Content (to be covered) IN Unit – IV

 Man-Made Disasters
 Types of Man Made disaster
 Industrial Hazards
 Industrial Hazard Vulnerabilities
 What Are the Main Causes of Industrial Accidents?
 How to reduce risks
 Prevention of Industrial Accidents
 Fire Hazards
 Preparation of state and district disaster management plan
(Beyond Curriculum)

2
Man-Made Disasters:
Man-made disasters are the result of carelessness or human errors during technological
and industrial use. The disasters are in the form of accidents, which occur all of a
sudden and take a huge toll on life and property. Mostly such disasters cause injuries,
diseases and casualties where they occur.

Man-made disasters are mainly of two types:

Local disasters:
These are small-scale disasters such as train accidents, plane crashes and shipwrecks.

Industrial Hazards
Industrial hazards consist of four principle hazards. This is because industries employ
many different processes involving a wide range of different raw materials,
intermediates, waste products and final products. The hazards encountered are fire,
explosion, toxic release and environmental damage.

 Fire: This is the most frequent of the hazards however the consequences are
generally less. The effect of fire on people usually takes the form of skin burns
and is usually dependant on the exposure time and the intensity of the heat. Fire
can also produce toxic fumes like Acrolein, Carbon monoxide and Cyanides.
Physical structures can be damaged either by the intensity of the heat or
combustion. It may also have an effect on essential services like power and
instrumentation which can cause an escalation of the incident

 Explosion: Explosions are usually heard from far away as a ‘bang’. This is the
result of a shock wave. This overpressure can kill people but usually the indirect
effects of collapsing buildings, flying glass and debris causes far more loss of life
and severe injuries. There are different types of explosions which include gas
explosions and dust explosions. Gas explosions occur when a flammable gas
mixes with air and is exposed to an ignition source. Dust explosions occur when
flammable solids, especially metals, in the form of fine powders are intensively
mixed with air and ignited.

 Toxic/Chemical release: Sudden releases of toxic vapours have the potential to

cause death and severe injuries several miles from the release point. They are
carried by water

3
 and air. Their release into public sewage systems, rivers, canals and other water
courses, either directly or through contaminated water used in fire fighting can
result in serious threat to public. The number of casualties depends on the
weather conditions, population density in the path of the cloud and the
effectiveness of the emergency arrangements.

 Environmental Damage: As well as having the potential for causing injury, loss
of life and damage to property, the hazards of fire, explosion and toxic releases
may pose a severe threat to the environment. Release of other substances, not
directly toxic to humans can cause major pollution problems. It is becoming
increasingly recognized that damage to natural resources such as plant and
animal life can have serious long term consequences. E.g. destruction of trees is
increasing the effect of global warming and extinction of animals are severely
disrupting food webs and causing an increase in pests.

Industrial Hazard Vulnerabilities

· Improper location of Communities

Communities like California and Couva are located too close to the Point Lisas
industrial estate. If there is an explosion or chemical release, there communities will be
severely affected potentially with many deaths and structural damage

· Poor developmental planning in Point Lisas

Industries in Point Lisas Industrial estate are located in such a way that it is easy for one
failure to cause a domino effect e.g. there is a methanol plant situated approximately
150m for a power generation plant. This power plant can produce a very easy source of
ignition for any possible leak that may occur from the methanol plant.

· Lack of knowledge

Many persons in the country and primarily persons close to the industrial estate are
unaware of the actual dangers they face on a daily basis. Although it has been said may
times, persons continue to ignore this because a disaster of catastrophic scale has not
occurred before at the estate and companies boast of the low probability of such an
incident. From a domestic point of view, person using everyday product like
degreasers, disinfectants, bleach, lubricants (WD40, PR40), paints, thinners, acids
(concrete cleaner) must be careful as most of these products affect the skin.

4
· Lack of mitigation measures

From findings it has been proven that the mitigation measures put in place on the estate
with respect to the ammonia plants are insufficient (Persad 2003). There exists no
specialized medical facility to deal with industrial cases. Even though there is the
Couva Medical facility nearby, this is occupied by persons from that area. Fishing
villages.

· Lack of evacuation expertise

It was found that the emergency response system at Point Lisas was inadequate to
handle industrial emergencies as there were a lack of specialized medical personnel as
well as triage equipment and facilities. (Persad, Deenesh 1996)

· Transportation risks

Many chemicals, including flammable hydrocarbons are transported on the roadway

alongside other vehicles and pedestrians. This poses a risk of explosion, fire, blast
fragments and other harmful injury to bystanders, if an incident was to happen.

What Are the Main Causes of Industrial Accidents?

There are a number of factors that can lead to industrial accidents, including everything
from improper lifting techniques to mishandling hazardous materials. Below are some
common causes of accidents in the workplace.

Environmental Causes of Accidents

Accidents which occur from environmental causes refer to those workplace accidents
that happen because of the working environment. The environmental factors can be
both natural and man-made such as workplace design. Common environmental causes
of accidents include:

 Poor lighting– Low visibility is a common cause of slips, trips, and falls.
 Ambient temperature–If a workplace is too hot, overheating can occur. If the
workplace is too cold, frostbite or hypothermia can occur.
 Air pollution–Breathing issues can develop if a workplace has poor ventilation
and/or air pollution.
 Sound pollution–The sound in a workplace can cause injury to a worker’s
hearing.
5
Mechanical Causes of Industrial Accidents

Mechanical causes of industrial accidents are factors that refer to machine or equipment
failure or breakdown. Generally, with proper maintenance and safety processes in
place, these types of accidents are preventable. Common mechanical causes of accidents
include:

 Broken or damaged machine: Parts can be easily broken or damaged if made of

poor- quality metal.
 Power failure: Total or partial power failure can lead to serious injury.
 Fire or explosion: Cooling failure or a small spark can lead to a mechanical fire
or explosion.
 Fair wear or tear: The older machine, the more wear and tear on the parts which
can lead to a higher risk of mechanical accident.

Human Factors That Cause Accidents

Accidents caused by human factors refer to incidents in which the accident is directly
attributed to the worker involved in the accident. Common human factors that cause
industrial accidents include:

 Poor Housekeeping: An unkempt work space can lead to slips, trips, and falls.
 Fatigue: When a body is tired, injury is more likely to occur.
 Overexertion: Overexertion injuries are the most common type of workplace
injury.
 Stress: Workers who are stressed are often more distracted and of greater risk of
injury.
 Dehydration: It is important to consume enough water to ensure you body
functions properly.
 Improper Lifting: Lower back strains and shoulder injuries are common among
workers who use improper lifting techniques.

How to reduce risks

 Design and Pre-modification review: this involves proper layout, facilities and
material selection. Research should be done try to substitute extremely toxic
chemicals with safer ones. Less chemicals should be stored; a reduction in
inventory will automatically mean less damage if an accident is to occur.

6
  Chemical Risk Assessment: Chemicals are assessed based on compatibility,
flammability, toxicity, explosion hazards and storage.
 Process Safety Management: HAZOP studies, reliability assessment of process
equipment, incorporating safety trips and interlocks, scrubbing system, etc. should
be done before effecting major process changes. Management should try to develop
a culture of safety in industrial organizations
 Safety Audits: Periodical assessment of safety procedures and practices,
performance of safety systems and gadgets along with follow up measures should
be carried out.
 Emergency Planning: A comprehensive risk analysis indicating the impact of
consequences and specific written down and practiced emergency procedures
along with suitable facilities should be done. This can be done by communities as
well as national or regional corporation authorities
 Training: Proper training of employees and protective services should be done.
 Special times and escorts for dangerous vehicles
 Public Cooperation on the road: the public should cooperate with the police and
any tankers and heavy duty vehicles to avoid accidents and allow for the shortest
possible on road time for dangerous vehicles.
 Public awareness: Everyone should be aware of potential disasters and informed
of protective and safety measures. MSDS sheets should be readily available to the
public. Cautions must be placed to standout on dangerous household and car care
products.
 Proper storage of hazardous Materials: All chemicals and hazardous materials
should be kept at proper storage temperature and in locked cupboards away from
children and animals. Also, if reactive substances are stored, it should be stored is a
watertight container.

Some of the steps for preventing industrial accidents are as follows:

1. Proper safety measures

2. Proper selection
3. Safety conscious
4. Enforcement of discipline
5. Incentives
6. Safety committees
7. Proper maintenance of machines, equipment and infrastructural facilities 8. Safety
training.

7
1. Proper safety measures:
The proper safety measures should be adopted to avoid accidents Government also
provides guidelines for enacting measures for checking accidents, these should be
properly followed.

2. Proper selection:
Any wrong selection of workers will create problems later on. Sometime employees are
accident prone, they may not be properly suitable for the particular jobs. So the
selection of employees should be on the basis of properly devised tests so that their
suitability for jobs is determined.

Safety conscious:
The employees should be made conscious of various safety measures to be followed.
There should be proper working slogans and advises to the worker for making them
conscious.

4. Enforcement of discipline:
Disciplinary action should be taken against those who flout safety measures. There may
be negative punishments like warnings, lay off, terminations of workers.

5. Incentives:
Workers should be given various incentives for maintaining safety. There may also be
safety contrasts among workers. Those who follow safety instructions properly should
be given monetary and nonmonetary incentives.

6. Safety committees:
Safety measures are in the interest of both employers. There should be committees
consisting of representatives of workers and employees for devising and enforcing
safety programmes.

7. Proper maintenance of machines, equipment and infrastructural facilities:

Accidents may occur on account of the fault in machines or equipment. There should be
proper maintenance of machines. These should be regularly checked and frequently
inspected by engineering

8. Safety training:
The workers should be given training regarding safety measures. They should know the
hazards of the machines, the areas of accident proneness and the good working possible
8
precautions in case of some accident.

Prevention of Industrial Accidents

When it comes to industrial accidents, incidents are almost always preventable when
proper safety measures and employee training is in place. Tips for avoiding industrial
accidents include:
 Developing an employee safety plan with feedback from all level employees
 Requiring monthly employee training and promote safety awareness with an
internal safety committee
 Focusing on skill development and education of all employees
 Ensuring supervisors are monitoring and reporting on the progress of all safety
measures
 Providing avenue for employees to share safety concerns and ideas for improving
safety
 Establishing a planned maintenance schedule for all machines – daily, weekly,
monthly based on manufacturer suggestion
 Quickly repairing and addressing all defective or broken machine parts
 Testing all equipment before use
 Creating a regular inspection schedule and put mechanisms in place to ensure it
is adhered to

Industrial and technological disasters:

These are much larger in scale and are the result of technology failures or industrial
accidents. Such disasters affect both local population and may even cover a much larger
area. Industrial disasters result due to accidental leakage of water or air pollutants.
Many of the chemicals are extremely toxic and carcinogenic which affect the human
population in an adverse way. Some people die instantly while others are crippled for
whole life in the form of blindness, paralysis and many other chronic diseases.

Impact on the environment:

Leakage of toxic chemicals from the industries and accidents in the nuclear reactors has
short- term and long-term effects on the environment and human health. Short-term
effects on human health relate to casualties and diseases like blindness, cancer,
paralysis, heart trouble, gastric and respiratory abnormalities. Long-term effects include
genetic imbalances in humans and its impact on the future generations. Soil and water
sources also remain polluted for long durations of time.

9
Prevention, control and mitigation:
Man-made disasters can be minimized to a large extent by adopting the following
measures:
1. Proper training of personnel working in the hazardous industries.

2. Proper maintenance and care of safety measures.

3. Removing human encroachments around hazardous industries.

4. Making the people aware about the first-aid methods in case of accidents.

5. Applying wet cloth over the mouth and nose in case of gas leakages minimizes the
health hazards.

6. Remaining indoors in case of radioactive accidents.

7. Providing the people with proper medical care, in some cases throughout their life.

8. Providing adequate compensation to the affected people by way of money and

employment.

Bhopal Gas Tragedy (BGT):

The most serious industrial disaster occurred on December 3, 1984 at Bhopal, India,
which is known as the Bhopal Gas Tragedy (BGT). The Bhopal gas tragedy occurred
due to leakage of methyl isocyanide (MIC) gas from the factory of Union Carbide of
India Ltd. MIC gas is used as an ingredient in pesticides.

It leaked from the factory and formed the deadly cloud over Bhopal. People living in
slums in the vicinity of the factory were the most affected and more than 5000 people
were killed, half of them due to direct exposure and other half due to after affects. MIC
is a colourless gas which causes severe irritation, violent coughing, swelling of the
lungs, bleeding and death due to direct inhalation. It also caused loss of eye-sight in
more than 1000 people. More than 50,000 people were affected with respiratory, eye,
gastric, neurological and gynaecological problems

Another technological disaster is due to the potential damages of nuclear fallout. An

example is the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster.

Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster:

This nuclear disaster occurred at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, which was one of
10
the largest power plants in the Ukrainian Republic of erstwhile USSR, on April 26, 1986.
It is the worst nuclear disaster recorded in a nuclear power plant. This nuclear power
plant had four reactors of 1000 megawatt each for electricity generation. A sudden
power surge resulted in two explosions, which destroyed the reactor core and blasted a
large hole in the roof of the reactor building.

The Radioactive debris moved up through that hole to heights of 1 km. Approximately
100 to 150 million curies of radiation (radioactive isotopes of iodine and caesium)
escaped into the atmosphere. To reduce emissions, the rescue team bombarded the
reactor with 5,000 metric tonnes of shielding material consisting of lead, boron, sand
and clay. Soviet officials placed the toll of human lives to 31.

Fire Hazards

It is the most dangerous hazards in industrial point of view.

Control of fire and explosion: Government regulations are available for safety and fire
protection Careful plant layout and judicious choice of constructional materials can reduce fire
and explosion hazard. Hazardous operations should be isolated by conducting them in separate
buildings.

The roof is designed to lift easily under an explosive force.

Possible sources of fire are reduced by eliminating the unnecessary ignition
sources the installation of sufficient fire alarms; temperature
alarms Fire resistance brick-walls can limit the effects of an explosion

11
Beyond Curriculum
Preparation of state and district disaster management plan
India has integrated administrative machinery for disaster management at the National,
State, District and Sub-District levels. The Federal Government supplements the State
relief efforts by initiating supportive action. An elaborate procedural mechanism and
the allocation of resources to facilitate emergency management operations is outlined in
relief manuals and codes backed by the Contingency Action Plan. The Contingency
Action Plan (CAP) facilitates the relief operations, procedures and focal roles of Central
Ministers and Departments. The Crisis Management Group headed by the Cabinet
Secretary and consisting of nodal ministries (particularly the Ministry of Home Affairs
and Agriculture) oversee the response coordination, carry out an assessment, and make
recommendations for assistance. The role of community and NGOs is not clear.

State Governments have the responsibility for undertaking rescue and relief measures
in the event of a natural calamity through the State Relief Commissioner, Relief and
Rehabilitation Department or the Department of Revenue.

District Coordination and Review Committee headed by the Collector involves the
participation of related agencies, departments and NGOs.

At the district level, the DM Act 2005 provides for the constitution of District Disaster
Management Authorities under the chairmanship of the District Magistrate/ Collector
while the elected representative of the local authority would be the co-chairperson. In
those districts where Zilla Parishads exist, the Chairman would be the ex-officio
cochairperson of the District Disaster Management Authority. The District Authority
shall act as the planning, coordinating and implementing body for disaster
management in the district and take all measures for the purposes of disaster
management in the district in accordance with the guidelines laid down by National
and State Authorities.

The planning process has been carried down to the sub-divisional, block and village
levels. Each village in multi-hazard prone district will have a Disaster Management
Plan. The Disaster Management Committee which draws up the plans consists of
elected representatives at the village level, local authorities; Government functionaries
including doctors/paramedics of primary health centres located in the village, primary
school teachers etc. The plan encompasses prevention, mitigation and preparedness
measures. The Disaster Management Teams at the village level will consist of members
of youth organisations like Nehru Yuvak Kendra and other non- governmental
12
organisations as well as able bodied volunteers from the village. The teams are
provided basic training in evacuation, evacuation, search and rescue, first aid trauma
counseling etc. The Disaster Management Committee will review the disaster
management plan at least once in a year. It would also generate awareness among the
people in the village about dos’ and don’ts for specific hazards depending on the
vulnerability of the village. A large number of village level Disaster Management
Committees and Disaster Management Teams have already been constituted.

Describe unique features of district under consideration with statements on hazards

and their impacts on life and property. Give / elaborate appropriate information in the
following subsections:

i. District Profile (Socio, economic, demographic, geographic, critical

infrastructures, key resources)
ii. District Administrative Set up
iii. District Population profile

It is already recognised that it is possible to take preventive, mitigation, preparedness

measures along with the capacity building of the stakeholders so that the negative
impact of a disaster can be minimized. Hence, there is a need for good planning.

Under the DM Act 2005, it is mandatory on the part of District Disaster Management
Authority (DDMA) to adopt a continuous and integrated process of planning,
organizing, coordinating and implementing measures which are necessary and
expedient for prevention as well as mitigation of disasters. These processes are to be
incorporated in the developmental plans of the different departments and preparedness
to meet the disaster and relief, rescue and rehabilitation thereafter, so as to minimize the
loss to be suffered by the communities and are to be documented so that it is handy and
accessible to the general public.

Objectives and Goal of the Plan:

Section 31 of Disaster Management Act 2005 (DM Act), makes it mandatory to have a
disaster management plan for every district. DDMP shall include Hazard Vulnerability
Capacity and Risk Assessment (HVCRA), prevention, mitigation, preparedness
measures, response plan and procedures. An indicative list with possible plan objectives
is given below:

i. To identify the areas vulnerable to major types of the hazards in the district.
ii. To adopt proactive measures at district level by all the govt. departments to

13
 preventdisaster and mitigate its effects.
iii. To define and assign the different tasks and responsibilities to stakeholders
during the pre-disaster and post-disaster phases of the disaster.
iv. To enhance disaster resilience of the people in the district by way of capacity
building.
v. Reduce the loss of public and private property, especially critical facilities
and infrastructure, through proper planning.
vi. Manage future development to mitigate the effect of natural hazards in the
district.
vii. To set up an Emergency Operations Centre at the District level to function
effectively in search, rescue, response.
viii. To develop the standardized mechanism to respond to disaster situation to
manage the disaster efficiently
ix. To set up an early warning system so as to prepare the community to deal
with the disaster and responsive communication system based upon fail-
proof proven technology.
x. To prepare a response plan based upon the guidelines issued in the State
Disaster Management Plan so as to provide prompt relief, rescue and search
support in the disaster affected areas.
xi. To adopt disaster resilient construction mechanism in the district by way of
using Information, Education and Communication for making the
community aware of the need of disaster resilient future development.
xii. To make the use of media in disaster management.
xiii. Rehabilitation plan of the affected people and reconstruction measures to be
taken by different govt. departments at district level and local authority.

The District Disaster Management Plan (DDMP) is the guide for achieving the
objective i.e. mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. This Plan needs to be
prepared to respond to disasters with sense of urgency in a planned way to
minimize human, property and environmental loss.

Scope of the Plan: The scope of this plan, the entities (e.g., departments, agencies,
PRIs, ULBs, private sector, NGOs, citizens) and geographic areas to which the plan
applies need to be stated explicitly with identified role and responsibilities. The
purpose statement need not be complex but should include enough information to
establish the direction for the plan. The scope should include all disaster phases
(Prevention, Preparedness, Mitigation, Response and Recovery), hazards addressed,
area / district etc.

14
 Authority and Reference: Mention - references that form the legal basis for actions
outlined in this Plan is in accordance with Sections 31 and 32 of the DM Act 2005.
Include and cite the legal and administrative basis for evolution of the Plan and
implementing DDMP including: i. Laws & Statutes ii. Executive Orders / Rules iii.
Regulations iv. Formal agreement (MoU) – with utility service agencies, telecom
service providers, manufacturers of different emergency resources etc.

Plan Development: Steps in a collaborative planning process include – formation of

team, understanding hazards, vulnerabilities and risk in the district, plan
development (develop and analyse course of action, identify resources, identify
information needs), plan preparation (write, review, approve and disseminate), plan
implementation and maintenance (exercise, review, revise and maintain).

Planning Team: There is no fixed format / composition for planning team, but
integrating Emergency Service Function agencies into planning team would be useful.

An ideal team could be as given below –

i. District Magistrate / District Collector (Chairperson)

ii. Elected member of the district
iii. DEOC coordinator / Manager (nominate him/her as plan coordinator)
iv. District Fire Chief
v. Head of the Primary agency supervising each ESF (Telecom, Public health,
Agriculture, Power, Transport, Education, PWD, Food and civil supplies,
Water supply and sanitation, Law and order, Information / Media)
vi. Representatives from central agencies located in / around the district
(Army/Navy/Air Force, Coast Guard, Port and fisheries, DDK, AIR, IMD
and CWC etc.)
vii. Representatives from major places of worships
viii. viii. Local NGOs / Corporate / CIKR
The District Collector has the following duties:

i. To facilitate and coordinate with local Government bodies to ensure that pre
and post disaster management activities in the district are carried out.
ii. To assist community training, awareness programmes and the installation of
emergency facilities with the support of local administration, non-
governmental organizations and the private sector.
iii. To function as a leader of the team and take appropriate actions to smoothen
the response and relief activities to minimize the adverse impact of disaster.
iv. To recommend the Commissioner of Relief (CoR) and State Government for
15
 declaration of disaster.
Local Authorities have the following duties:

i. To provide assistance to the District Collector in disaster management activities.

ii. To ensure training of its officers and employees and maintenance of resources
so as to be readily available for use, in the event of a disaster.
iii. To undertake capacity building measures and awareness and sensitization of the
community
iv. To ensure that all construction projects under it conform to the standards and
specifications laid down.
v. Each department of the Government in a district shall prepare a disaster
management plan for the district. The local authorities need to ensure that relief,
rehabilitation and reconstruction activities in the affected area, within the
district, are carried out.
vi. Trust / Organisations managing Places of Worships & Congregation a. Each
establishment / organisation identified as ―critical infrastructure and key
resource‖, b. Including places of congregation in a district shall prepare ―on-site‖
and ―off-site‖ c. Disaster management plan. Carry out mitigation, response,
relief, rehabilitation and d. Reconstruction activities.

Private Sector:

i. The private sector should be encouraged to ensure their active participation in

the predisaster activities in alignment with the overall plan developed by the
DDMA or the Collector.
ii. They should adhere to the relevant rules regarding prevention of disasters, as
may be stipulated by relevant local authorities.
iii. As a part of CSR, undertake DRR projects in consultation with district collector
for enhancing district‘s resilience.

How to use the Plan:

i. Section 31 of DM Act 2005 makes it mandatory for every district to prepare a

disaster management plan, for the protection of life and property from the
effects of hazardous events within the district.
ii. In significant emergencies or disasters, District Magistrate or the chairperson of
DDMA will have the powers of overall supervision direction and control as may
be specified under State Government Rules / State Disaster Management Plan
guidelines.
16
iii. The district EOC will be staffed and operated as the situation dictates. When
activated, operations will be supported by senior officers from line departments
and central government agencies; private sector and volunteer organizations
may be used to provide information, data and resources to cope with the
situation.
iv. The DDMA may recommend for action under Sec 30 of DM Act.
v. Facilities that have been identified as vital to operation of the district
government functions have been identified.
vi. The DM or his designee will coordinate and control resources of the District.
vii. Emergency public information will be disseminated by all available media
outlets through the designated media and information officer.
viii. Prior planning and training of personnel are prerequisites to effective emergency
operations and must be considered as integral parts of disaster preparations.
ix. Coordination with surrounding districts is essential, when an event occurs, that
impacts beyond district boundaries. Procedure should be established and
exercised for inter district collaboration.
x. Departments, agencies and organizations assigned either primary or supporting
responsibilities in this document must develop implementation documents in
order to support this plan.
xi. When local resources prove to be inadequate during emergency operations,
request for assistance will be made to the State or higher levels of government
and other agencies in accordance with set rules and procedures.
xii. District authority will use normal channel for requesting assistance and/or
resources, i.e., through the District Emergency Operations Center (DEOC) to the
State EOC. If state resources have been exhausted, the state will arrange to
provide the needed resources through central assistance.
xiii. The District EOC will coordinate with the State EOC, Agencies of the Govt. of
India like IMD / CWC to maintain upto-date information concerning potential
flooding, cyclones etc. As appropriate, such information will be provided to the
citizens of the affected areas in the district.
xiv. Upon receipt of potential problems in these areas, DEOC / designated officials
will appropriately issue alert and notify action to be taken by the residents.
xv. Disaster occurrence could result in disruption of government functions and,
therefore, all levels of local government and their departments should develop
and maintain procedures to ensure continuity of Government action.

17
 Mechanics of Soil Erosion
The type of soil depreciation in which the uppermost layer of the soil is removed by
various natural processes is widely known as Soil Erosion

Soil Erosion is one of the major problems faced by many countries. A major part of the total land
available to us is lost due to cultivation, while a large gets depreciated every year due to Water
Erosion and Wind Erosion. Soil Erosion is a natural process of soil depreciation. It depreciates the
quality, structure, salinization, and organic matters of the soil. Topsoil has the highest quantity of
organic components, composed of mineral particles, water, air, etc. Due to Soil Erosion, the topsoil
gets eroded and removed among all other layers of the soil.

Soil erosion composes of three parts- detachment, movement, and deposition. Detachment is when
the topsoil is detached from the other layers of the soil. Movement is the process of the topsoil
moving into another region. And, Deposition is the outcome of Movement- where the topsoil deposits
itself after movement.

One must keep in mind that Soil Erosion is not always Natural, sometimes it is the result of human
degradation of forests, mismanagement, etc.

Water Erosion
Soil Erosion of Water is mainly caused by Rainfall, which is natural. However, it has two sources,
namely, raindrops and surface flow of water. Raindrops fall from the sky, hence, this source is a
vertical source of water erosion. While, the surface flow flows horizontally- causing the topsoil to
move and deposit in another region. However, the raindrops detach, move, and deposit the topsoil
into another region. Soil Erosion in this form has various forms. These forms are:

 Rill Erosion: Rill Erosions channel the detachment and movement of the topsoil, and smoothen out
the raindrop glow onto the ground.
 Splash Erosion: Splash Erosion is the process in which the soil particles get removed because of
Rain Drops.
 Gully Erosion: Gully Erosions are the form of soil erosion in which Gullies emerge in the grounds due
to the heavy rainfall, speedy flow of water on the ground. Gullies are so deep in the surface level that
they can divide the piece of land into different portions.
 Ravines Erosion: Ravines Erosion is the upgraded version of Gully Erosion. It is deeper than the
Gullies formed due to heavy rainfall, the speedy flow of water on the ground.
 Slip Erosion: Slip Erosions are common in places with high altitude mountains and heavy rainfall,
causing sloppy lands. The ultimate effect of these forms of erosion is an Earthquake or very heavy
rainfall.
 Stream Bank Erosion: Stream Bank Erosion takes place when the water stream changes its
direction and cuts the soil, making caves in the swollen river banks.

Wind Erosion
The arid and semi-arid regions are the most commonly affected regions of Erosion by Wind. These
regions commonly do not have any kind of vegetation and the velocity of the wind is also high. Wind
Erosion happens in such a way that the displaced soil forms a dune. This happens due to the high
velocity of the wind in the region. The formation of these dunes makes the ground unfavourable for
farming and cultivation.

The erosion of soil due to wind causes three different types of movement of Soil. These are-

 Suspension: The movement or transportation of tiny dust particles in the air is known as Suspension.
These tiny particles are often smaller than 0.1 millimetres in diameter.
 Saltation: When the soil moves in a series of small bounces by the Wind then it is known as
Saltation. This is the most common form of Soil Erosion by Wind. These collusion particles are 0.1 to
0.5 millimetres in diameter.
 Surface Creep: Due to the pressure that creates during Saltation, the huge soil particles slide and
rolls along the surface, known as Surface Creep. These heavy particles are 0.5 to 3.0 millimetres in
diameter.

Mechanical Control
There are various ways of mechanical control of Soil Erosion. These ways include Graded
Bunds, Bench Terracing, Trenches, among others.

 Graded Bunds: These bunds are constructed in areas having heavy to average annual rainfall with 2
to 6 per cent sloping in its structure. These bunds have embankments built in the lower end of the
channel through which the soil evacuates.
 Bench Terracing: This method consists of the building of step fields along contours with half-filling
and cutting. It is the most popular method used. These are built-in lands with sloping between 16 to
33 per cent.
What Is Soil Erosion?

Soil Erosion is one form of soil degradation. It occurs in almost all types of lands.
Flowing water, rainwater, and the wind are the prime agents which cause a significant
amount of soil loss each year. Too much of soil erosion causes serious loss of topsoil
and also reduces crop production potential, lower surface water quality, and damaged
drainage networks.

Types of Soil Erosion

One of the most important things that we can do to ensure the health of our crops and
nearby ecosystems is to reduce soil erosion. The different soil erosion types are
explained below.

Rain Drop or Splash Erosion

The erosion due to the impact of falling raindrops on the soil surface leading to the
destruction of the crumb structure is known as raindrop or splash erosion.

Sheet Erosion
It is the uniform removal of soil in thin layers from the land surface caused by the wind.
Land areas with loose, shallow topsoil overlying compact soil are most prone to sheet
erosion.

Rill Erosion
Rill erosion is a form of water erosion in which the erosion takes place through
numerous narrow and more or not so straight channels called streamlets or head cuts.
Rill is the most common form of erosion, which you can also observe during heavy rain.

Gully Erosion
Gully erosion occurs due to the runoff of surface water, causing the removal of soil with
drainage lines. Gullies when started once, will move by headward erosion or even by
slumping of side walls unless and un-till proper steps will be taken in order to stabilize
the disturbance.
Stream Bank Erosion
Bank erosion is nothing but washing up away from banks of a stream or a river. It is
different from the erosion of the bed of a watercourse, that is referred to as scouring.
This type of erosion is also termed as Stream Bank Erosion.

Causes of Soil Erosion

Running water is one of the main cause of soil erosion. Some soil erosion causes are
mentioned below.

Due to Soil Texture

If the texture is loose that is the soil contains more of small grains and of open structure
erodes faster.

Slope
Soil present in a steeper slope more than the soil present at a plane level of the ground.

Intensity or Amount of Rainfall

More intense rain, more erosion. This can be a bit slow if there are more trees present
in the land as the roots of the plants hold soil in a firm manner.

Human Activities
Agricultural practices, deforestation, roads and urbanization and global warming are a
few major causes of soil erosion.

Deforestation
Mismanaged utilization of soil resources like the removal of forest cover causes soil
erosion heavily. Due to increasing land demand, the human is more into deforesting
lands. Tree roots act as a binder of the top layer of the soil.