Topic Of The Day:-“Trail Of Destruction: On Damages Caused By Cyclone Gaja”
The Extent Of Damage Caused By Cyclone Gaja Is Much Worse Than What Was Believed Earlier
It is now becoming clear that Cyclone Gaja is a major disaster, and its economic impact in Tamil Nadu is comparable to that of the tsunami of 2004. The devastation suffered by tens of thousands of people in several districts of the State has been severe, going well beyond the annual storm season losses. In the initial days after November 16, when the cyclone struck, the State heaved a sigh of relief since the death toll was relatively low. But it is now clear that the suffering, the loss, and the displacement in large parts of Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur and Pudukottai districts is of an enormous magnitude. Communities in the affected areas are distraught as houses have collapsed, farms lie ruined, water sources arecontaminated and electricity supply remains disrupted. Many areas remain inaccessible because fallen trees have blocked roads. In its report to the Centre, the Tamil Nadu government has estimated the number of people rendered homeless at 3.7 lakh, and houses destroyed at 3.4 lakh. The cyclone has crippledagriculture and livelihoods in a fertile region, felling thousands of productive trees and killing livestock. Between 60% and 80% of the coconut trees in the region have fallen, hobbling Tamil Nadu’s farmers, whocontribute a quarter of India’s coconuts with the highest unit yield. Unlike paddy or many other crops, bringing coconut plantations back to life will take years.
The top priority for the Tamil Nadu government should be to restore administrative systems and service delivery in the affected areas. Only with physical access, electricity connections and public health facilities can effective relief work be undertaken. Solar power can get public facilities running overnight. It is equally important to assure the large number of stricken farmers that there will be a moratorium on any agricultural loans that they have taken, while a fair compensation scheme is prepared. Many of them haveinvested in trees and livestock expecting long-term returns, but have been rendered paupers overnight. The Tamil Nadu government has given the Centre a memorandum seeking nearly ₹15,000 crore for restoration,rehabilitation and mitigation, besides ₹1,431 crore for immediate relief work. The State’s requirements should be met in full. It is also worth pointing out that farm insurance under the Centre’s Fasal Bima Yojana covers only food crops, oilseeds and annual horticultural crops, making extraordinary compensation for farmers important. The average citizen is also keen on contributing money and material to the relief effort, as the experience with the Kerala floods shows. What she wants to see is administrative efficiency in rebuilding the shattered districts. Officials should not wait for people to launch protests before coming up with a response. Cyclone Gaja has wrought terrible devastation, and the relief programme must match it in scale.
MEANINGS AND WORDS
1) devastation
Meaning : great destruction or damage(n).
Synonyms : confusion
Antonyms : construction
Example : “the floods caused widespread devastation”
2) storm
Meaning : a tumultuous reaction; an uproar or controversy.(n),move angrily or forcefully in a specified direction.(v)
Synonyms : blizzard
Antonyms : calm
Example : “the book caused a storm in America”
3) heaved
Meaning : lift or haul (something heavy) with great effort.(v)
Synonyms : fling
Antonyms : depress
Example : “she heaved the sofa back into place”
4) toll
Meaning : a charge payable to use a bridge or road.(n)
Synonyms : expense
Antonyms : earn
Example : “motorway tolls”
5) displacement
Meaning : the action of moving something from its place or position.(n)
Synonyms : deracination
Antonyms : inaction
Example : “vertical displacement of the shoreline”
6) enormous
Meaning : very large in size, quantity, or extent.(adj)
Synonyms : excessive
Antonyms : common
Example : “enormous sums of money”
7) distraught
Meaning : very worried and upset(adj).
Synonyms : agitated
Antonyms : balanced
Example : “a distraught woman sobbed and screamed for help”
8) ruined
Meaning : reduce (a building or place) to a state of decay, collapse, or disintegration.(v)
Synonyms : collapsed
Antonyms : sober
Example : “a ruined castle”
9) contaminated
Meaning : make (something) impure by exposure to or addition of a poisonous or polluting substance.(v)
Synonyms : corrupt
Antonyms : assist
Example : “the site was found to be contaminated by radioactivity”
10) disrupted
Meaning : interrupt (an event, activity, or process) by causing a disturbance or problem(v).
Synonyms : disturb
Antonyms : appease
Example : “flooding disrupted rail services”
11) estimated
Meaning : roughly calculate or judge the value, number, quantity, or extent of.(v)
Synonyms : predicted
Antonyms : computed
Example : “the aim is to estimate the effects of macroeconomic policy on the economy”
12) rendered
Meaning : provide or give (a service, help, etc.).(v)
Synonyms : accomplished
Example : “money serves as a reward for services rendered“
13) crippled
Meaning : (of a person) unable to walk or move properly; disabled(adj).
Synonyms : broken
Antonyms : fixed
Example : “a crippled old man”
14) fertile
Meaning : (of soil or land) producing or capable of producing abundant vegetation or crops.
Synonyms : abundant
Antonyms : impotent
Example : “the fertile coastal plain”
15) livestock
Meaning : farm animals regarded as an asset.
Synonyms : domestic
Antonyms : fact
Example : “markets for the trading of livestock”
16) hobbling
Meaning : walk in an awkward way, typically because of pain from an injury.
Synonyms : falter
Antonyms : continue
Example : “he was hobbling around on crutches”
17) contribute
Meaning : give (something, especially money) in order to help achieve or provide something.(v)
Synonyms : add
Antonyms : hold
Example : “taxpayers had contributed £141.8 million towards the cost of local services”
18) restore
Meaning : bring back or re-establish (a previous right, practice, or situation).
Synonyms : improve
Antonyms : decline
Example : “the government restored confidence in the housing market”
19) stricken
Meaning : seriously affected by an undesirable condition or unpleasant feeling.
Synonyms : harmed
Antonyms : unaffected
Example : “the pilot landed the stricken aircraft”
20) assure
Meaning : tell someone something positively to dispel any doubts.(V)
Synonyms : persuade
Antonyms : discourage
Example : “Tony assured me that there was a supermarket in the village”
21) moratorium
Meaning : a temporary prohibition of an activity.
Synonyms : delay
Antonyms : continuation
Example : “a moratorium on the use of drift nets”
22) compensation
Meaning : something, typically money, awarded to someone in recognition of loss, suffering, or injury.(n)
Synonyms : earnings
Antonyms : debt
Example : “he is seeking compensation for injuries suffered at work”
23) invested
Meaning : provide or endow someone or something with (a particular quality or attribute(v).
Synonyms : devote
Antonyms : take
Example : “the passage of time has invested the words with an unintended humour”
24) paupers
Meaning : a very poor person.
Tamil Meaning :
Synonyms : supplicant
Antonyms : rich
Example : “he died a pauper”
25) rehabilitation
Meaning : the action of restoring someone to health or normal life through training and therapy after imprisonment, addiction, or illness(n).
Synonyms : improvement
Antonyms : damage
Example : “she underwent rehabilitation and was walking within three weeks”
26) relief
Meaning : a feeling of reassurance and relaxation following release from anxiety or distress.
Synonyms : alleviation
Antonyms : hindrance
Example : “much to her relief, she saw the door open”
27) mitigation
Meaning : the action of reducing the severity, seriousness, or painfulness of something.
Synonyms : cure
Antonyms : increase
Example : “the identification and mitigation of pollution”
28) wrought
Meaning : made or fashioned in the specified way(Adj).
Synonyms : constructed
Example : “well-wrought pop music”
