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Textbook for Class XI - ENGLISH

vulnerable areas, the existing buildings should be
technically assessed and individual owners and group-
housing authorities should be informed about the
weaknesses in their construction. Presently, it is estimated
that around one million buildings are constructed every
year in India, and an equal number of them gets damaged
as a result of disasters. In order to reduce the damage to
buildings, a monitoring mechanism should be set
• What is the structure of
up in disaster prone areas which must act in the state and central
proper coordination with the concerned level committees of
authorities to ensure the fulfilment of building disaster management?
codes.
In the case of disaster management, the state governments
play a major role while the central government only plays
a facilitating role. At the state level, there is a State Level
Disaster Management Committee consisting of the senior
secretaries of various departments and the representatives
of NGOs. At the national level, there is a Crisis Management
Committee, headed by the Cabinet Secretary and
the secretaries from the major departments of • How does the central
the government. The central government, with government coordinate
disaster management
proper coordination with various ministries,
activities in India?
provides necessary support to the states, which
includes defence services like air dropping, rescuing,
searching, transport of relief goods, etc., and availability of
rail and ferry services, health personnel and medical
support.
Rehabilitation is an integral part of disaster management.
Since disasters are non-routine events, they require non-
routine responses for effective management and
• What are the special
rehabilitation. This means that the Government requirements of the
cannot rely on normal procedures to implement rescue team, according
appropriate responses. There should be proper to the author?
coordination among the various departments of the
government to bring speedy relief to the victim. Moreover,
the rescue teams require the learning of special skills and
attitudes in dealing with disasters. Additionally, they need
to be well-equipped with the latest technologies.

Disaster management has assumed greater • What is the purpose of
disaster management?
importance in recent times. The whole purpose
of disaster management is not to prevent these natural or
man-made disasters. We may not be able to avert many of
these disasters, but we can definitely mitigate their impact.
(Adapted)
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