E- WASTE -a complete study

IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER

THE LEGISLATION

The E-Waste (Management &Handling) Rules,2011 advocates extended producer responsibility(EPR),putting the responsibility of disposing a product on its original producer, no matter how many times the product changed hands. According to the guidelines, all manufacturers of electronics, distributors, bulk consumers and enterprises are liable to set up waste collection centers. States pollution regulatory bodies are tasked with ensuring that norms are followed. According to rules, states pollution control boards were required to undertake inventorisation of e-waste.

E-WASTE SCARE

·         A united nations Environment programme report, ‘Recycling from e-waste to resources’, predicted that by 2020,india’s e-waste from old computers will jump 500% from what it was in 2007.

·         An ASSOCHAM study released last year said that barely 4.5% of india’s e-waste gets recycled. Growing at a compounded annual growth rate of about 20% , India generates more than 4.4 lakh tons of e-waste.

·         2010 report by the centre for science and environment said India generates 3,50,000tonnes of electronics waste every year and imports another 50,000 tonnes. Only 19,000 tonnes of this is recycled.

·         The western region generates 1/3^rd of e-waste in India, with Mumbai topping the list with the maximum e-waste generated (around 10%).

·         As per country level Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment assessment study. Mumbai and pune falls under the top ten cities that are generating maximum quantities and Mumbai alone generates maximum among all.

·         The annual report of MoEF released in mid-2012 said that India would have generated a 8 lakh tones of e-waste up eight times in the past seven years by December 2012.

HARMFUL ELEMENTS

·         E-waste Contains toxic substances like lead and cadmium in circuit boards; lead oxide and cadmium in moniter cathode ray tubes; mercury in switches and flats screen monitors; cadmium in computer batteries; polychlorinated biphenyls(pcbs) in older capacitors and transformers; and brominated flame retardents on PCB, plastic casing, cables and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) cable insulation that release highly toxic dioxins and furans when burned to retrieve copper from the wire.

·         Antimony(Sb)- Exposure to high levels can lead to severe skin problems

·         Cadmium(Cd)- Long term exposure can damage the kidneys and bone structure.

·         Lead(Pb)- When built up, can have irreversible effects on the nervous system, particularly in children.

·         Polychlorinated biphenyls(PCBs)- They can cause suppression of the immune system, liver damage, damage to the nervous system and reproductive organs and behavioral changes.

·         Triphenylphosphate(TPP)-It is a strong  inhibiter of key enzyme system in blood.

·         Mercury-It can damage the brain and kidneys ,as well as fetuses.

-REPORT ON ASSESSMENT OF ELECTRONIC WASTES

CASE STUDY

Mumbai is sitting on a time bomb. Last few years have pegged the city as the country’s largest generator of electronic waste(e-waste). Making its way through the un-organised network of  kabadiwallahs this waste lies in an evergrowing pile at deonar land-fill. Unknown to many, this e-waste has serious environmental implications, its toxic lead, cadmium, mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) releasing toxins slowly into groundwater and, when incinerated, into the air.
In 2011, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) introduced the E-waste (Management and Handling) Rules, which put the onus of proper disposal of e-waste on producers and consumers. The rules hope to curb the dangerous increase in e-waste generation and answer a critical question: How do we protect ourselves from the 8 lakh tonnes of e-waste generated in India annually?

The Players

According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) records, India has 71 registered recycling centres meant to do just that. Mumbai has 17 dismantlers/ recyclers listed on the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) site. 
The e-waste recycling process at companies is similar. For instance, say a laptop has been given away to be recycled. Its parts are checked to see if they can be refurbished and reused. Unusable parts are dismantled and segregated — ferrous and non-ferrous metals, plastic, glass, paper.
The difference between recycling and dismantling companies lies at this end of e-waste processing - recyclers are able to reuse the materials obtained, dismantlers have to send them to recycling companies. The collected hazardous waste is then sent to a government hazardous waste treatment facility. Precious metals recovered are sold in the commodities market. Delhi-basedAttero is the only company in India that can extract precious metals from e-waste. 
“E-waste is the richest waste available at our disposal, yet not many have even heard of it,” says BK Soni, who is part of a seven-member team set up by the MPCB to look into waste management. Soni is also the founder of Ecoreco, an eco-recycling company that started handling e-waste in 2007. “Everything is done in an eco-friendly manner, without the use of chemicals or incinerators,” says Soni. Ecoreco, whose focus is corporates and has a client list that includes Infosys, Mahindra, and Wipro, recycles about 4,000 metric tonnes of e-waste every year at its factory in Vasai.   
In 2010, Karan Thakkar registered his company EcoCentric as a dismantler. His company has two e-waste collection bins at Express Towers at Nariman Point and NM College, Vile Parle. “I want to focus on the first layer of e-waste disposal which is collection and the one area that is solely lacking,” says Thakkar, who hopes to introduce collection points across the country. EcoCentric also focuses on corporates and has seen a four-fold increase in the number of corporates approaching them, ever since the E-waste Rules, 2011 got implemented in 2012. 

One of the biggest fears people have about getting their e-waste recycled is disposal of data. “We use a degausser which erases the magnetic field (information) stored on a magnetic drive,” says Gaurav Mardia, founder of E-incarnation Recycling. Other companies use a software, or a hammer or shredder to destroy the magnetic drive. Mardia’s company has managed to dismantle 300 tonnes of e-waste at his Tarapur factory. “Ninety-nine per cent of the e-waste that comes in can be converted to raw material,” he adds.

Problems
The main challenge is to responsible e-waste management is two-fold: rules and guidelines are lacking, and awareness is missing too. 
“There’s been no national survey to check on progress. There are no national registries so it is difficult to hold producers accountable so how can they be fined? There is no sense on who are the players, what are the quantities being sold. We need a system to move waste in an efficient manner,” says Satish Sinha, associate director at Toxics Link, an environmental NGO. 
Sinha and his team were responsible for pushing for the e-waste legislation. The rules have serious loopholes: they fail to prevent other countries dumping their e-waste in India, they don’t include details of environment-friendly technology to be used while disposing of e-waste, they do not mention the number of collection points, number of authorised recyclers required in cities or the amount of waste to be collected and disposed. A study conducted by Toxics Link, ‘E-waste Management in India - Role of State Agencies’ , found that most states have failed to implement the e-waste rules. In addition, there’s an absence of any public information related to e-waste on the websites of most (15 of the 35) pollution controls boards. Few companies have been given permission to recycle and the market has more informal than formal players.Most people aren’t aware of e-waste facilities and even if they are, they aren’t convinced enough to use their services. The kabadiwallah, after all, gives more money per item. 
In the case of e-waste recycling companies, most can’t afford to pay. EcoCentric offers around Rs10 per kg, E-incarnation has free pick-ups but doesn’t pay. 
Ecoreco pays depending on the quantity, quality and distance. As picking up the e-waste and transferring it to a factory is a huge cost, these companies naturally prefer corporate clients who give in bulk and are usually based in one location.  
The need of the hour is devising means of getting the public interested in e-waste recycling. Companies such as Attero have incentives to engage consumers in handling their e-waste and are working with schools, NGOs and colleges. “Consumers are getting more aware but it is happening very slowly,” says Rohan Gupta, COO, Attero.         
“The government can’t do everything,” says Soni. “The change has to come at the top. People need to start worrying about the environment.”

Recent- There is the current news that in china for recycling  e-waste they have kept ATM like machine where people can give there mobiles phones instead of money. So its very useful in india as you know some manufactures have reduced the price of mobile phones drastically so in general generating more e-waste. Because there value decreases by time. So in the near future it will be the need of an hour.

Written by :Ketan R. Gawade

IMPORTANT GEOPHYSICAL PHENOMENA(EARTHQUAKE,TSUNAMI,VOLCANO,CYCLONES)

          

There are various forms of disasters from which every human being is aware. All disaster are quite enough to threaten the humans or societies and had there impact on from one decade to another.

Disasters can be classified into 1) Natural Disasters like Volcano,Tsunami Earthquake;landslides)

2)Human Made Disasters

3)Human Induced Disaster

    

EARTHQUAKE

l  Earthquack is a violent shaking, rolling or sudden shock on surface of earth'crust,sending out a series of shock waves in all directions from its placeof origin which is called as EPICENTRE.

l  Eathquake constitue one of the worst natural disasters which often turn into disaster causing widespread destruction and loss to human life or societies.

CAUSES OF EARTHQUAKE:

l   Earthquake are caused by sudden release of energy in rocks.Tectonic plates which are present in the form of rocks are moving very slowly.It is usually caused when underground rocks suddenly breaks down or grind and scrap against each other along FAULT LINE.This lead to the generation of seismic waves or called as earthquake waves,leads to the shaking of earth surface.

l  The points at which earthquake originates called as FOCUS or HYPOCENTRE,point on earth surface above this is called as EPICENTRE.

u 

PLATE TECTONIC THEORY:

           There are various theories which are explaining the causes of earthquake,but the most satisfactory answer is given by PLATE TECTONICS THEORY.This is the most accepting and one of scientific theory which deals with the factors causing earthquake.

The outer surface of earth is made up of tectonic plates which are about 100 km thick and are constantly moving like an objects sometime moving towards,away from each other.

u  Earth release its internal heat by CONVECTIVE MECHANISM,just like a pot of pudding boil on stove gas.Hot asthenospheric mantle rises to the surface and spread laterally,transporting oceans and continents as on slow conveyor belt and speed of this movement is very slow,a few centimeters per years.

u  Earthquake occur only in outer,brittle portions of these plates,where temperature of rocks is very low.Deep in earth interior convections of rocks caused by temperature variations in earth induces stresses that results in movement of overlying plates.This stress from convection release huge amount of heat which stress can deform the brittle portions of overlying plates.If accumulating stress exceeds the strength of rocks comprising these brittles zones,the rocks can break suddenly releasing the stored elastic energy as an earthquake.

u  There  are three types of plate boundaries which are called Spreading,Convergent,or Transform,depending on whether the plates move away from,toward,or laterally past one another respectively.Subduction occurs when one plates converges toward another,move beneath it and plunges as much as several hundred kilometres into earth interior.The JUAN DE FUCA PLATE off coast of Washington and Oregon is subducting beneath North America.

u  Most of the earthquake occurs on boundaries between the plates,where one plate is forced under another such as it happens off islands chains as of Japan,Indonesia or another one occurs in California and New Zealand.

u  

HAZARDS OF EARTHQUAKE:

u    Earth really pose direct danger to a person.the main and effective danger of earthquake is EFFECT OF GROUND SHAKING.buildings can be damaged by shaking itself or by ground beneath them settling to a different  level than it was before earthquake.

u   It may lead to the GROUND DISPLACEMENT along fault,which can seriously damage that buildings.

u        FLOODING may occur due to break of dams or levees along river.water from river would flooded the area,damaging the buildings, may be away the people also.

u     FIRE  can be started by broken gas lines and power line.

SAFETY MEASURES FROM EARTHQUAKE:

We can not stop earthquake from happening and we get warning as to when they will occur.Then what are the ways through which we can had least effect of that disaster.

u          In earthquake prone regions the buildings can be reinforced and designs to prevent likelihood of collapse during an earthquake.

u  The population can be educated about what to do in event of earthquake and rescueplans can be drawan up in advance to minimize the chaos when earthquake happen.

TSUNAMI

Tsunami is a Japanese word which stand as tsu means harbour and nami means wave.this phenomena related with earthquake or volcanis eruptions or landslides or adjacents to oceans and results in sudden movement on water column.the passage of tsunami involves the movement of water from surface to seafloor which means it is directly related to depth of water bodies i.e deeper the ocean higher is the movement of water.as a result of this,as wave approaches land and reaches increasingly shallow water, it gets slow down. however the water column still in deeper water is moving slightly faster and catches upward,resulting into wave bunching up and becoming much more higher.Tsunami is a series of waves and first may not necessarily be largest.

                 Tsunami is a violent disturbances deep below the ocean surface causing  under water earthquake and subduction zones.

CAUSES OF TSUNAMI:

When an oceanic plates hits the continental plate,these plates press together and build the pressure.Eventually the heavier oceanic plate slips under the lighter continental plate and causes earthquake which lifts up ocean and drops other parts down,this happening on ocean floor is mirror on surface of water above.The gravity acts  fast to even out of water surface.The seismic energy created that huge wave and it does not just disappear.

     Tsunami extends thousands of feet deep into ocean which carries lot of water and energy so they can travel very far.

HAZARDS OF TSUNAMI:

They can directly causing the loss of humans and infrastructure.directle wasshing away the properties,pets.

SAFETY MEASURES:

Pack some clothes,some food some cooking stuffs,flashlights,sleeping bags.Be ready to get yourself,stuffs,family and animals out of house and on higher ground.

      Listen tsunami warning carefully and take it seriously.

                                    VOLCANO

A volcano is a kind of vent or chimney which transfer molten rocks called as Magma from depth to earth surface.magma eruption from volcano known as lava, it is a material which builds up the cone.

    The explosiveness of volcano eruptions depend on how easily magma can flow and amount gas trapped within magma.large amount of water and carbon dioxides are dissolved in magma.as magma quickly rises through earth crust gas bubbles form and expands upto 1000 times of their original size.

TYPES OF VOLCANO:

§   Shield Volcano

§   Composite Volcano

§   Caldera Volcano.

The form of volcano is determind by types and sizes of its eruptions which is controlled by characterstics and composition of magma.

PLATE TECTONIC THEORY:

Our earth has three main layers the crust,the mantle,and the core.The crust is made up of solid rocks and varies in their thickness which is more than 60 km thick under mountain chains like Alps and Himalayas,but just 5 km under oceans.The mantle is thick layers of molten rocks called as MAGMA and core is made up of an outer liquid layer and a solid centre.

Temperature present inside earth interior is very high about 5000 degree celsius in core surrounded by a few kilometres of relatively cool,hard rocks called as crust.

     A Volcano erupts when magma escapes from inside the earth.As magma is escaping from a confined space,huge amount of energy is release with it,as happens with any explosion so because of this many time eruptions also produce huge quantitiesof gas and dust.Magma sometimes rises under enormous pressure,so it not only finds cracks in earth crust, it can also create them.When magma reaches earth surface it is called as LAVA.

TECTONIC PLATES AND VOLCANOS

§   The earth crust is its thinnest layers which is broken into various pieces called  as plates.These plates is above the hot liquid magma.

§   Each plate contains some continental crust and some oceanic crust.

§   Huge currents of molten rocks circulates deep in mantle, causing plates to move about very slowly on earth surface.

§   Many of world volcanos occur along edges of boundaries of plates.

§   Plate boundaries are among most active geologically active place on earth.Here new rocks has been created and destroyed,so this is where the most important volcanic activity occurs.

§   THE PACIFIC RING OF FIRE:

§   More than half of world volcanos are found in RING OF FIRE.This area forms a circle stetching down the eastern side of Pacific ocean,from Alaska in North, through Rocky mountains of Canada and USA,to Andes mountain of South America,it loops back around the western side of Pacific,up through New Zealand,Indonesia and Japan.

§   HAZARDS OF VOLCANIC ERUPTION:

This includes explosions,lava flows,bombs,mudflows,landslides,earthquakes,ground deformation,tsunami,air shocks,lightning,poisonous gas, glacial outburst flooding.Each volcanic eruptions has a different consequences,although not all occur in all eruptions or in associated with all volcanos.

§   

MEASUREMENT OF VOLCANO:

This is measued using a simple descriptive index called as VOLCANO EXPLOSIVITY INDEX which ranges from zero to eight.this index includes volume of material ejected with height of an eruption column and duration of eruptions.

               CYCLONES

§   A Cyclone can ve termed as atmospheric system of low barometric  pressure accompanied by strongs winds that rotate counter-clockwise in northern hemisphere and clockwise direction in  southern hemisphere.It is known by its different name at different place such as cyclone in Indian Ocean and Southern Pacific Ocean, called as hurricane in western Atlantic and Eastern Pacific and typhoon in western Pacific.As generally we can called cyclone as a violent rotating windstorm.

CAUSES OF CYCLONES:

The main source of energy for tropical cyclones is the warm ocean in tropical regions.To initiate a tropical cyclone the sea surface temperature needs to be around 26*C or above.However,existing cyclones often persist as they move over cooler water.

    The development of tropical cyclones also realise on favourable broad scale regions and can persist for several days with many following quite erratic paths.They lose their source of energy when they move over land surface or colder oceans causing them to dissipate.Weakening may also occur if cyclone moves into an unfavourable wind regions which disrupts the structure of wind system.Sometimes a decaying tropical cyclone may interact with weather system in higher latitudes to cause impact far from tropics.

FORMATION OF CYCLONE:

§   Cyclone can form only over warm ocean waters near equator.

§   To form a cyclone,warm, moist air over ocean rises upward fromnear the surface.As this air moves up and away from ocean surface,it leaves it less air near the surface.

§   Air from surrounding area with higher air pressure pushes into low pressure area,then this new cool air become warm and moist and rises  to and give birth to cyclones.

§   As warmed moist air rises and cool the water in air forms clouds.The whole system of clouds and winds spins and move,fed by ocean heat and water evaporating from ocean surface.

§   As storm system rotates faster and faster,an eye form in centre,which is calm and clear with very low pressure.Higher pressure air from above flows down into the eye.

§   

IMPACT OF CYCLONE:

Tropical cyclonescan cause significant phenomena which can adversly affect,and sometimes favourably impact on communities and enviroment.The most common impact is heavy rainfall and strong winds that can lead to flooding.In some parts of world Australia tornados have been reported during cyclones.Storm surge or coastal inundation by sea water,is also seen during cyclones.

SAFETY MEASURES:

§   Keep watch on weather  and listen to radio,tv,newspapers.

§   Get to know nearest cyclone shelter or safe house and safest route to reach their.

§   Do not listen rumours.

§   Check the roof and cover it with net or bamboo.

§   Chech the walls,pillars doors,and windowsto see if they are secure.

NAME:DEEPTI RAWAL

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

Just some fodder points which can be used in questions related to Disaster Management.

Ex - Measures needed to be undertaken in wake of floods in Uttarakhand:

Immediate measures : 

1. Search and rescue

2. Cleanup, Cremation of bodies etc to check spread of epidemic

3. Medical help to injured

4. Ensuring pilgirms can reach back homes safely

Short term measures :

1. Providing cheap credit to those whose livelihood has been affected

a) to repair their homes/shops/hotels

b) to those farmers whose crops/ orchards have been damaged etc

2. Repairing roads to ensure connectivity - so that 

a) essential medicines, food supply can reach

b) tourism which is the backbone of the economy of this hill state can revive to     some extent 

c) farmer can take his produce to markets  

3. Settling insurance claims in speedy, transparent and efficient manner

Medium Term measures :

1. Implementing Eco Senitive Zone from gaumukh to Uttarkashi (already declared but not implemented)

2. Stengthen National and State Disaster Response Forces and Disaster Mgt Centres ( training, equipments)

3. Strict guidelines for slope destabilizing activities ( mining, construction,roads etc)

4. Regulating the no. of tourists allowed to visit there at any particular time

Long Term measures :

1. Extensive R and D in low cost disaster resistant structures

2. R and D in Himalayan geology to prevent landslides, modernizing Early Warning systems, Meterological Observation Centres

3. Afforestation programs, choosing dam sites after proper studies, awareness among

People

Source : No specific source; compilation of points from The Hindu, Express and common sense; Goodwill contribution

written by : Akshat Agarwal

CYCLONES : TYPES, CAUSES, DO’S AND DON’TS

Cyclones are caused by atmospheric disturbances around a low-pressure area distinguished by swift and often destructive air circulation. They are usually accompanied by violent storms and bad weather. The air circulates inward in an anticlockwise direction in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere. Cyclones are classified as: (i)extra tropical cyclones (also called temperate cyclones); and (ii) tropical cyclones. The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO, 1976) uses the term ‘tropical cyclone’ to cover weather systems in which winds exceed ‘gale force’ (minimum of 34 knots or 63 Kph). Tropical cyclones are the progeny of ocean and atmosphere, powered by the heat from the sea, driven by the easterly trades and temperate westerlies, the high planetary winds and their own fierce energy. In India, cyclones are classified due to the: Strength of the associated winds, Storm surge and Exceptional rainfall occurrences. Extra tropical cyclones occur in temperate zones and high latitude regions, though they are known to originate in the polar regions. Cyclones that developin the regions between the tropics of Capricorn and Cancer are called tropical cyclones. Tropical cyclones are large-scale weather systems developing over tropical or subtropical waters, where they get organized into surface wind circulation. Cyclones are given many names in different regions of the world – they are known as typhoons in the China Sea and Pacific Ocean; hurricanes in the West Indian islands in the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean; tornados in the Guinea lands of West Africa and the southern USA.; willy-willies in north-western Australia and tropical cyclones in the Indian Ocean. The word cyclone is derived from the Greek word `Cyclos’ meaning the coils of a snake. It was coined by Henry Peddington because the tropical storms in the Bay of Bengal and in the Arabian Sea appeared like the coiled serpents of the sea. The criteria below has been formulated by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), which classifies the low pressure systems in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea on the basis of the capacity to damage, which is adopted by the WMO. Type of Disturbances Wind Speed in Km/h Wind Speed in Knots Low Pressure Lees than 31 Less than 17 Depression 31-49 17-27 Deep Depression 49-61 27-33 Cyclonic Storm 61-88 33-47 Severe Cyclonic Storm 88-117 47-63 Very Sever Cyclonic Storm 117-220 63-119 Super Cyclone More than 221 More than 120 1 knot – 1.85 km per hour Cyclones are classified into five different levels on the basis of wind speed. They are further divided into the following categories according to their damage capacity. Cyclone Category Wind Speed in Km/h Damage Capacity 01 120-150 Minimal 02 150-180 Moderate 03 180-210 Extensive 04 210-250 Extreme 05 250 and above Catastrophic Storm surges (tidal waves) are defined as the rise in sea level above the normally predicted astronomical tide. The major factors include: A fall in the atmospheric pressure over the sea surface The effect of the wind The influence of the sea bed A funnelling effect The angle and speed at which the storm approaches the coast The tides The very high specific humidity condenses into exceptionally large raindrops and giant cumulus clouds, resulting in high precipitation rates. When a cyclone makes landfall, the rain rapidly saturates the catchment areas and the rapid runoff may extensively flood the usual water sources or create new ones. How Cyclones are formed The development cycle of tropical cyclones may be divided into three stages: i) Formation and Initial Development Stage The formation/ initial development of a cyclonic storm depends upon various conditions. These are: A warm sea (temperature in excess of 26 degrees Celsius to a depth of 60 m) with abundant and turbulent transfer of water vapour to the overlying atmosphere by evaporation. Atmospheric instability encourages formation of massive vertical cumulus clouds due to convection with condensation of rising air above ocean surface. ii) Mature Tropical Cyclones When the tropical storm intensifies, the air rises in vigorous thunderstorms and tends to spread out horizontally at the tropopause level. Once air spreads out, a positive perturbation pressure at high levels is produced, which accelerates the downward motion of air due to convection. With the inducement of subsidence, air warms up by compression and a warm ‘eye’ is generated. Generally, the ‘eye’ of the storms has three basic shapes: (a) circular; (b) concentric; and (c) elliptical. The main physical feature of a mature tropical cyclone in the Indian Ocean is a concentric pattern of highly turbulent giant cumulus thundercloud bands. iii) Modification and Decay A tropical cyclone begins to weaken in terms of its central low pressure, internal warmth and extremely high speeds, as soon as its source of warm moist air begins to ebb, or is abruptly cut off. This happens after the landfall or when it passes over cold waters. The weakening of a cyclone does not mean the danger to life and property is over. Indian Context The Indian subcontinent is one of the worst affected regions in the world. The subcontinent with a long coastline of 8041 kilometre is exposed to nearly 10 per cent of the world’s tropical cyclones. Of these, the majority have their initial genesis over the Bay of Bengal and strike the east coast of India. On an average, five to six tropical cyclones form every year, of which two or three could be severe. More cyclones occur in the Bay of Bengal than the Arabian Sea and the ratio is approximately 4:1. Cyclones occur frequently on both the coasts (The west coast – Arabian Sea; and the east coast – Bay of Bengal). An analysis of the frequency of cyclones on the east and west coasts of India between 1891 and 1990 shows that nearly 262 cyclones occurred (92 severe) in a 50 km wide strip on the east coast. Less severe cyclonic activity has been noticed on the west coast, with 33 cyclones occurringin the same period, out of which 19 of these were severe. Tropical cyclones occur in the months of May-June and October-November. The cyclones of severe intensity and frequency in the north Indian Ocean are bi-modal in character, with their primary peak in November and secondary peak in May. The disaster potential is particularly high at the time of landfall in the north Indian Ocean (Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea) due to the accompanying destructive wind, storm surges and torrential rainfall. Of these, storm surges are the greatest killers of a cyclone, by which sea water inundates low lying areas of coastal regions and causes heavy floods, erodes beaches and embankments, destroys vegetation and reduces soil fertility. Cyclones vary in diameter from 50 to 320 km but their effects dominate thousands of square kilometers of ocean surface and the lower atmosphere. The perimeter may measure 1,000 km but the powerhouse is located within the 100-km radius. Nearer the eye, winds may hit 320 kmph. Thus tropical cyclones, characterized by destructive winds, torrential rainfall and storm surges disrupt normal life with accompanying the phenomena of floods due to the exceptional level of rainfall and storm surge inundation into inland areas. Cyclones are characterized by their devastating potential to damage structures, viz. houses; lifeline infrastructure-power and communication towers; hospitals; food storage facilities; roads, bridges and culverts; crops etc. The most fatalities come from storm surges and the torrential rain flooding the lowland areas of the coastal territories. CYCLONES – Do’s &Dont’s The actions that need to be taken in the event of a cyclone threat can broadly be divided into four classes, viz., (i) immediately before the cyclone season; (ii) when cyclone alerts and warnings are on;(iii) when evacuations are advised; and (iv) when the cyclone has crossed the coast. (i) Before the Cyclone season: Check the house; secure loose tiles, carry out repair works for doors and windows Remove dead woods or dying trees close to the house; anchor removable objects like lumber piles, loose tin sheds, loose bricks, garbage cans, sign-boards etc. which can fly in strong winds Keep some wooden boards ready so that glass windows can be boarded if needed Keep a hurricane lantern filled with kerosene, battery operated torches and enough dry cells Demolish condemned buildings Keep some extra batteries for transistors Keep some dry non-perishable food always ready for emergency use (ii) When the Cyclone starts Listen to the radio (All India Radio stations give weather warnings). Keep monitoring the warnings. This will help you to prepare for a cyclone emergency. Pass on the information to others. Ignore rumours and do not spread them; this will help to avoid panic situations. Believe in the official information When a cyclone alert is on for your area continue normal working but stay alert to the radio warnings. Remember that a cyclone alert means that the danger is within 24 hours. Stay alert. When your area is under cyclone warning get away from low-lying beaches or other low-lying areas close to the coast Leave early before your way to high ground or shelter gets flooded Do not delay and run the risk of being marooned If your house is securely built on high ground take shelter in the safer part of the house. However, if asked to evacuate do not hesitate to leave the place. Board up glass windows or put storm shutters in place. Provide strong suitable support for outside doors. If you do not have wooden boards handy, paste paper strips on glasses to prevent splinters. However, this may not avoid breaking windows. Get extra food, which can be eaten without cooking. Store extra drinking water in suitably covered vessels. If you are to evacuate the house move your valuable articles to upper floors to minimize flood damage. Have hurricane lantern, torches or other emergency lights in working conditions and keep them handy. Small and loose things, which can fly in strong winds, should be stored safely in a room. Be sure that a window and door can be opened only on the side opposite to the one facing the wind. Make provision for children and adults requiring special diets. If the centre of the cyclone is passing directly over your house there will be a lull in the wind and rain lasting for half and hour or so. During this time do not go out; because immediately after that very strong winds will blow from the opposite direction. Switch off electrical mains in your house. Remain calm. (iii) When Evacuation is instructed Pack essentials for yourself and your family to last you a few days, including medicines, special foods for babies and children or elders. Head for the proper shelter or evacuation points indicated for your area. Do not worry about your property At the shelter follow instructions of the person in charge. Remain in the shelter until you have been informed to leave (iv) Post-cyclone measures You should remain in the shelter until informed that you can return to your home. You must get inoculated against diseases immediately. Strictly avoid any loose and dangling wires from the lamp posts. If you are to drive, drive carefully. Clear debris from your premises immediately. Report the correct loss to appropriate authorities.

                                                 

written by : rahul