UNIT IV
11. DISASTERS AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN INDIA
Disasters are a great challenge to mankind. Disasters have increased in frequency and intensity. It includes earthquakes, floods, cyclones, landslides, droughts, forest fire and accident. Human causalities happen more in developing countries. Forty-eight percent of deaths are due to natural disasters. Asia has the highest toll from disasters. India is more prone to disasters due to its long coastline, snow-covered peaks, overflowing rivers and high density of population. Northern India has more seismic regions; Eastern India suffers a lot due to floods; Western India is badly effected by long periods of drought; the southern Zone faces the danger of cyclones, tsunami, etc. There are man-made disasters also. The Bhopal Gas Tragedy is an example. Among the recent major disasters in India are the Gujarat Earthquake (2001), Mumbai – Gujarat floods (2005), tsunami (2004), Uttarkhand flood and hurricane in Andhra (2013). Lack of master plan and use of bad materials make building construction unsafe. One million buildings are constructed damaged in India every year. Disaster management committees function in the state and central governments. Rehabilitation is an integral part of disaster management. Psychological traumas are sometimes severe after disasters. It is the responsibility of the government to bring speedy relief to the victims. The rescue team should be especially skilled and well-equipped.
12. THE SERANG OF RANAGANJI
The author was in the old ship, Ranaganji, travelling to Calcutta. The Chief Officers were Englishmen but the crew Indians. The author was the physician. The passengers were tourists and Anglo-Indian army officers and their families. Miss Jope smith happened to see one of the seamen, Hasan, the Quarter Master of the ship. She amusingly noticed the ugly appearance of the Serang who had short legs and a large disproportionate head and spoke insultingly. The next morning Hasan met Dr. Croning in the surgery and informed him that two seamen were sick. He was shocked to realize that they had contracted small pox. The captain asked the author to deal with the situation entirely on his own responsibility. The matter should be kept with utmost secrecy. There was no room to the patients. The bold and confident Hasan made a canvas shelter on the deck. Hasan attended them. The next morning, he brought three more patients into shelter. By evening the number increased to ten. Hasan helped the doctors to sponge the patients. He also set up a secret cooking area. The author was tired with heavy responsibility. The nearest port was eight days away. They were to attend fourteen patients by that time. Soon two died. Hasan wrapped in sail cloths and chanting passages from the Ramayana buried them under the sea.
The author wondered at the sacrificing attitude of that ugly little man. When the doctor expressed his desire to get a cash award and promotion for the serang, he calmly said, “Doctor sahib, what is the use of money? I ‘m well enough the way I am”. The remaining patients were recovering and they were transferred to hospitals in Colombo. No fresh cases were reported. When Miss Job – Smith asked whether the doctor had kept the ‘ugly serang’ in a cage during the voyage, the doctor replied sarcastically, that if it was so, then all the animals were outside the cage.
13. THE WRECK OF THE TITANIC
The Titanic, the largest and grandest ship started her first voyage from Southampton. She was a poem of iron and steel. The thousands on board felt very secure. She was the best ship man ever made. Suddenly a huge iceberg hit and the ship shivered. The people knew that the ship was sinking. Captain Smith, the brave man, told his crew to be British and do their duty. England, Ereland, Scotland and Wales proved their courage and sent women and children in the lifeboats to safety. The crew had no hope of saving themselves. The Titanic sank as the band played ‘Nearer my God to thee’. It was indeed a grand scene. This ship was sinking? But the band was playing. They once again remind us of the heroes of Trafalgar, the thrilling story of Alamo, the battle of Waterloo, the carge of ‘The Light Brigade’, Jim Bludso courageous act. Along with all these stories of bravery, the story of the crew of the Titanic will be remembered for ever.
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