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Here is an essay on ‘Natural Calamities’ for class 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12. Find paragraphs, long and short essays
on ‘Natural Calamities’ especially written for school and college students.
Essay Contents:
1. Essay on the Meaning of Natural Calamities
2. Essay on the Types of Natural Calamities
3. Essay on the Crisis Relief Plan for Natural Calamities
4. Essay on the Procedure for Extending Financial Assistance to States During Natural Calamities
5. Essay on the District Level Response to Natural Calamities
6. Essay on the Effective Implementation of Relief Measures in the Wake of Natural Calamities
Natural calamities are the calamities which are inflicted by God, or Nature, or man and his world. At these
calamities, the unseen hand wreaks havoc in the part of the world it chooses to act upon. On these natural
activities of nature no scientific or technological developments can wield any control.
They can occur as and when and where ordains it. Natural calamities can be of many different kinds, but the
similarly in all, is their massive destruction in the area of their occurrence. The natural disasters are of many
kinds, they are drought and famine, flood, earthquake, hailstrom and a cyclone.
In the wake of all these, in one sweep there is complete devastation and destruction, due to which normal life
comes to a standstill. Loss of life is well nigh complete, and belongings of people get lost, blown away or swept
away. The scene is one of the awe, of some unknown power that appears to wreak some revenge on the people of
the area.
One feels that, there will never again be life in the area, there will never again come up any construction in the
area. But, nature plays its part in this also, and even after the most ghastly disaster, life has come up blooming as
ever as before in areas of such devastation.
Drought, on the other hand, spans over a much longer time-frame and its adverse impact on the economic
activities and life of an area is of a more lasting nature. The measures required to meet the threats posed by
different calamities, therefore, differ considerably in terms of disaster preparedness and amelioration of the
economic and social life of the affected people.
Minor calamities like: hailstorms, avalanches, landslides and fires also occur without any appreciable degree of
forewarning and cause damage to properties and lives. However, areas prone to such disasters also could be
identified and certain precautionary measures taken in the context of potential threat requiring general awareness
and an ability to relate to a predefined system of appropriate responses on the part of the local administration.
The Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC) in the Agriculture Ministry is the Nodal Department for
all matters concerning natural calamities relief at the centre. In the DAC, the Relief Commissioner functions at
the nodal officer to coordinate relief operations for all natural calamities.
i. Relief Commissioner:
The Relief Commissioner will be assisted in the discharge of his duties by the Additional Relief Commissioner and
an Emergency Operations Centre (Control Room) in the DAC. The Control Room will function full scale round the
clock after receipt of first information about the occurrence of a major natural calamity for the period specified by
the Relief Commissioner for dealing effectively with the crisis arising out of a natural calamity.
Control Room:
The present arrangements in the DAC for receiving massages outside office hours are by way of a Night Duty Cell
and a telex facility, once a major natural calamity occurs, a Control Room with full complement of staff for round
the clock functioning will be brought into operation.
The Control Room is intended to be the nerve centre of all emergencies and will, therefore, be adequately
equipped and optimally located. Immediately on the occurrence of a major natural calamity, the members of the
Crisis Management Group (CMG) and the Control Room first shift functionaries (duly identified in advance)
required for full scale functioning of the Control Room will be got assembled.
The duty officer of the Control Room will be an official of sufficient maturity to grasp the seriousness or otherwise
of the information reports and convey to the Agriculture Secretary/Relief Commissioner/ Additional Relief
Commissioner accordingly.
Control Room:
The personnel manning the full scale Control Room would be drawn from the DAC for emergency duties. The
officers in charge of night duty and telex facility and also control room staff shall be given advance briefing and
training in the tasks to be performed by them. There will be sufficient sets of telephone lines and wireless
equipment’s available to the control room as also transport.
II. Keep close contact with the Govt. of the States affected by a calamity;
III. Interact with other Central Ministries/Departments in connection with natural calamities and relief;
IV. Maintain records containing all relevant information relating to action points and contact points in Central
Ministries/Departments/State Governments; and
V. Perform such other functions and duties as may be entrusted by the Relief Commissioner;
The Control Room on receipt of the first information with regard to occurrence of any major
natural calamity will immediately transmit the information to the following:
1. Secretary to the Governor
5. Cabinet Secretary
8. Secretary, Power
The first information report and the subsequent periodical reports generated by the Control Room will also be
sent to the officers indicated by the Relief Commissioner from time to time.
Traditionally, relief in the wake of natural calamities has been treated as the primary responsibility of the States.
Successive Finance Commissions have also reiterated this position. Even though the States are primarily
responsible for relief activities, the Central Government associates itself with measures aimed at ameliorating the
sufferings of the people on account of natural calamities.
Towards this end, the Central Government, with its resources, physical and financial does provide the needed
help and assistance to buttress relief efforts in the wake of major natural calamities.
The dimensions of the response at the level of National Government are determined in
accordance with the existing policy of financing the relief expenditure and keeping in view the
factors like:
(i) The gravity of a natural calamity,
(iii) The requirements of central assistance for augmenting the financial resources at the disposal of the State
Government.
Types of Response:
The Central response can be:
(i) Policy response, and
(b) To sub-serve long term and short term policy objectives of the Government.
(b) The need for an assessment of the situation and for a central response;
(b) Activating the administrative machinery for assisting in relief measures; and
(c) Setting up a machinery for implementing, reviewing and monitoring of relief measures.
The administrative response at the Central Government level would broadly relate to:
(i) Operational requirements; and
The primary relief functions of the Central Government would relate to:
1. Forecasting and operation of warning system;
3. Wide publicity to warnings of impending calamity, disaster preparedness and relief measures through TV, AIR
and Newspapers;
4. Transport with particular reference to evacuation and movement of essential commodities and petroleum
products;
5. Ensuring availability of essential commodities at reasonable prices particularly the commodities through the
Public Distribution System;
The secondary functions of the Central Government which supplement the States relief efforts,
would relate to:
1. Flood/inflow forecasts from the Central Water Commission;
3. Contingency plans for crops, cattle preservation nutrition and health measures;
5. Technical assistance in the water budgeting and water management for various uses;
Essay # 4. Procedure for Extending Financial Assistance to States During Natural Calamities:
The present scheme of financing the relief expenditure arising out of natural calamities has come into force w.e.f.
1st April, 1990, consequent upon the acceptance of the recommendations of the Ninth Finance Commission.
Under this scheme, a Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) is constituted for each state with certain amount allocated to
each state.
75% of this amount is to be contributed by the Central Government in four quarterly installments and the balance
256 is to be provided by the State Governments from its own resources. Following the constitution of the CRF, it
is the responsibility of the State Government to meet all expenditure arising out of the natural calamities.
The Chief Secretary/Relief Commissioner may also co-opt on the Group, depending upon the
requirements of the situation, one or more of the following persons:
1. Sub Area Commander/Section Commander
5. Representative of Meteorological Department officer-in-charge, Cyclone Warning Centre, CWC and Flood
Forecasting Organisations.
SCMG Responsibilities:
The SCMG will, take into consideration the instructions and guidance received, from time to time, from the
Government of India and formulate action plans for dealing with different natural calamities. The SCMG will also
have the district level plans for relief formulated by Collectors! Deputy Commissioners.
2. Receiving instructions and communicating to the appropriate agencies, for immediate action;
3. Collection and submission of information relating to implementation of relief measures to the Central Relief
Commissioner; and
4. Keeping the State level authorities apprised of the developments on a continuing basis.
Contingency Plans:
At the district level, the disaster relief plans shall provide for specific tasks and agencies for their implementation
in respect of the areas given in Annexure in relation to different types of calamities.
A contingency plan for the district far different disasters shall be drawn up by the Collector/ Deputy
Commissioner and got approved by the State Government. The Collector/Deputy Commissioner should also
coordinate and secure the input from the local defence forces unit in preparation of the contingency plans. These
Contingency plans must lay down specific action points key personnel and contact points in relation to mail
aspects.
Coordination:
The Collector shall maintain Close liaison with the Central Government authorities in the districts, namely, Army,
Air Force and Navy, Ministry of Water Resources etc., who could supplement the effort of the district
administration in the rescue and relief operations.
The Collector/Deputy Commissioner shall take all steps for enlistment of voluntary efforts and channelising the
non-Government organisations response to natural calamities.
The Collector shall closely interact with different implementation agencies and furnish information on a daily
basis to the State Relief Commissioner on the implementation of rescue and relief measures.
When a situation is to be handled also by the NCMC, it will give such directions to the Crisis Management Group
of the Ministry as deemed necessary. The Secretary (A&C) will be responsible for ensuring that all developments
are brought to the notice of the NCMC promptly.
3. A representative of PMO.
4. Joint Secretaries in the Ministries/Depts. of Finance, Food, Civil Supplies, Power, Urban Development, Rural
Development, Health, Petroleum, Planning Commission and Deptt. of Women & Child Dev.
5. Director General, India Meteorological Department.
6. Senior officers of the Ministry of Railways/Railway Board and Ministry of Water Resources.
8. A senior officer from the Ministry of Transport dealing with road communication
The Resident Commissioners of the States affected by major natural calamity may be coopted on the CMG during
the period of crisis.
The names, addresses of office and residence telephone Nos. of all the members will be maintained by the Scarcity
Relief Division and the Control Room.
CMG-Meeting:
The CMG will meet atleast twice in a year in the months of December/January and May/ June and as often as
may be required by the Relief Commissioner. The CMG will meet in the Chamber of Relief Commissioner in
Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi unless otherwise indicated.
3. Coordinate the activities of the Central Ministries and the State Governments in relation to disaster
preparedness and relief, and
4. Obtain information from the Nodal officers on measures relating to the above.
The nodal officer of each Ministry/Department would be responsible for the formulation of a Detailed Action Plan
(DAP) clearly laying down the channel and manner of interaction, between agencies engaged in these functions,
details of the contact points, and the specific measures and time-frames for their implementation.
The specific action plan of individual Ministry/Department shall be submitted to the Central Relief
Commissioner. The CMG will review these action plans every year and get them updated from time to time.