Major Disasters in India — Set 10
Disaster Management · भारत में प्रमुख आपदाएं · Questions 91–100 of 160
Landslides in India cause approximately how many deaths per year on average?
Correct Answer: B. 400-600
Landslides in India cause approximately 400-600 deaths per year on average, with significantly higher casualties in disaster years. India accounts for approximately 30% of global landslide-related fatalities, making it one of the most landslide-affected countries. The northeastern states and Himalayan states are most affected, with monsoon-triggered landslides accounting for the majority of deaths.
Which organization provides tsunami early warnings for the North Indian Ocean region?
Correct Answer: B. INCOIS
INCOIS (Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services) is the designated Tsunami Service Provider for the North Indian Ocean and provides tsunami early warnings for the region including India's coastline. INCOIS is located in Hyderabad and operates under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. It maintains a network of sensors and real-time monitoring systems to detect potential tsunami-generating events.
Which natural disaster killed the most people in the 20th century in India?
Correct Answer: B. Bengal Famine 1943
The Bengal Famine of 1943 killed an estimated 2-3 million people in undivided Bengal (now West Bengal and Bangladesh), making it the deadliest disaster-related catastrophe in India in the 20th century. While technically not a natural disaster but a man-made famine worsened by British colonial policies, it falls within the broader disaster context. Among purely natural disasters, the 1999 Odisha Super Cyclone and 1935 Quetta earthquake (in present Pakistan) had the highest death tolls.
How many people were displaced by the 2018 Kerala Floods?
Correct Answer: C. 14 lakh
Approximately 14 lakh (1.4 million) people were displaced by the 2018 Kerala Floods and had to take shelter in over 1,500 relief camps across the state. The scale of displacement was unprecedented in Kerala's history and the relief operations involved massive coordination between government agencies, the military, and civilian volunteers. The 'fishermen's rescue mission' where thousands of fishermen from Kerala voluntarily deployed their boats for rescue became an iconic moment of civilian solidarity.
Which category of floods is associated with rivers in North Bihar connected to Nepal?
Correct Answer: C. Trans-boundary floods
Floods in North Bihar are primarily trans-boundary floods caused by rivers like the Kosi, Gandak, Bagmati, and Kamla that originate in Nepal and flow into India's Bihar plains. Nepal's topography, rainfall patterns, and land use changes directly affect flood levels in Bihar. The trans-boundary nature of these floods makes management complex, requiring bilateral cooperation between India and Nepal.
The Manipur earthquake of January 2016 measured approximately what on the Richter scale?
Correct Answer: B. 6.7
A 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck Manipur on January 4, 2016, killing approximately 8 people and causing significant damage to buildings. Manipur lies in Seismic Zone V, the highest risk zone in India's seismic zonation map. The earthquake was felt across the northeastern states and in Myanmar and was a reminder of the high seismic vulnerability of the Northeast India region.
The Wayanad landslide of July 2024 in Kerala killed approximately how many people?
Correct Answer: D. Over 400
The Wayanad landslide of July 30, 2024 killed over 400 people in Munnar area of Wayanad district, Kerala, making it one of the deadliest landslides in India's recent history. The disaster was triggered by extremely heavy monsoon rainfall that destabilized the steep hill slopes covered with tea plantations. The scale of the disaster prompted a major review of human settlements in landslide-prone areas of the Western Ghats.
The 1999 Odisha Super Cyclone was historically significant for exposing failures in which agency's warning systems?
Correct Answer: B. IMD (India Meteorological Department)
The 1999 Odisha Super Cyclone exposed significant failures in the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) forecasting and early warning dissemination systems. While the cyclone was tracked, warnings did not reach the vulnerable coastal population effectively, contributing to the catastrophic death toll of approximately 10,000. This disaster was a turning point that led to massive investment in IMD's infrastructure, doppler radar network, and early warning dissemination systems.
Which river's flooding caused a major disaster in Srinagar in 2014?
Correct Answer: B. Jhelum
The Jhelum River's catastrophic flooding caused a major disaster in Srinagar and across Jammu & Kashmir in September 2014. The floods were described as the worst in 60 years, inundating most of Srinagar including its international airport for days. Approximately 280 people were killed and hundreds of thousands were displaced, with the disaster requiring large-scale air rescue operations.
What is the specialized term for the wave-induced rapid back-and-forth water movement that sweeps people off coastal areas during a tsunami?
Correct Answer: B. Drawback or draw-down
The 'drawback' or 'draw-down' refers to the phenomenon in a tsunami where the sea appears to recede dramatically from the coast before the main wave arrives. This drawback, which can expose large areas of the seafloor, is actually a warning sign of an approaching tsunami. Unfortunately, during the 2004 Tsunami, many curious onlookers walked onto the exposed seabed, which cost them their lives when the tsunami wave struck moments later.