NCERT Class 9 English Chapter 27 Weathering the Storm in Erasma Solutions to each chapter is provided in the list so that you can easily browse through different chapters NCERT Class 9 English Chapter 27 Weathering the Storm in Erasma and select need one. NCERT Class 9 English Chapter 27 Weathering the Storm in Erasma Question Answers Download PDF. NCERT English Class 9 Solutions.
NCERT Class 9 English Chapter 27 Weathering the Storm in Erasma
Also, you can read the NCERT book online in these sections Solutions by Expert Teachers as per Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Book guidelines. CBSE Class 9 English Solutions are part of All Subject Solutions. Here we have given NCERT Class 9 English Chapter 27 Weathering the Storm in Erasma and After, NCERT Class 9 English Textbook of Beehive and Supplementary Reader (Moments). for All Chapters, You can practice these here.
Weathering the Storm in Erasma
Chapter: 27
SUPPLEMENTARY READER – MOMENTS
THINKING ABOUT THE TEXT
Q. 1. What havoc has the super cyclone wreaked in the life of the people of Odisha?
Ans: The super cyclone hit the coastal areas of Odisha on October 1999. The fury of the storm and heavy rains caused destruction of life and property on a very large scale. Old trees were uprooted and houses were washed away swiftly. The winds blew at a speed of 350 km per hour. Angry flood water that entered the house at Ersama was neck deep. It left behind an army of orphaned children and homeless widows.
Q. 2. How has Prashant, a teenager, been able to help the people of his village?
Ans: Prashant was only nineteen years old when the cyclone destroyed almost all the houses in his village-Kalikuda. He was deeply moved to see widespread hunger, and mis4ery. He stepped in as leader of the village. He organised a group of youths. He obtained rice to feed the hungry. His team cleaned the shelters of filth and provided relief to the wounded. He put the homeless children under polythene roof and fed them. He organised sports events for them. He resettled them in their own community.
Q. 3. How have the people of the community helped one another? What role do the women of haw Kalikuda play during these days?
Ans: Prashant mobilised every people of the community to help one another. He noticed that a large number of children had been orphaned. He collected and brought them together and put up a polythene sheet shelter for them. No mobilised women to look after them. The men were to look after these people for providing food and other material. He persuaded the women to start working in the food for work programme started by an N.G.O. He organized cricket matches for children.
Q. 4. Why do Prashant and other volunteers resist the plan to set up institutions for orphans and widows? What alternatives do they consider?
Ans: Prashant did not approve of the state government’s plan to set up homes for orphans and widows. The village rescue team felt that in such homes the To children won’t get love and the widows would feel lonely. So the orphan children should be settled in new foster families made up of childless widows.
Q. 5. Do you think Prashant is a good leader? Do you think young people can get together to help people during natural disasters?
Ans: Natural disasters are a common annual feature in a vast country like India. Hence disaster management is our urgent need. The state alone no doubt has the means to provide relief on a large scale. Foreign countries also sent V relief material when Tsunami struck Tamil Nadu. But spirited youngmen like Prashant can do a lot to organise relief camps and ensure fair Lain distribution of relief material. The ban people themselves should rise to the occasion and help the disaster victims.
Q. 6. Talk about the preparedness of the 101 community for a natural disaster. (You can talk about evacuation plans and rehabilitation, permanent safe shelters; warning systems; relief efforts; building materials to withstand cyclone / flood/earthquake i.e. safe housing; peoples’ organisation of their own rescue, the survival instinct, etc.
Ans: It is a class room activity needed to be discussed in the class by the teacher. However some hints can be supplied for help.
Generally the nature shows its rage every year in one or the other part of the nation. It may be in the form of flood, cyclone, storm, earthquake, heavy rains, landsliding falling of rocks in the hilly areas and the eruption of volcanoes’] etc. The Government raises the occasion and helps the victims at all costs. But the immediate help of the community, its vigil, preparedness, cooperation, sympathy and mutual understanding pay a lot to the affected people.
The following points can be put pin deep consideration:
1. Immediate managements for saving their lives to properties.
2. Arrangements for food, shelter and other requisite items.
3. Raising their morale and helping them at all steps.
4. Requesting the NGO’s and other agencies for help.
5. Planning other relief measures as per occurrence of the situation.
6. Arranging warning signals from time to time.
7. Educating the people for adopting rescue measures.
8. Thinking about their rehabilitation and making arrangements and opportunities.
9. Providing them education, health facilities and employment opportunities.
10. Advising them to be bold and courageous enough to face the troubled time.
11. Seeking help from the state Government and other prosperous agencies.
12. Taking the help of media and other bn allied agencies.
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION
SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Answer the questions in about 30-40 words each:
Q. 1. What happened in the evening when Prashant was at his friend’s house in Eraasma?
Ans: In the evening when Prashant was at his friend’s house, a dark and menacing storm gathered. Winds. started blowing with great speed. Heavy and continuous rains filled the darkness. Ancient trees were uprooted and crushed to death. The angry water rushed in his friend’s house, neck deep.
Q. 2. Why did Prashant and his friend’s family spend the night in cold terror?
Ans: Prashant was at his friend’s house. when the storm struck Odisha. The angry water swirled into his friend’s house, neck deep. Although, the build-ing was strong enough the crashing of trees that had fallen on their house, damaged it’s roof and walls. To escape the water rising in the house, Prashant and his friend’s family spent the night in cold terror.
Q. 3. ‘Prashat had never witnessed such a storm before.’ Describe the storm in your own words.
Ans: On that day, a super cyclone with a speed of 350 km per hour hit the coastal areas of Odisha. Winds beat against the houses with a speed and fury. Heavy and incessant rain filled the place with darkness, ancient trees were uprooted and crashed to the earth. Some trees had even fallen on the houses, damaging their roofs and walls screams rent the air as popular houses were swiftly washed away.
Q. 4. On reaching his village, where does Prashant decide to go and why? Whom did he meet there?
Ans: Prashant could sense the feeling of a deathly grief setting fast upon the people of his village. In place of his house, there were only remnants of its roof. He decided to go to the Red Cross shelter to search his family.
At first, he saw his maternal grandmother in the crowd. Also, he met his brother, sister, his uncles and aunts there, who were all extremely happy to see him there as he had not returned for days.
Q. 5. What did Prashant do for orphaned children?
Ans: Prashant found that a large number of children had been orphaned. He brought them together and put up a polythene sheet shelter for them. He organised cricket matches for children. Prashant tried to set up these children in new foster families made up of childless widows and children.
Q. 6. Where had Prashant gone on 27th October, 1999? Why?
Ans. Prashant had gone to block headquarters of Erasama on 27th October 1999. He had gone there to spend a day with a friend. Ersama is a www.small town in coastal Odisha.
Q. 7. What did Prashant decide to do to re-settle orphans and widows?
Ans: Prashant set up a polythene shelter for orphans and helped them to resettle in their own societies through adoptions and foster families. He organized matches etc. to help them recover. He also helped the widows by providing them food and other basic needs. He made them work for NGOs and to look after orphans. He helped them set up foster families.
Q. 8. How did Prashant manage food for village people?
Ans: A military helicopter dropped some parcels. But it didn’t return. The youth task force of the village asked the children to lie in the sand with empty utensils on their stomachs. They were successful in telling the helicopters that they were hungry. So the helicopter dropped regular food and other supplies to them.
Q. 9. Why according to Prashant’s group, should orphans and widows not be sent to institutions?
Ans: According to Prashant’s group, orphans and widows should not go to institutions because widows would get a stigma and loneliness. Children would grow up without love. These will be very dangerous for their normal growth.
Q. 10. How were the orphans and the bris widows resettled?
Ans: Prashant persuaded the women to work under head for work programme. For children sports such as cricket matches were organised. He tried to resettle the orphan children in foster families.
Q. 11. Suggest measures that one should adopt in case of natural disaster, the kind of disaster that took place at Erasama.
Ans: It is always better for those occupying the coastal areas to move to a safer place, taking along only what is essential. After the storm subsides, the youth force and able men should volunteer to do the needful, till life comes back to normalcy. Care should be taken to prevent epidemics that may break out during such times.
THOUGHT PROVOKING MODULE
Study the following Questions:
Q. 1. In adversity, ‘we are at our best.’ How far does this statement hold true in case of Prashant?
Ans: It is very true that in times of adversity, we get very powerful. We get very energetic and try to face the situation bravely. Suppose we are stuck up in any kind of emergency situation or natural calamity. We get very powerful. We find the same in case of Prashant who depicted quality of leadership. During the super cyclone he spent two days on the roof of the house. After that with courage reached This village. There also he depicted his bravery in helping young, orphans and women.
Q. 2. Why could Prashant think of helping people though he himself was not yet out of the shock of having lost his mother?
Ans: It is very difficult about others when one is caught in its own personal loss. When Prashant came to know that he had lost his mother in the tragedy he could have been completely broken. But a boy like Prashant was a man with qualities of head and heart. He acted as hero at the times of calamity. He did his best to resettle the orphans and widows. Even in such a calamity he plans and shows concern for all.
Q. 3. Prashant could think of making the foster families for the cyclone victims. How did it help the society?
Ans. Prashant worked a lot for the foster families. He persuaded the women to work for food for work programme. For children he organised cricket matches. He also tried to resettle the orphan children in foster families. Such steps would really help the society. ‘Food for work’ programme would give rise to the concept of lending supportive and encouraging land to the broken people. On the other hand support for widows and orphaned children would be great complement to each other. Mutual support would also give boost to the self esteem and respect to the people affected by calamity.
LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Answer the questions in about 100-150 words each:
Q. 1. What are the immediate needs of the victims of a natural calamity? How did Prashant fulfill them?
Ans: During a natural calamity immediate needs are housing, food, shelter and emotional support. Prashant a boy of only nineteen years, has all the qualities of head and heart. During the devastation caused by the super-cyclone, Prashant showed courage and bravery. He inspires the cyclone victim and mobilises the women to work. He tries to resettle the orphans and widows with the help of government. He is a ray of hope for the grief stricken victims of Odisha. He is serving as a good leader to the wounded. He persuaded women to work for food for work programme. For children, he organised cricket matches. Thus as a very resourceful person, he did what he could do for the children, women and other victims.
Q.2. There are some people who assert the negative shades of their personality by taking advantage of the victims of a catastrophe. The story, ‘Weathering the Storm in Erasama’ has a reference which tells us about a merchant who was pressurised to part with his rice in the aftermath of the cyclone. Discuss the negativity that influences such people. What values increase their chances of survival in a group?
Ans: After the terrible storm that devastated the villages near the coastal areas of Odisha, people were shifted to a Red Cross shelter. They had lost their kith and kin, their houses and whatever possessions they had. For the first four days people in the shelter survived on green coconuts. Prashant could not bear to see the people in that condition. So, he organised youths and elders to pressurise merchants to part with the rice. There are many such merchants who take the opportunity to exploit the situation. These merchants hoard the grains so that they can release them at a high price when the demand is at its peak. They know if they would store the rice, it would rot, still they do so. They do not realise the need of the hour. Being an inhabitant of the village, the merchant seems to be hard hearted to find his own village people starving while he is rolling in money. Individuals like him calculate about their future prospects, and not the present crises which could have long term effects. Their selfishness increases their chances of survival. However, such people should be made to experience the hardships of the poor commoners, so that they may understand their plight.
Q. 3. How did Prashant contribute to improve the condition of the shelter?
Ans: The condition in the camp was desperate. People were depressed, hungry and wounded. Prashant was only nineteen years old. He decided to step in as the leader. He organised a delegation of youths and elders. They requested the businessmen for help. They managed to get rice from a reluctant merchant and fed the people.
They collected branches of the trees for fire on which they cooked rice. Thus the survivors were able to fill up their bellies. Then he organized a team of youth. This task force cleaned the camp and its surroundings of all filth. They looked after the wounded. Prashant organised games and matches for the young. He persuaded women to look after the orphans. He asked women to work for food so that they were usefully occupied and forgot their grief. He brought cheer to the cheerless. He showed them the light in the darkest hour of their lives.
Q. 4. Why did-Prashant and the other volunteers resist the plan to set-up institutions for orphans and widows? What alternative plan did they consider?
Ans: The initial plan was to setup institutions for orphans and widows. This step has been resisted, as it was felt that in such institutions, children would grow up without love, and widows would suffer from stigma and loneliness. Prashant’s group believed that orphans should be resettled in their own community itself, in new foster families made up of childless widows and children without adult care.
So Prashant worked strongly for this and was greatly successful. It is his dedication which makes widows and orphaned children seek him out most in their darkest hour of grief.
Q. 5. ‘Adverse and difficult situations throw efficient leaders to the forefront.’ Bring out the truth in the statement with respect to Prashant’s character and personality. Which values make him an efficient and popular leader?
Ans: Prashant, being just a teenaged boy, is a classic example of the fact that hard work with foresight and determination leads to success. When he reached the Red Cross shelter, what he saw was a horrifying sight- homeless people, childrens widows, orphaned children, all of them were grieving and starving. This pathetic sight gave him the impetus to do something to improve the people’s condition. He used his organisational skills which helped a lot in the revival of the village. Right from arranging to provide food for these people, to cleaning up their surroundings and arranging for other amenities. Prashant had been an inspiring force for the village youths and other volunteers. His management techniques are revealed in the way he put up a shelter for orphans with women to take care of them. He persuaded women to start working for the food for work programme of an NGO. It proved to be a success. The highlight of all the Prashant’s effects of rebuilding was the resettlement of childless widows and orphaned children into new foster families. Thus, without getting disheartened, he helped people in picking up the lost threads of their lives. He thus, exhibits the initiative to do good, leadership skills, organizational skills and iron grit with determination.
Q. 6. Recount the events in Prashant’s village which led to the slow and tortuous process of survival. Which values enabled the villagers to come out of their desperate situation after the cyclonic fury?
Ans: Prashant sensed a deathly grief setting upon the 2500 strong crowd in the shelter. It was their fourth day. So far they had survived on green coconuts. Prashant organised a group of youths and elders and brought rice from the merchant through wading waters. It was cooked and eaten by the people. The helicopter dropped food packets on the fifth day. But that was all. The Youth Task Force gathered empty utensils and deputed children to lie in the ground with these utensils on their stomachs to communicate their hunger to the passing helicopters. Then, there was regular food supply. Unity and comradery enabled the villagers to come out of their desperate situation.
Q. 7. Describe the character sketch of Prashant a practical leader and social worker.
Ans: Prashant is a young man with all qualities of head and heart. He has acted as hero at the times of calamity. He does not display his weakness at any time. He being courageous organised a group of youths and elders. He tries to resettle the orphans and widows with the help of the government. He is a ray of hope for the victims. Even at the times of such a calamity he plans all the things in an organised manner. He shows most no concern for the orphans and widows. He tries to create for them foster families. His action has made him the hero of the villagers. Thus he is saviour in the darkest hour of the time.
