which disrupts the basic fabric and normal functioning of the society or community”.

A Disaster is a sudden catastrophic event that causes great damage to life and property.

1. It can be Natural or Man-made.

2. It disrupts the natural function of society.

3. It causes damage to property and loss of life.

4. It affects a large number of people.

5. It affects society to such an extent that external aid becomes necessary to compensate the losses.

Classification:

Disasters can be broadly divided into:

• Natural Disasters
• Man-made/ Human-made Disasters

Natural Disasters are the consequences or effects of natural hazards on human life.

Eg: Earthquakes, Cyclones, Floods, etc

Man-made disasters are also known as anthropogenic disasters. They occur as a result of human actions, errors, or as a result of failed systems.

Eg: Fire Accidents, Environmental Pollution, rail and road accidents, Chemical/Industrial accidents, bomb blasts, political unrest, wars, etc.

Types of Disasters in India:

High Power Committee on Disaster Management was constituted in 1999 under J.C Pant. It identified 31 types of disasters and sub-divided them into 5 groups. After the 2004 Tsunami in the Indian Ocean, Tsunami was added to this list taking the total number of disasters to 32.

Types of disasters as divided by them are :

A. Water & Climate Related Disaster:

1. Flood

2. Cyclone

3. Tornado

4. Hailstorm

5. Cloud Burst

6. Thunderstorm & Lightning

7. Snow avalanches

8. Heat & Cold wave

9. Coastal Sea Erosion

10.Drought

11.Tsunami

B. Geologically Related Disasters:

1. Landslides and Mudflows

2. Earthquakes

3. Dam failures/ Dam Bursts

4. Mine Fire

C. Climate, Industrial & Nuclear Related Disasters:

1. Chemical & Industrial Disasters

2. Nuclear Disasters

D. Accident Related Disasters:

1. Forest Fire

2. Urban Fire

3. Mine Flooding

4. Oil-Spill

5. Major Building Collapse

6. Serial Bomb Blasts

7. Festival Related Disasters

8. Electrical disasters and Fires

9. Air, Road and Rail Accidents

10.Boat Capsizing

11.Village Fire