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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

add to this problem. India, which has only two per cent of
the total geographical area, has to support 18 per cent of
the total population of the world. Therefore, • What causes tremendous
there is tremendous pressure on the natural pressure on the natural
resources, which directly or indirectly leads resources in India?
to the occurrence of disasters, namely floods, droughts,
landslides, earthquakes, etc.
The northern region of India faces problems due to
landslides, floods, droughts, and earthquakes, because
this region falls under the seismic zones III to V. The
eastern region is confronted with heavy floods in the
perennial rivers which include the Brahmaputra, the
Ganga, etc. Drought, heatwaves, hailstorms, cyclones,
heavy winds and earthquakes are also common in this
region. The north-eastern region encounters floods,
landslides, and earthquakes. This region comes under
the seismic zones IV and V.
The western region is widely known for severe droughts,
wind erosion of land and soil, floods and cyclones. This
area is also prone to earthquakes. The southern region,
particularly the coastal region, is vulnerable to cyclones,
sea erosion, tsunami, and landslides. The islands of
Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep are confronted
with the problems of sea erosion and tsunami. The Indian
coastal areas have faced some of the severest cyclones
both along the eastern and western coasts.
Among all the disasters in India, the tsunami
• Which is a relatively new
is a relatively new phenomenon. Due to the natural disaster in
lack of an adequate warning system, the India?
tsunami of 2004 devastated a large portion of
the coastal regions of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra
Pradesh, besides the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It
claimed a large number of lives and destroyed property
worth crores of rupees.
India has faced a number of disasters, ranging from
natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, • Which is the man-made
cyclones, tsunami, drought and landslides to disaster that India
witnessed in the last
man-made disasters like the Bhopal Gas
century?
Tragedy (1984). During this century, India has
witnessed some major disasters which include the Gujarat

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