What is Man Made Disaster?

A man made disaster is a disaster resulting from human intent, negligence, or error. They can be both intentional and unintentional. It results in a huge loss of life and property.

Fires can be caused by lightning or volcanic eruptions. It can also be caused by sparks from electrical appliances or wheels of the train.

Do you know, what is a disaster?

Let us learn about Fire Hazards:

Fire Hazards include all types of live flames, causes of sparks, hot objects, and chemicals that are potential for ignition. Fire hazard leads to a threat to life and property.

Forests Fires:

Let us understand the causes of Forest Fire:

There are mainly four causes of forest fires. These are:

1. Natural 

Fires are caused due to natural events such as lightning or volcanic eruptions.

2. Negligence 

Fires caused by cigarette stubs along roadways or railway lines. Fires are also caused by agricultural and forestry activities such as the clearing of plant residue or for clearing uncultivated land.

3. Accidental 

Fires are caused by sparks from the wheels of trains or certain locomotives.

4. Arson 

It is a crime of intentionally setting a fire in order to damage or destroy something (property). Such fires cause harm to wildlife by destroying their natural habitats.

Impacts of Forest Fires

Let us learn about the impacts of a forest fire:

• Forest fire destroys millions of hectares of vegetation and property. It affects food crops, transport, and tourism.
• The smoke and smog produced during forest fires decrease the amount of sunlight and also induce respiratory problems among human beings and wildlife.
• Large fire events can also create acid rain conditions that damage the forest habitat. It also releases a large number of greenhouse gases that cause global warming and climate change.
• Forest fires have an impact on insects and fruit trees. It disrupts the food chain for predators and other species.

Fire in Buildings

The main causes of the fire hazards in buildings are:

•  Room heaters and fireplaces within the room.
•  Poor electric wiring and loose connections.
•  Sometimes smoking may cause a fire.
•  The storage of hazardous chemicals.
•  It can also originate from the kitchen where there is a mechanical failure of the cooking equipment.

Fire Safety Measures

Fire safety is the set of practices intended to reduce the destruction caused by fire. It will also help your family to quickly escape a fire.

Let us learn about some fire safety measures:

• Put smoke alarms or detectors in strategic locations in the home.
• Keep a fire extinguisher near the kitchen. Children should be taught safety rules for matches, fires, etc.
• Avoid fireworks.
• Make sure that the cigarette is fully extinguished. Keep an eye on anything while you are cooking or using anything that can cause a fire.

Industrial and Nuclear Accidents and Terrorism

Industrial accidents occur due to dangerous procedures, infrastructure failures, explosions, etc. The most common of these industrial accidents is the leakage of harmful gases and explosions.

Industrial and Nuclear Accidents

Do you know, how industrial accidents occur?

Industrial accidents occur due to dangerous procedures, infrastructure failures, explosions, and pollution caused by the discharge of harmful chemicals into air or water bodies. These accidents are also caused due to explosions or leakage of harmful gases.

The leakage of harmful gases or the gases that are released due to explosions affects the environment as well as human life.

Let us learn about some of the industrial and nuclear accidents:

Have you heard about the Bhopal Gas Tragedy?

The Bhopal Gas Tragedy was one of the deadliest man-made disasters related to gas leakage that occurred on the night of 2 and 3 December 1984. It occurred due to the leakage of methyl isocyanate gas into the atmosphere at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal. It is considered to be the world's worst industrial disaster. The leakage of gas engulfed the city, it resulted in the loss of sight and breathlessness.

Another industrial disaster happened due to the massive explosion at a warehouse where hazardous chemicals were stored in the Chinese port of Tianjin in August 2015.

Do you know, how a nuclear accident occurs?

A nuclear accident occurs when radioactive material and nuclear radiation are discharged into the atmosphere caused by an explosion in the nuclear reactor or leakage.

The world's worst nuclear accident occurred at Chernobyl, Ukraine on 26 April 1986. On this day, a reactor at the nuclear power complex exploded. It happened because of a meltdown in a reactor due to which a massive amount of radioactive gases released into the atmosphere. There was high radioactive fallout in Poland, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Italy.

Terrorism

What do you mean by terrorism?

Terrorism is the use of intentional violence for political or religious purposes. Terrorists use indiscriminate violence as a means to create terror among people to achieve political, religious, ideological, or financial goals. Terrorists often implant bombs in dustbins, lunchboxes, baggage, etc.

One of the major and fatal terrorist attacks happened on 11th September 2001 when terrorists hijacked airplanes and used them as a weapon to destroy the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, USA.

Man Made Disaster - MCQs

1. What is the full form of UCIL?
a) Union Carbon India Limited
b) United Carbide India Limited
c) Union Centre India Limited
d) Union Carbide India Limited

2. When did the nuclear accident occur at Chernobyl?
a) April 1990
b) August 1986
c) April 1983
d) April 1986

3. When did the Bhopal Gas Tragedy happen?
a) July 1984
b) May 1984
c) October 1984
d) December 1984

4. The Bhopal Gas Tragedy occurred due to the leakage of which gas?
a) Carbon monoxide
b) Nitrogen dioxide
c) Methyl mercaptan
d) Methyl isocyanate

5. Where is the World Trade Centre situated?
a) India
b) France
c) Italy
d) Newyork

6. Poor electric wiring can cause_____in buildings.
a) Greenhouse effect
b) Water wastage
c) Oil spills
d) Fire

7. We should put smoke_____in strategic locations at home.
a) Clock
b) Extinguisher
c) Generators
d) Alarms

8. Which of the following is not the impact of the forest fire?
a) Destruction of vegetation
b) Impact on insects and fruit trees
c) Releases a large number of greenhouse gases
d) Cause of earthquake

9. What is arson?
a) Criminal act of intentionally wasting of water
b) Criminal act of intentionally damaging to property
c) Criminal act of intentionally troubling the people
d) Criminal act of intentionally setting fire to property

10. What is the main natural cause of forest fires?
a) Cyclone
b) Earthquake
c) Landslides
d) Volcanic eruptions

Read More: Disaster Mitigation: Strategies To Prevent Flood, Earthquakes and Fires

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