Tag: precautions for natural disasters

The Ganga Basin gets flooded mostly in the northern part by its northern tributaries. The badly affected states of the Ganga basin are West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

Besides the Ganga, rivers like Sharada, Rapti, Gandak and Ghaghra cause flood in eastern part of Uttar Pradesh. The Yamuna is famous for flooding Haryana and Delhi. Bihar experiences massive dangerous floods every year. River Burhi, Bagmati, Gandak, Kamla along with many small rivers contribute to that. In West Bengal, rivers like Mahananda, Bhagirathi, Damodar, Ajay etc. causes floods because of tidal effects and insufficient river channels.

The Damodar River is historically known as the Sorrow of Bengal due to its devastating floods in the West Bengal region. Other rivers like the Kosi are known as the Sorrow of Bihar.

Bihar is India's most flood-prone state, with 76% population in the North Bihar living under the recurring threat of flood devastation. Bihar makes up 16.5% of India's flood-affected area and 22.1% of India's flood affected population

In the absence of adequate rainfall, most part of Bihar including North Bihar which is prone to floods face drought situations. South and southwest Bihar are more vulnerable and often experiences severe drought situations. Districts of Munger, Nawada, Rohtas, Bhojpur, Aurangabad, and Gaya are the known drought-prone areas of the state.

The National Flood Control Programme in India was launched in 1954 to systematically address the recurring problem of floods across various river basins in the country.

All listed actions are recommended safety measures during flood situations. Preparing personal items, ensuring children are fed, and being cautious of snakes are standard safety protocols.

Taking shelter near large trees or hoardings is dangerous during a cyclone due to the risk of them falling or being uprooted by high winds. This is a clear 'what not to do' action.

Eating food prepared with flood water is dangerous because flood water is contaminated with pathogens, sewage, and chemicals. Drinking boiled water and keeping dry items in plastic bags are actually recommended safety practices during floods.

Drip irrigation is a form of irrigation that saves water and fertilizer by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of many different plants, either onto the soil surface or directly onto the root zone, through a network of valves, pipes, tubing, and emitters. It is done through narrow tubes that deliver water directly to the base of the plant. It is chosen instead of surface irrigation for various reasons, often including concern about minimizing evaporation.

Drip irrigation is used in farms, commercial greenhouses, and residential gardeners. Drip irrigation is adopted extensively in areas of acute water scarcity and especially for crops and trees such as coconuts, containerized landscape trees, grapes, bananas, pandey, eggplant, citrus, strawberries, sugarcane, cotton, maize, and potatoes.

Never try to walk or swim through flowing water. Don’t go for tour in sea during flooding. If flowing water is above your ankles, then stop and turn around and go another way. If it is moving swiftly, water 6 inches deep can knock you off your feet. Be aware that people have been swept away wading through flood waters.

Turn off utilities at the main switches or valves if instructed to do so. Disconnect electrical appliances. Do not touch electrical equipment if you are wet or standing in water. Avoid floodwaters; water may be contaminated by oil, gasoline, or raw sewage. Water may also be electrically charged from underground or downed power lines.