18. On December 2004, tsumani brought havoc on 14 countries including India. Discuss the factors responsible for occurrence of Tsunami and its effects on life and economy. In the light of guidelines of NDMA (2010) describe the mechanisms for preparedness to reduce the risk during such events. (250 words) 15M
Ans. This earthquake occurred along a thrust fault in the subduction zone where the Indian tectonic plate is going below the overriding Burmese plate. As a result , the ocean floor broke and there was a vertical displacement of about 15 to 20 meters along the fault causing large scale displacement of water and thus generating tsunami waves.
This kind of large vertical displacement happened because the magnitude of the earthquake which was greater than 9 and it occurred at a shallow depth of less than 30km below the ocean.
This tsunami had reportedly killed over 150000 people, made an estimated five million people homeless and caused extensive damage to infrastructure. Important losses in the fishing sector and in agriculture have been reported, particularly in Sri Lanka and Indonesia. While all countries were affected, the economic consequences in smaller nations like Sri Lanka and the Maldives are likely to be relatively more severe.
Even when the overall macro-economic impact is limited , local communities and parts of the population had experienced severe food security impacts in the short and long term because parents and relatives have been lost, livelihood assets had been destroyed , and sources of income no longer
The action may be wrong or not but the mob in its own prejudice without showing respect to the existing law of the land resort to violence and many a times kill the other individual exist. The impact on the fishery, agriculture , and forestry sub-sectors varied according to tsunami impact on the farming and livelihood systems in place.
The 2004 tsunami also prompted NDMA to formulate Tsunami Risk Management Guidelines to outline inter-agency roles and responsibilities, tsunami risk preparedness , mitigation and response.
The following arc the main points of the NDMA guidelines
(i) The Guidelines recommend practical and effective ways for awareness generation, capacity building, education, training and research & development for better tsunami risk management.
(ii) The Guidelines explore options for effective dissemination of tsunami alert and warning message generated by INCOIS to the concerned agencies and coastal vulnerable communities exposed to tsunami in a coordinated manner.
(iii) Structural Mitigation measures, as envisaged in the Guidelines, gives a brief guidance on design and construction of new structures as well as strategies for protecting lifeline and priority structures from Tsunami along the seafront.
(iv)The Guidelines urge BIS to roll out pending construction standards entitled 'Criteria for Tsunami -Resistant Design of Structures.'
It further recommends a robust techno-legal regime through efficient land use practices , bio-shields, shelter belt plantation and mangrove regeneration with community involvement.