Bhubaneswar: Disasters, natural or man-made, are not something that we would want to relive. But they do happen every year and hence help the Government and the denizens to be prepared for the next calamity.
As part of our ‘Best of 2018’ series, we will discuss today 5 disasters that shook our country to the core.
Dust Storm in Northern India
High-velocity dust storms hit Northern parts of India during May 2 and 3. More than 125 were found dead and there were over 125 injured. States of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan were the most affected. Storms are not uncommon in the region; however, since these storms occurred at night and with greater wind speeds than average, the death toll was higher than usual.
Kerala Floods
Severe floods hit Kerala due to unusually high rainfall from August 9. This was the worst cyclone the beautiful state had seen in nearly a century. Over 483 people died, and 14 were reportedly missing. Thousands were displaced. According to the Kerala government, one-sixth of the total population of Kerala had been directly affected by the floods and related incidents. The Indian government had declared it a Level 3 Calamity, or “calamity of a severe nature”.
For further information: Centre Declares Kerala Floods ‘Calamity Of Severe Nature’
Cyclone Titli
On October 6, a depression formed over the Andaman Sea. Over the course of the next 2 days, the depression reached the Bay of Bengal. It became Very Severe Cyclonic Storm by October 9. It made landfall on October 11 near Palasa in Srikakulam District, Andhra Pradesh. At its peak, the wind speed touched 150km/hr.
Titli killed atleast 77 people in Odisha, 8 in Andhra and injured hundreds. Damage from flooding caused by Titli totaled at ₹3,673.1 crore in Andhra Pradesh,and ₹3,000 crore in Odisha.
Amritsar Train Disaster
Dusshera celebration turned into mayhem when two passenger trains rammed into a crowd of people in eastern outskirts of Amritsar, Punjab. The bunch of people was standing on tracks to witness ‘Ravan
For further information: 50 Feared Dead As Train Runs Into Burning Ravana Effigy In Amritsar
Cyclone Gaja
On November 5 a low depression formed over the Gulf of Thailand. Gaja reached Southern India on November 10; it had gotten stronger to be declared a Severe Cyclonic Storm. 63 people were killed by the storm. Damage nationwide was about ₹54,000 crore. Its overall effect remained till November 20. At its peak, the wind speed touched 110km/hr.
For further information: Cyclone Gaja Weakens Into Deep Depression, Claims 13 Live
These were the disasters that had the worst effect all over the country. Of course, India was hit by other disasters too, but these have done the worst damage.
Please leave in comments how these disasters affected you.
Also Read: Best Of 2018: Top 5 Events Of Odisha
Ms Kalinga