Natural Hazards and Disasters

The only gain from Hurricane Katrina could be

Read the passage and answer the question that follows.
Television News Programs have conveyed the havoc and the heartbreak caused by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and surrounding areas. Thousands are missing or dead, millions have been forced from their homes and billions of dollars worth of property has been destroyed. And a city with a rich history now finds most of its neighborhoods awash in contaminated water. The devastation is so great, the problems spilling into states outside Katrina's path seem trivial. But over the next several months, they are sure to take a toll as well. Among the most notable impacts is the reduced supply of gasoline, fuel oil and natural gas, which in turn increase the pressure for a more sensible national energy policy.
                      
The United States is heavily dependent on the Gulf for energy — it accounts for more than 25% of the oil and about 20% of the natural gas produced here, and its offshore facilities handle about 10% of the oil imports. The hurricane not only cut off nearly all the oil and gas production and the imports, it shut down eight major refineries and many important pipelines. One of those pipelines reopened Wednesday, but it remained unclear how long the rest of the Gulf's energy infrastructure would remain sidelined.

Gas stations reacted immediately, boosting prices in some areas well above \$3 per gallon. Although wholesale prices dropped back a bit Wednesday, some analysts predicted that most drivers would be paying \$3.50 per gallon within weeks. An extended run of record-high gasoline prices could be devastating to the economy, as higher energy bills force cutbacks in other spending. We may be able to dodge that bullet, though, if the administration and foreign suppliers can fill the gap in crude oil supplies and the Gulf refineries can be brought quickly back to life. The Bush administration has offered to loan oil companies crude from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and it tried to increase the supply of refined fuel by easing the air-quality requirements for gasoline sold outside California.

More insidious is the impact on natural gas, which fuels about 40% of the electricity generated in California. Wholesale prices have already jumped 16% in Southern California, and those increases are sure to be felt by anyone paying for air conditioning. The disruption of the Gulf drilling platforms and pipelines could mean that less natural gas will be stocked away for the winter, when the need is greatest. The country amassed a healthy surplus early this year, but most of that cushion has been consumed by power plants during the unusually hot summer months.

There's no quick fix for the looming problems with the supply of natural gas. Because there are so few places to stockpile liquid natural gas — only five in the United States — we cannot simply import the stuff from a foreign producer to replace what we're losing from the Gulf. Liquid natural gas storage facilities are controversial; a proposal to put one in Long Beach Harbor has drawn fierce resistance.

Directions: In the following questions each passage consists of six sentences. The first and the sixth sentences are given as S1 and S6. The middle four sentences have been removed and jumbled up. These are labelled P, Q, R and S. You are required to find out the proper sequence and choose the option.

S1. Floods are the most common natural disaster in India. P. Though they provide rice paddy farmers with a largely dependable source of natural irrigation and fertilisation, the floods can kill thousands and displace millions. Q. Almost all of India is flood-prone. R. The heavy southwest monsoon rains cause the Brahmaputra and other rivers to distend their banks, often flooding surrounding areas. S. Excess, erratic, or untimely monsoon rainfall may also wash away or otherwise ruin crops. S6. Thus, extreme precipitation events, such as flash floods and torrential rains, have become increasingly common in central India over the past several decades, coinciding with rising temperatures.

You are a District Collector who has been requested by your counterpart in an adjoining district to allow flood relief camps to be operated, as that district had been hit by floods. You allowed such camps to be erected in areas under your jurisdiction. Further, you also contributed in provision of basic amenities to the flood victims. Subsequently you receive complaints about theft and vandalism of property in areas around the camp. People are pointing fingers at the residents of the camp and want them to immediately return back to their homes as flood waters have abated. But the people in the camp are resisting this as roads leading to the district have been washed away and supply of food, medicine and other essential materials will not be restored immediately. In such a situation you would;