DANGEROUS LIVING By GOUTHAM AMBEKAR S. PRAMOD & DIVYANKITA Guide : Prasant Kumar Panda Teacher in Geography Visakha Valley School

Our Project Our Guide gave us project to role play as young environmentalists to do research on Dangerous living at landslides at Venkojipalem and Rajivnagar. As a Collaborative work we need to find out the reasons behind the landslides, analyze the research by group discussions and suggest measures to avoid disaster.

Let us peep into our Research work

DANGEROUS LIVING - One bad thing about disasters Sometimes they knock before they come Sometimes they don’t -

Reaching the Place Our School Principal, Dr. Sharada gave us permission to take school bus to do the research. We the students of Class IX, as researchers reached Venkojipalem.

As environmentalists we found out Some Important Terms Hazard Hazard – It is a dangerous condition or event, natural or manmade that could cause injury, loss of life on damage to life and property. Vulnerability Vulnerability – It is the extent to which a community can be affected by the impact of hazard. Capacity Capacity - Is the adequate preparedness by a community to face any disaster.

Risk = Hazard X Vulnerability Capacity Risk = Risk is a measure of the potential to cause damage Some Interesting fact about Risk All photographs taken by us with the help of our Guide

SEEING REASONS BEHIND LAND SLIDE Down Pour Earth Quake Continuous rains Over grazing by animals Over exploitation of ground water Construction activities Nature of the rock & soil Land Slide Man Made Causes Natural BuildingsRoads

MUSHROOMING – SETTLEMENTS ON HILL SLOPES Forceful occupation by might Political selfish mottos Ignorance – about disaster Failed to arrange – house on plain Hanumanthawaka NH5 Poverty

SETTLEMENTS NOW ON HILL SLOPES OF HANUMANTHAVAKA VENKOJIPALEM KANCHARAPALEM NGGO’S COLONEY AREA 20 YEARS BEFORE – LABOUR SETTLEMENTS CBM COMPOUND ALIPURAM RAMATALKIES MADHAVADHARA KANCHARAPALEM

PUSH FACTORS Poverty Lure of money PULL FACTORS Land available for free of cost Forceful occupation Political pressure and support

Steps taken to avoid Disaster Awareness campaigning in the areas of Venkojipalem and Rajivnagar Landslide management plan by community (early evacuation) Vulnerable groups on the edges of the slopes in these areas are identified.

STEPS TO BE TAKEN TO AVOID A DISASTER FROM HAPPENING Improve capacity of the people living in these areas by taking the following steps – Shifting 21 houses to the risk free zone Planned construction Houses without using boulders, stones to minimize loss Control deforestation To stop over grazing by animals Minimize human activities

Planning, Prevention and Mitigation – Planning, Prevention and Mitigation – What we felt? Land use planning – plantation Grazing of animal to be stopped Construction of NH5 with least damage to the landscape. Sent to the Dist. Collector on measures to be taken to avoid constructions in high risk zones.

If we are adequately prepared Hazards do not become disasters Increasing capabilities reduce risk factor

We are thankful to - Principal Dr. Sharada for her able guidance and support. Guide Mr. Prasanta Kumar Panda Parents for their support P. Janaki teacher in Mathematics for the skit. Padmavathi, HOD, Dept. of Telugu Mrs. G. Radha for water harvesting program Transport dept. of Visakha Valley School Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia CD