Flooding is a recurring issue in Jammu and Kashmir, India that has recently been exacerbated by climate change. In March 2015, the region experienced its worst flooding since 1959 as heavy rains caused the Jhelum River to overflow. At least 16 people died in landslides caused by the flooding. Flood waters can spread water-borne illnesses to vulnerable communities if sewage and water systems are damaged. Local communities need updated infrastructure and disaster response plans to better protect against future flooding events.

1. FEG-02 2015
1.
3. Write a paragraph of 100-150 words on any one of the following topics: (10)
a. Vanishing species.
b. Modern Society.
c. Forgiveness.
d. Nature’s Magic.
Answer: a) VANISHING SPECIES
Not Only Is Nature Beautiful,
Its Complex Diversity Is Also Essential To
Our Well-Being.
With each passing day, though, we are less and less likely to experience the full beauty of nature.
And it isn’t just the fault of video games. Yes, getting kids outdoors in our increasingly
structured world is a challenge. But even when our kids are in nature, they are less likely to see a
monarch butterfly than they were just ten years ago. And monarchs are not the only vanishing
species; countless plants, insects, and animals are struggling to survive. The plight of some of
our historically common species is downright scary. As the migration of monarch butterflies
throughout North America is collapsing, native bumblebees are disappearing, too. Bats are dying
out, and frogs are in dire peril. In short, some of our most treasured species are vanishing right
now—in our lifetimes, in our children’s lifetimes—before our very eyes.
Losing species is not a problem for just the plants and animals that are dying off, though. Their
disappearance hurts us, and our children, too. Scientists are constantly discovering ways in which
biodiversity benefits us. You probably already know that we all need native pollinators
for our food, healthy forests for the air we breathe, and unpolluted water reserves to sustain us. However,
what about the health of our, and our children’s, immune systems? Nature offers so much promise in the
way of medicines and cures. Nature can also help us focus our attention, support our memory, increase
our self-control, and improve our outlook on life. When nature is healthy, it raises our quality of life.
However, most importantly, what about the legacy we leave to future generations? A lost species is a
species our children’s children will never know. Are we willing to let extinction happen on our watch?
4. Write a composition of 250-300 words based on any one of the pictures given below: (20)
Ans:
a). Flooding: Devastating Floods and Heavy Rains

2. Climate change hascontributedtoa rise inextreme weatherevents - includinghigher-intensity
hurricanes ,floods andheavierrainfallsacrossthe country. Floodingcancause a range of healthimpacts
and risks, includingdeathandinjury,contaminateddrinkingwater,hazardousmaterial spills,increased
populationsof disease-carryinginsectsandrodents,moldyhouses,andcommunitydisruptionand
displacement.
As rainsbecome heavier,streams,rivers,andlakescanoverflow,increasingthe riskof water-borne
pathogensflowingintodrinkingwatersources.Downpourscanalsodamage critical infrastructure like
sewerandsolidwaste systems,triggeringsewage overflowsthatcanspreadintolocal waters.
FloodsinJammuand Kashmirare not exactlyanuncommonphenomenon,if historyandindeedits
geographyisto be believed. The state has seen an unprecedented amount of rainfall, resulting in its
worst floods since 1959. Floods in the state are invariably linked to the Jhelum River and its
history of crossing the danger mark, its streams, and rivulets overflowing and thereby inundating
the “Valley” (south Kashmir) in the process.
While the scale of devastation caused by these floods is nothing short of massive, with over 200
people having lost their lives so far, the Valley, along with the Jammu region has, over time
witnessed floods occurring at regular intervals. According to Sir Walter Roper Lawrence in his
book, The Valley of Kashmir (1895), “Many disastrous floods are noticed in vernacular histories,
but the greatest was the terrible inundation which followed the slipping of the Khadanyar
mountains below Baramula in AD 879. The channel of the Jhelum river was blocked and a large
part of the valley was submerged.”
Quite recently, on March 30, 2015 10:55 IST, the incessant rains across the most parts of the
Kashmir Valley resulted in River Jhelum crossing the danger level in Srinagar and Sangam area
of South Kashmir. The government issued an alert on Monday asking people to move to higher
reaches to avoid low-lying areas that are flooded. Besides, an avalanche warning was also issued
for next 24 hours in avalanche-prone areas of Jammu and Kashmir. As per media reports, about
16 people died in Budgam district due to the mudslide in Jammu and Kashmir. The heavy rains
over the weekend caused floods in the region, which resulted in the landslide. According to
media reports, eight dead bodies were recovered from a house, which collapsed in the landslide.
Eight teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) reached Kashmir to evacuate the
stranded people.
Afterthe rainstops andwhile performingrescue operations,thingtobe takenintopointisthat
exposure topathogensfromsewage anduncleanwatercansickenvulnerablecommunitieswith
illnesseslike cryptosporidiosis,giardiasis,andnorovirus(whichcause diarrhea,abdominal pain,nausea,
vomiting,headache,andfever).Local communitiesacrossthe countrycan preventfloodsandheavy
rainsfrom devastatingtheirhomesandbuildingsbyupdatinginfrastructure,improvingdrinkingwater
safeguards,andcreatingpublicplansforwhatto doin case disasterstrikes.