Weathering the storm in Ersama q&a

Following is the complete question bank for – WEATHERING THE STORM IN ERSAMA

By- Bijit Gogoi

Very Short Answer Type Important Questions

1. When did the cyclone hit Orissa ?

Ans. The cyclone hit Orissa on 27 October, 1999.

2. Where was Prashant when the cyclone hit Orissa ?

Ans. At that time he was in a small coastal town of Orissa, some eighteen kilometres from his village.

3. What was the name of Prashant’s village ?

Ans. The name of his village was Kalikuda.

4. Who met Prashant on his way back to village ?

 Ans. He met two friends of his uncle on his way back to village.

5. What had Prashant to push away on his way back to village ?

Ans. Prashant had to push away many human bodies, and carcasses of dogs, cattle and goats.

6. How did Prashant find his house when he reached his village ?

Ans. He found only the remnants of the roof of his house.

7. What did Prashant found about children in the relief camp ?

Ans. Prashant found that a large number of children had been orphaned.

8. How have the people of the community helped one another ?

Ans. The people of the community helped one another with great co-operation.

9. How did Prashant feel when he reached his village ?

Ans. His heart went cold when he reached his village.

10. How did Prashant travel back to his village from Ersama ?

Ans. Prashant travelled on foot and swimming through deep water back to his village.

11. How did people receive food in Prashant’s village ?

 Ans. Food packets were dropped by helicopters.

Short Answer Type Questions  (30 to 40 words)

 1. 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. The rain water was entering the house during the super cyclone. So, Prashant and his friend’s family  remained on the roof of the house for two days. Two coconut trees had fallen on the roof of the house. Prashant and his friend’s family lived on them. They got their food from these tender coconuts.

2. (i) Why was it difficult for Prashant to travel back to his village?

 Ans. There was water everywhere. He had to use his stick to locate the road. At some places, it was waist deep and the progress was slow. Sometimes, he lost the road and had to swim. After some distance, he found two friends of his uncle. They decided to move ahead together. They 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. His heart sank. His house was gone. His family was nowhere. In order to look for his family, Prashant went to the Red Cross Shelter. Fortunately, his family was alive. They were very glad to see Prashant. He came to know that eighty-six lives were lost in his village and all the ninety-six houses had been washed away.

Q.3 .What were the two important tasks Prashant did after deciding to be the leader of the village? 

Ans. The first task was that he organised a group of youths and elders to make the merchant give them rice. They succeeded in their mission. Secondly, he made a team of youth volunteers. They cleaned the shelter of the dirt, urine, vomit and floating carcasses.

 Q.4. How did the villagers make the helicopters drop regular quantities of flood?

 Ans. Prashant and others devised a plan to attract the attention of the helicopters. They deputed children to lie there with empty utensils on their stomachs. This was done to communicate to the helicopters that they were hungry. The scheme worked and the helicopters started dropping food regularly.

Q.5. How did Prashant and his friend’s family pass two days of the super cyclone?

Ans. As the flood water was rising, Prashant and his friend’s family sat on the open roof of the house. They froze in the cold and continuous rain. Two coconut trees had fallen on the roof. They proved to be a blessing in disguise. They survived by eating the tender coconuts.

Important Long/ Detailed Answer Type Questions- to be answered in about 100 -150 words each

Value based questions-

ESSAY TYPE QUESTIONS

1. Describe the destruction caused by the super cyclone as narrated in the story *Weathering the Storm in Ersama’.

Ans. On 27th October, 1999, Prashant went to meet one of his friends who lived in Ersama. The place was eighteen kilometres from his village. In the evening, a super cyclone came. Winds beat against the houses with great fury. There was heavy and continuous rain. Houses and people were washed away in the flood. His friend’s house was made of bricks and cement. It was strong enough to survive the wind blowing at 350 km per hour. hut one uprooted tree fell on their house and damaged some part of its roof and walls. To escape the waters rising in the house, Prashant and his friend’s family took refuge on the roof. For the next two days, Prashant sat huddled with his friend’s family on the rooftop. They froze in cold and rain. In the early morning, Prashant saw the destruction caused by the cyclone. There was a sheet of water everywhere. Only parts of cemented houses were still visible. All other houses had been washed away. Even huge trees had fallen. Bloated dead-bodies of animals and human beings were floating everywhere.

Q.2. Describe how Prashant reached his village after the cyclone ?

Ans. The destruction caused by the cyclone and the waves of the ocean continued for the next thirty-six hours. Two days later, the rain ceased and the rainwater slowly began to recede. Prashant was worried about his family. He took a long stick and started on the eighteen kilometre long and difficult journey to his village. There was water everywhere. He had to use his stick to locate the road. At places it was wait deep and the progress was slow. Sometimes, he lost the road and had to swim. After some distance, he found two friends of his uncle. They decided to move ahead together. They had to push away many human bodies floating on the water. Thvre were also carcasses of dogs, goats and cattle. In every village they passed, they could barely see a house standing. Ile feared that his family could not have survived the cyclone. At last he reached his village Kalikuda. His heart sank. His house was gone. His family was nowhere. In order to look for his family, Prashant went to the Red Cross Shelter. Fortunately, his family was alive. They were very glad to see Prashant. He came to know that eighty-six lives were lost in his village and all the ninety-six houses had been washed away.

Q.3. Describe how Prashant helped himself and others at the time of the natural calamity ?

Ans. The cyclone caused a lot of damage in Prashant’s village and surrounding areas. Prashant decided to help his own family and the others. He organised a group of youths. They pressurized the local merchant to give rice for the starving villagers. They burnt a fire and cooked the rice, although it was rottim;. His next step was to clean the place of filth, dirt, urine and floating dead bodies. They tended the wounds ana fractures of many who had been injured. On the fifth day, a military helicopter dropped food. But it did not return. Prashant and others devised a plan to attract the attention of the helicopters. They deputed children to lie there with empty utensils on their stomachs. This was done to communicate to the helicopters that they were hungry. The scheme worked and the helicopters started dropping food regularly.

The Prashant brought the orphaned children and made a shelter for them. He asked the woman tr look after them. But he found that women and children were sinking deeper and deeper in their grief. A non-government organization had started a food for work programme. Prashant persuaded them to join it. He eng..ged other volunteers to help widows start their lives again. The orphaned children were resettled in their own community.

 Value Based Questions and Answers of WEATHERING THE STORM IN ERSAMA

QUICK REVIEW OF THE CHAPTER

1.The heavy cyclone hit Orissa in

      (A) 1998                                                                                         (B) 1999

      (C) 2000                                                                                           (D) 2001

  Ans. (B) 1999

2.Where was Prashant when the cyclone hit his village ?

     (A) at the block headquarter about 18 k.ms from his village

     (B) in his village

     (C) in other stage

     (D) none of the above

  Ans. (A) at the block headquarter about 18 k.ms from his village

3.How did Prashant reach his village ?

     (A) travelling on foot                                                                 (B) swimming through water

     (C) both (A) and (B)                                                                   (D) none of the above

 Ans. (C) both (A) and (B)

4.What did Prashant see in the flood water floating ?

      (A) dead bodies of men, women and children              (B) carcasses of dogs, goats and cattle

      (C) household possessions                                                  (D) all of the above

  Ans. (D) all of the above

5.How much distance was covered by Prashant through flood water?

      (A) Eighteen kilometers                                                          (B) Eighty kilometers

      (C) Hundred kilometers                                                          (D) Two hundred kilometres

 Ans. (A) Eighteen kilometres

6.The name of Prashant’s village is

     (A) kalikuda                                                                                   (B) ersama

     (C) palikuda                                                                                   (D) none of the above

  Ans. (A) kalikuda

7.Could Prashant meet his family when he reached his village ?

    (A) Yes                                                                                              (B) No

    (C) May be                                                                                      (D) May not be

  Ans. (B) No

8.How long did it rain continuously in Ersama ?

     (A) for 24 hours                                                                           (B) for 36 hours

     (C) for 48 hours                                                                            (D) none of the above

 Ans. (B) for 36 hours

9.What calamity hit Orissa ?

    (A) cyclone                                                                                      (B) earth quake

    (C) drought                                                                                     (D) land sliding

  Ans. (A) cyclone

Weathering the storm in Ersamma (9th English)

                                     Weathering the Storm in Ersama

1.        How did Prashant escape the fate of his village people during the rain?

Ans. Prashant was at his friend’s house when the storm struck Orissa. Prashant had to spend two nights on the open rooftop in the rain due to the flood. He survived by eating the coconuts from a tree that had fallen on the roof. However, his village people had to face the fury of the storm. They lost their houses and had to take shelter at the Red Cross shelter.

2.        What shocked Prashant? Why?

           Or

What did Prashant see around him after the rain? How did he feel then?

Ans. After the rain, Prashant saw a raging, deadly, brown sheet of water everywhere around him. A few fractured cement houses were the only things visible. Bloated animal carcasses and human corpses floated in the water. The trees including the huge ones had fallen down. Prashant felt worried about his family.

3.        What was ‘the miracle’ and how?

Ans. On his way back to his village, Prashant saw the havoc caused by the rain and the flood. He saw the villages swept away by the flood and the carcasses and corpses floating in the water. He had to wade through the water. He could see no house in any of the villages. It disappointed and despaired him. He started crying loudly.

4.        What was ‘the miracle’ and how?

Ans. Prashant’s family had been worried about him. When he did not return for days, they thought they had lost him. But when Prashant’s family found him alove at the Red Cross shelter, they were extremely happy. They took it to be ‘a miracle’ because it wasn’t easy to survive the rains and the flood.

5.        What did Prashant sense wrong with the people at the shelter? How did he solve the problem?

Ans. Prashant could sense the feeling of a deathly grief settling fast upon the people in the shelter. They mourned for the people who died due to the flood and the property they lost. They also had nothing to eat. Prashant formed teams to resolve these problems. He also organized matches to lift their spirits.

6.        How did Prashant communicate to the government that they were hungry?

Ans. There was acute shortage of food at the shelter. The children were hungry. The helicopters once dropped some food parcels but then did not come again. Prashant made the children lie on the ground with empty utensils on their stomachs. It very successfully conveyed the message to the authorities that they were hungry. Due to his efforts, the helicopters started dropping food regularly.

7.        How did Prashant infuse the people with the new life?

Ans. Prashant could not only the physical but the emotional and the psychological needs also. He made a separate shelter for the orphans. He encouraged women to look after the children. He further encouraged them to come out of the stigma. He organized some amusement activities to lighten up their lives. With his leadership quality, he managed to infuse a new life in them.

8.        What did the Government do to improve life in Orissa? Why did Prashant resist the plan?

Ans. To improve the life in Orissa, the Government also decided to set up institutions for orphans and the women. Prashant resisted the plan as he felt these institutions would increase the stigma and loneliness in widows. Instead, he encouraged the foster families.

9.        What havoc had the super cyclone wreaked in the life of the people of Orissa?

Ans. The super cyclone completely devastated the coastal Orissa. It was followed by heavy rains and floods. Together they gutted hundreds of houses, killing thousands.

10.    How has Prashant, a teenager been able to help the people of his village?

Ans. He formed a group of youth and elders and together they helped themselves in arranging the food and cleaning the shelter and tending the injured ones.

11.    How had the people of the community helped one another? What role did the women of Kalikuda play during those days?

Ans. The young people under Prashant’s command cleaned the shelter and tended to the injured. The elders helped them in arranging for food and other things. Merchants gave food. Women of Kalikudu looked after the orphans.

12.    Why do Prashant and other volunteers resist the plan to set up institutions for orphans and widows? What alternatives do they consider?

Ans. They feel that in such institutions women suffer from stigma and loneliness and children would grow up without love. So they consider the alternative of ‘setting foster families’.

13.    Do you consider Prashant to be a good leader? Do you think young people can get together to help people during natural calamities?

Ans. Yes, Prashant definitely is a good leader. He organized people and raised their morale. He could get the ration dropped for them, encouraged windows to look after the orphans and to tend the indired. He also pleaded with the elders to become foster parents. Yes, young people can help people together during natural calamities.

14.    What hit Orissa on 27th October, 1999?

                       Or

What happened when Prashant had gone to visit his friend in Ersama?

Ans. On that day, a super cyclone with a speed of 350 km per hour hit the coastal areas of Orissa. It was followed by continuous heavy rains for two days. Raging ocean waves flooded Orissa.

15.    How did Prashant contribute to improve the condition of the shelter?

Ans. He formed a team of volunteers to clean the shelter of all the fifth, urine, vomiting, and carcasses etc. he uplifted the spirits of the inhabitants emotionally, physically and psychologically.

16.   How did Prashant help the children affected by the cyclone and flood?

Ans. He set up a polythene shelter for orphans, helped them resettle in their own societies through adoptions and foster families. He organized matches etc to help them recover.

17.    How did Prashant help the women affected by the devastating cyclone?

Ans. He helped them by providing food and other basic needs. He made them work for NGOs and to look after orphans. He helped them set up foster families. He helped them emotionally and psychologically.