Class 9th Eng. Ch-6Weathering the Storm in ErsamaQuestions and answers (Supplimentary) Q/A Theme, Message NCERT/CBSE Based

Chapter-6

Weathering the Storm in Ersama

-Harsh Mander

Textual Questions

Q1. What havoc has the super cyclone wreaked in the life of the people of Orissa?

Ans. The super cyclone hit the coastal areas of Orissa on 27th October 1999. It came with a great fury. Strong winds blew. They razed down the houses with great fury. It rained continuously for days. It devastated everything which came in its way. It uprooted the trees and destroyed all crops and the buildings. The water entered the houses and fields. There was a huge loss of life and property. Thousands of people and animals were killed. Their corpses were seen floating in the flood water.

Numerous children became orphan and a large number of women became widows.

Q2. How has Prashant, a teenager, been able to help the people of his village?

Ans. Prashant is a teenager but he is mature beyond his age. He forms a group of young volunteers to help the victims of the cyclone. The group forces the merchant of the village to donate rice to the hungry. He makes children lay on the sand with utensils on their stomachs. The helicopters see them and drop food items. He organises a team of youth volunteers to clean the shelter of filth, urine, vomit and floating carcasses and corpses, and to tend to the wounds and fractures of the injured. He sets up a polythene tent to provide shelter to children and asks widows without children to look after them. He also organizes men to arrange food and material for shelter.

Q3 How have the people of the community helped one another? What role do the women of Kalikuda play during these days?

Ans. The people of the community have helped one another through mutual cooperation. Men secured food and materials for the shelter. Women worked in the food-for-work programme of an NGO. They also looked after the orphaned children. Jointly they pressurized the merchant to provide rice to the hungry people. They also cleaned the shelter of filth, urine, vomit and floating carcasses and corpse, and tended to the injured.

Q4. Why do Prashant and other volunteers resist the plan to set up institutions for orphans and widows? What alternatives do they consider?

Ans. Prashant and other volunteers resist the plan to set up institutions for orphans and widows as they feel that the children will grow without love in these orphanages. Women will suffer from stigma and loneliness. These institutions are not apt for their growth and happiness. They feel that orphans should be resettled in their own community.

Q5. Do you think Prashant is a good leader? Do you think young people can get together to help people during natural calamities?

Ans. Yes, Prashant is a good leader. He organizes a group of volunteers to deal with the aftermath of the cyclone. He becomes a saviour for the cyclone-hit victims. He manages to get food and shelter for the affected. He also organises women to care for children. Young people are energetic and if they are determined, they can surely get together to help people during natural calamities like flood, cyclone or earth quake, etc.

Short Answer Type Questions

Q1. Where had Prashant gone when the super cyclone struck? Why had he gone there?

Ans. Prashant had gone to his friend's house in the block headquarters of Ersama. It was a small town in coastal Orissa, eighteen kilometers from his village, Kalikuda. He had gone there to spend the day with his friend.

Q2. What happened immediately when the storm hit the region?

Ans. The storm arrived accompanied by heavy and continuous rain that darkened the entire area. The heavy rains uprooted big trees and washed away houses. Screams of people rent the air and everything seemed to be submerged in water.

Q3. Describe briefly the scene of destruction around the house of Prashant's friend.

Ans. The super cyclone uprooted even the ancient trees. Houses were swept away. The flood water entered the house of Prashant's friend with great fury. The uprooted trees fell on the house. These damaged the roof and walls of the house. Prashant and his friend's family panicked at the sight.

Q4. Why was the falling of two coconut trees on the roof of the house of Prashant's friend a blessing in disguise?

Ans. Prashant had to sit at the roof of his friend's house along with his friend's family for two dreadful nights. They nearly froze in the cold and continuous wind. They didn't have either food or water. The two coconut trees had fallen on the roof of their house. Although these damaged the roof and the walls, they provided coconuts to drink and eat. These kept them away from starving for several days.

Q5. 'Prashant's journey to home was a journey he would never forget. Explain.

Ans. statement started his journey towards his village determined to find his family. He found that there was water everywhere. He had to wade through the waist-deep water with the help of a stick. At times he had to swim when he lost the road. On his way, he saw dead bodies of animals and human beings floating in the flood water. in every village, he could barely see a house standing. Prashant started weeping on seeing the scale of destruction all around.

Q6. Why did Prashant's heart go cold when he reached his village?

Ans. Prashant reached his village Kalikuda through flood waters with much difficulty. His heart sank to see the devastation. His house was gone, only its roof was visible. No trace of his family was there. His heart sank thinking that they all had died.

Q7. How did the villagers make the helicopters drop regular quantities of food?

Ans. Prashant and others made a plan to attract the attention of the helicopters. They deputed children to lie in the sand with empty utensils on their stomachs. This was done to give a signal to the helicopters that they were hungry. The idea worked and the helicopters started dropping food regularly.

Answer Type Questions

Give a character-sketch of Prashant, a practical leader and a social worker.

Weathering the Storm in Ersama' is an inspirational story which would motivate the youngsters to work in the area hit hard by natural calamity. The central character and hero of the story is a young lad of nineteen years, Prashant. He is a born leader who has pity in his heart, and has nerves of steel. He is greatly moved seeing the plight of his village people but is determined enough to put their lives on track again. When the cyclone strikes, he is in the house of his friend. He has to spend two days on the roof top of the house as there is neck deep water in the house. He nearly freezes in the cold rain and wind. He weeps thinking about the well being of his family members. He is a courageous youth. He starts an eighteen kilometre journey to his village in neck deep water only with a stick. He is shocked to see the deserted look of his village. Not a single house has escaped the fury of the storm. So The goes to the Red Cross shelter to look for his family there. He meets his family here.

After the heroic journey, he now decides to manage the crisis. He decides to evaluate the damage to people and property. He also thinks of the coming dangers and problems for the survivors. He organizes a group of youths of his village and pressurises the merchant to give them some rice. On the fifth day, a military helicopter drops food. But it doesn't return. The group deputes the children to lie In the sand with empty utensils on their stomachs. It is a signal to the passing helicopters that they are hungry. Finally, they get food through airdropping. His next step is to clean the place of filth, urine and floating dead bodies. He becomes Savior for his own people. He makes a shelter for the orphaned children. He asks women to look after them.

Ch-6 Summary

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https://englishscholarhubclgautam.blogspot.com/2024/03/class-9th-eng-ch-6weathering-storm-in.html

Ch-5 The Happy Prince

http://englishscholarhubclgautam.blogspot.com/2024/03/class-9th-eng-ch-5the-happy-prince.html

Ch-4 The Kingdom Of Fools

Summary

http://englishscholarhubclgautam.blogspot.com/2024/03/class-9th-eng-ch-4the-kingdom-of-fools.html

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Ch-3 Ishwaran The Storyteller

http://englishscholarhubclgautam.blogspot.com/2024/03/class-9th-eng-ch-3-ishwaran-storyteller.html

Ch-2 The Adventures of Toto