Short Answer Type Questions - Weathering the Storm in Ersama

Q.1. When did the cyclone hit Orissa?
Ans. The cyclone struck Orissa on 27 October 1999.

Q.2. Where was Prashant when the cyclone hit Orissa?
Ans. At that time he was in a small coastal town of Orissa, about eighteen kilometres from his village.

Q.3. What was the name of Prashant's village?
Ans. The name of his village was Kalikuda.

Q.4. Who met Prashant on his way back to the village?
Ans. He met two friends of his uncle on his way back to the village.

Q.5. What had Prashant to push away on his way back to the village?
Ans. Prashant had to push away many floating human bodies and the carcasses of dogs, cattle and goats.

Q.6. How did Prashant find his house when he reached his village?
Ans. He found only the remnants of the roof of his house.

Q.7. What did Prashant find about children in the relief camp?
Ans. Prashant found that a large number of children had been orphaned.

Q.8. How have the people of the community helped one another?
Ans. The people of the community helped one another with great cooperation.

Q.9. How did Prashant feel when he reached his village?
Ans. His heart went cold when he reached his village.

Q.10. How did Prashant travel back to his village from Ersama?
Ans. Prashant travelled on foot and swam through the deep water back to his village.

Q.11. How did people receive food in Prashant's village?
Ans. Food packets were dropped by helicopters.

Q.12. Where were Prashant and his friends during the two days of the super cyclone? What did they live on? Where did they get their 'food' from?
Ans. During the super cyclone, rainwater entered the house, so Prashant and his friend's family stayed on the roof for two days. Two coconut trees had fallen on the roof, and they survived by drinking the tender coconut water and eating the soft coconut flesh.

Q.13. (i) Why was it difficult for Prashant to travel back to his village?
Ans. There was water everywhere, so he had to use his stick to locate the road. In many places the water was waist-deep and progress was very slow. At times he lost the road and had to swim. After some distance he met two friends of his uncle and they decided to move on together. They also had to push away many human bodies floating on the water.
(ii) "His heart went cold' when he reached his village. Why?
Ans. At last Prashant reached his village, Kalikuda and his heart sank. His house was gone and his family was nowhere to be seen. He went to the Red Cross shelter to search for them. Fortunately, his family was alive and were overjoyed to see him. He learnt that eighty-six people had died in the village and all ninety-six houses had been washed away.

Q.14.What were the two important tasks Prashant did after deciding to be the leader of the village?
Ans. First, he organised a group of youths and elders to put pressure on the local merchant to give them rice, and they succeeded. Second, he formed a team of young volunteers to clean the shelter, removing dirt, urine, vomit and floating carcasses to make the place livable.

Q.15. How did the villagers make the helicopters drop regular quantities of the food?
Ans. Prashant and others devised a plan to attract the attention of the helicopters. They asked children to lie on the sand with empty utensils on their stomachs to show they were hungry. This signal worked and the helicopters began dropping food and supplies regularly.

Q.16. How did Prashant and his friend's family pass two days of the super cyclone?
Ans. As the floodwater rose, Prashant and his friend's family sat on the open roof of the house in the cold and continuous rain. Two coconut trees had fallen on the roof and their tender coconuts provided the only food and drink, which kept the family alive for those days.

Q.17. What havoc had the super cyclone wrecked in the life of the people of Orissa?
Ans. The super cyclone was a devastating storm that washed away houses and destroyed hundreds of villages. It killed thousands of people, uprooted many ancient trees and left dead bodies everywhere. Many people became homeless and a large number of children were orphaned; the destruction continued for about thirty-six hours and the situation afterwards was grim.

Q.18. How has Prashant, a teenager, been able to help the people of his village?
Ans. On reaching his village, Prashant saw terrible conditions and, showing leadership, took the initiative to help rehabilitate people. He organised a team of young volunteers to clean shelters and remove filth and carcasses. He persuaded grieving women to care for children and organised activities to keep the children busy. By taking these actions, he became a ray of hope for the village.

Q.19. How did Prashant spend his time during the first two days of the super cyclone?
Ans. When the cyclone hit coastal Orissa, Prashant was at his friend's house where water reached neck level. He and the family spent two days on the roof and survived by eating the tender coconuts from the two fallen coconut trees.

Q.20. What did Prashant see when he reached his village?
Ans. When Prashant reached his village his heart turned cold. Houses had been washed away and only roofs were left lying about. Belongings were mixed and twisted, and tree branches appeared above the water. The first woman he recognised at the Red Cross shelter was his maternal grandmother.

Q.21. How did Prashant manage food for the village people?
Ans. A military helicopter dropped some parcels but did not return quickly. The youth task force then asked children to lie in the sand with empty utensils on their stomachs to signal hunger. This succeeded in getting the attention of helicopters, which then dropped food and other supplies regularly.

Q.22. How did the super cyclone affect the life of the people of Orissa?
Ans. The super cyclone in October 1999 was highly destructive. Heavy, unending rain and violent winds uprooted ancient trees, washed away people and houses, and caused widespread death and homelessness.

Q.23. What did Prashant do for orphaned children?
Ans. Prashant found many children had been orphaned. He gathered them together and provided a polythene shelter. He organised cricket matches and other activities to keep them occupied, and tried to place them in new foster families formed mainly from childless widows and other local families.

Q.24. Do you think Prashant is a good leader? Do you think young people can get together to help people during natural calamities?
Ans. Undoubtedly, Prashant is a good leader. He takes initiative, has a clear vision, faces adversity courageously, and inspires others with energy and motivation. I believe young people can come together to help during natural disasters; youth is a powerful resource and, when organised, can carry out relief work effectively and responsibly.

Q.25. How have the people of the community helped one another? What role do the women of Kalikuda play during these days?
Ans. Prashant mobilised the villagers and everyone joined hands in relief work. People helped one another in rescue and rehabilitation efforts. Women worked in the Food-for-Work programme and also played a vital role in looking after the orphans and caring for the needy.

Q.26. What happened in the evening when Prashant was at his friend's house in Ersama?
Ans. In the evening a dark, menacing storm gathered; fierce winds began to blow and heavy, continuous rain filled the darkness. Ancient trees were uprooted and smashed, and the angry water rushed into his friend's house up to neck level.

Q.27. Where had Prashant gone on 27th October 1999? Why?
Ans. Prashant had gone to the block headquarters of Ersama on 27 October 1999 to spend a day with a friend. Ersama is a small town in coastal Orissa.

Q.28. How did the two fallen coconut trees prove a blessing in disguise for Prashant and his friend's family?
Ans. The cyclone uprooted many big trees and two coconut trees fell on the roof of the house. Their tender coconuts provided water and food, which kept the trapped family from starving for several days, thus proving a blessing in disguise.

Q.29. How were the orphans and the widows resettled?
Ans. Prashant showed deep sympathy for the victims and persuaded women to work in the Food-for-Work programme so they could earn and be useful. He made arrangements to keep children occupied and helped place orphans with childless widows and within the community so they could receive care and affection.

Q.30. After becoming the leader of his village, Prashant performed two important tasks. What were they?
Ans. Prashant organised youths and elders into a group that pressured a wealthy merchant to donate rice for the poor. He also organised efforts and signals so that helicopters would drop regular food supplies to the hungry villagers.

Q.31. Why do Prashant and other volunteers resist the plan to set up institutions for orphans and widows? What alternatives do they consider?
Ans. Prashant and the volunteers resisted setting up separate institutions because they felt such institutions would deprive children of parental love and would cause widows to suffer stigma, loneliness and isolation. Instead, they decided to rehabilitate orphans and widows within the community by forming new families and placing children with childless widows and other local households so they could receive care and affection.