Natural Disasters in India Notes with PDF

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Tsunamis

• 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami
  • The Coromandel Coast was the worst-affected coast of India.
  • The Coromandel Coast is located in southeastern India, stretching from False Divi Point (Andhra Pradesh) in the north to Kanyakumari (TN) in the south.

• Tsunami Warning Systems
  • The Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC) is located in Hyderabad.
  • It was established in July 2005 at the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS).
  • INCOIS operates under the Earth System Science Organization (ESSO).

 Cyclones

• Cyclone Prone Areas & Causes
  • The east coast of India is more prone to cyclones than the west coast.
  • Cyclones are more frequent in the Bay of Bengal due to:
    • High sea surface temperatures.
    • Conical shape of the Bay of Bengal, which helps funnel cyclones northwards.
  • Cyclone seasons in India are typically May-June and mid-September to mid-December.
  • Tropical cyclones also occur during the monsoon season and October-November.
  • A key factor for tropical cyclones in May is local temperature variation.

 Earthquakes & Seismic Zones

• Seismic Zoning of India

• • India is divided into four seismic risk zones (Zone II, III, IV, and V) by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
  • Zone V has the highest seismic risk.
  • Zone II has the lowest seismic risk. (Zone I was merged with Zone II in 2002)
  • The Himalayan region has the highest concentration of seismic zones due to longitudinal thrust zones and the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.

• Specific Seismic Areas
  • The Koyna region (Maharashtra) is earthquake-prone due to Reservoir-Induced Seismicity (the Koyna Dam is located on Donichawadi fault plane).

Note: Karnataka Plateau is not in a high seismic intensity zone.

• Cities and their Seismic Zones:
  • Zone V (Very High Risk): Bhuj, Srinagar
  • Zone II (Low Risk): Hyderabad, Chennai

 Floods & Droughts

• Flood-Prone Regions

• • The plains of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are highly susceptible to floods.
  • The frequency of floods in the North Indian plains has increased due to a reduction in river valley depth from silt deposition.
  • Uttar Pradesh Specific: The Eastern area is the maximum flood-affected region. Nearly half of the total flood-affected areas in the state fall within the high flood zone.
  • Assam, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, and Gujarat along with north eastern states are prone to floods.
  • Sometimes Tamil Nadu experiences flooding during November to January due to the retreating monsoon.
• Drought-Prone Regions
  • Mid-Eastern India (e.g., Jharkhand, Northern Odisha)
  • West & Central India

 Landslides

• The frequency of landslides has increased in the Himalayas.

 Disaster Management Infrastructure

• Meteorological Department
  • The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) was established in 1875.
  • Its headquarters are on Lodhi Road, New Delhi.
  • It functions under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
• Training & Forecasting
  • The Flood Forecast & Warning Organization was set up in 1969 under the Central Water Commission.
  • The first Disaster Management Training Institute in India was established in Latur, Maharashtra.

 State-wise Disaster Vulnerability

• Odisha faces the maximum number of natural disasters, being prone to cyclones, floods, and droughts.
• Bihar is the most flood-prone state.

 Climatology

• Monsoons & Rainfall Patterns
  • • Western Disturbances are the cause of rainfall during winter in the north-western part of India.
    • They originate in the Mediterranean region.

Know More About Natural Disasters in India:

• Natural Disasters in India – Old Year Questions
• Natural Disasters in India One Liner Questions & Answers