ABSTRACT
Disasters occur in India with rather grim regularity, causing enormous loss of life and property. Almost 85 per cent of the country is vulnerable to one or multiple disasters, and about 57 per cent of its area — including the capital — lies within a high seismic zone. Approximately 40 million ha. of the country’s land is prone to flood, about 8 per cent of the total land mass is prone to cyclone and 68 per cent of the area is susceptible to drought. Of the 35 States and union territories in the country, 27 are disaster prone; and one State, West Bengal, is prone to disasters of four types.
