12th Standard Geography — Man-Made Disasters - Public Awareness for Disaster Risk Reduction Online Test
Unit 8 of Class 12 Geography explains hazards, disasters and community-based disaster risk reduction, then gives the causes of and rules of action for man-made disasters: stampede, drowning, fire accidents, industrial disasters such as the 1984 Bhopal gas leak, and road accidents, with safety rules for students.
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About Man-Made Disasters - Public Awareness for Disaster Risk Reduction
Easy ~45 min study
Man-Made Disasters - Public Awareness for Disaster Risk Reduction is the eighth unit of the Tamil Nadu State Board Class 12 (Plus Two) Geography book. It opens with the 2017 stampede on a footbridge between Prabhadevi and Parel stations in Mumbai and asks why rushing can be disastrous.
The unit defines hazard, disaster, disaster risk management, capacity and disaster risk reduction, and explains how community-based disaster risk reduction uses local knowledge, street theatre, puppet shows and flash mobs to spread awareness. It then studies five man-made disasters: stampede, drowning, fire accident, industrial disasters and road accidents.
This page gives the ten one mark questions of the book exercise with answers checked against the lesson, plus additional questions on the rules of action for stampede, drowning facts, fire safety, industrial hazards and road safety, each with a short explanation.
What you'll learn
- Define hazard, disaster, capacity and disaster risk reduction.
- Explain community-based disaster risk reduction approaches.
- List the causes of stampede and describe the rules of action during a stampede.
- State the facts about drowning and the measures to prevent it.
- Explain the do's, don'ts and preventive measures for fire accidents.
- Describe industrial hazards and the road safety rules for students.
Before you start
- The idea of natural hazards and disasters from earlier geography classes.
- Basic awareness of traffic signals and road signs.
- Simple ideas of fire, gases and air from science.
Topics covered in this chapter
Man-Made Disasters - Public Awareness for Disaster Risk Reduction explained
What this unit covers
Disaster risk reduction
A disaster is a serious disruption whose losses exceed a society's ability to cope with its own resources. Recent studies call for a shift from disaster response to disaster risk reduction, done within the community and for the community.
Stampede
A stampede is a sudden rush of a crowd that causes injury and death by suffocation and trampling. In India, 79 percent of stampedes have taken place at religious events. Seven rules of action include noticing an alternate exit and keeping the hands by the chest.
Drowning
Drowning is the 3rd leading cause of unintentional injury death, accounting for 7% of injury-related deaths and 75% of deaths in flood disasters. About 90 percent of drowning cases occur in freshwater.
Fire accident
Low fire spreads at 1-3 m/sec and high fire up to 100 m/sec. The lesson lists do's, preventive measures, actions during a fire, the use of an extinguisher and things never to do.
Industrial disasters and road accidents
Industrial hazards are fire, explosion, toxic release and environmental damage. Road accidents kill 1.34 million people every year; the unit closes with basic road safety rules for students.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Mixing up the drills: stop, drop and roll is for fire, while drop, cover, hold is for earthquake.
- Thinking most drownings happen in the sea. About 90 percent occur in freshwater.
- Confusing crowd management (planning and supervision) with crowd control (restriction of group behaviour).
- Writing 3-5 m/sec for low fire. The lesson gives 1-3 m/sec for low fire and up to 100 m/sec for high fire.
- Listing stampede as an industrial hazard. The four are fire, explosion, toxic release and environmental damage.
Test yourself on these with the practice test, then check the worked reasoning in the solved MCQs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a hazard and a disaster?
A hazard is a potentially damaging physical event or human activity that may cause loss of life, injury or damage. A disaster is a serious disruption of a society whose losses exceed its ability to cope using its own resources.
What is community-based disaster risk reduction?
It is a process within a community and for the community. It addresses the root causes of risks through local knowledge and expertise, and uses street theatre, skits, puppet shows, poetry, dance and flash mobs to communicate.
What are the rules of action during a stampede?
Notice an alternate exit, keep your hands by your chest, keep moving with the crowd towards exits, curl up in a fetal position if you fall, communicate with signs, conserve energy and set a meeting place.
Why do we drown faster in fresh water than in ocean water?
Fresh water is similar to blood, so it passes into the bloodstream by osmosis and the cells burst, leading to organ failure in two to three minutes. Ocean water takes 8 to 10 minutes, giving a greater chance of rescue.
What should you do if your clothes catch fire?
Do not run, because running intensifies burning. Stop, drop on the floor and roll to stop the fire spreading, or take the clothes off, throw them in a safe place and put out the fire.
What happened in the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster?
On 3 December 1984 a cloud of methyl isocyanate gas leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. An additional 25,000 people had died of related injuries by 1994.
What are the primary road safety risk factors?
In low- and middle-income countries the primary risk factors are speeding, drink-driving, and the non-use or improper use of helmets and seatbelts.
Last updated 19 October 2026