GSEB Class 9 English Moments Chapter 6 Weathering the Storm in Ersama Solutions

Think About It

Question 1. What havoc has the super cyclone wreaked in the life of the people of Orissa?
Answer: The super cyclone **wrecked** everything in Ersama, a small coastal town in Orissa. As a result, **most** houses were destroyed, people **lost** their families and possessions, and trees were uprooted. Only the strong cement houses were **safe**. The air was filled with screams. As far as the eye could see, the land was covered with dirty brown water, with **bloated** animal **bodies** and human corpses **floating**. The scenes were **horrible**. People were seen trying to **keep** whatever they could **get**. There was a **lack** of food. People felt sad and **powerless**, and a **sense** of sadness had **covered** everyone.
In simple words: The super cyclone completely destroyed the town of Ersama. Many people lost their homes and families, and the area was filled with dead bodies and desperate people looking for food and help.

Exam Tip: When describing a disaster's impact, remember to cover the physical damage, loss of life, emotional toll, and the immediate aftermath like scarcity of resources.

Question 2. How has Prashant, a teenager, been able to help the people of his village?
Answer: Prashant **displayed** real leadership **skills**. The first thing he **did** was to **control** himself because he was initially **shocked** by the widespread destruction. Then he **chose** to become the village leader and **encouraged** others to help themselves. He **formed** a group of young people and elders to **collectively urge** the merchant to **provide** rice for those in the shelter. He **achieved success** in this task. His next **job** was to **create** a team of young volunteers to clean the **dirty** shelter and **care for** the injuries and broken bones of people hurt by the cyclone. Prashant also **gathered** many orphaned children and **built** a plastic shelter for them. While women were **asked** to look after them, men **found** food and other important items for the shelter. When he **noticed** that the women were becoming very **sad**, he **convinced** them to begin working in the food-for-work program, which an NGO had started. He also **arranged** sports activities for children. In this way, Prashant, with the **aid** of other volunteers, helped the people **rebuild** their lives.
In simple words: Prashant showed strong leadership by first calming himself, then organizing youth and elders to get food, cleaning the shelter, caring for the injured, and creating a temporary home for orphans. He also started activities to help people cope and rebuild their lives.

Exam Tip: Focus on Prashant's key actions: self-control, leadership, resource mobilization, community organization (youth/elders, men/women), and initiatives for relief and rehabilitation (cleaning, medical aid, shelter, food, psychological support).

Question 3. How have the people of the community helped one another? What role do the women of Kalikuda play during these days?
Answer: The community members **worked together** and started helping each other, led by young Prashant. They **successfully convinced** the merchant to **give** his rice for the people in the shelter. They **collected** fallen tree branches and **started** a fire to cook rice for everyone. When the military helicopter dropped some food **packages** but didn't come back, the youth **team** collected empty **dishes** from the shelter and had the children lie in the sand with the **dishes** on their stomachs. This was to **show** the passing helicopters that they were hungry. The message **worked**, and the helicopter began making regular **trips** to the shelter, dropping food and other essential items. Women were **organized** to care for the orphans, while men **obtained** food and supplies for the shelter. Even though they were very sad, the women **began** working in the food-for-work program, which an NGO had started.
In simple words: The community helped each other under Prashant's leadership by getting food, cooking, and signaling for helicopter drops. The women of Kalikuda primarily took care of the orphaned children and participated in the food-for-work program.

Exam Tip: Highlight both the collective efforts (getting food, signaling helicopters) and the specific roles of different groups, especially the women's contribution to childcare and relief work.

Question 4. What do Prashant and other volunteers resist the plan to set up institutions for orphans and widows? Why alternatives do they consider?
Answer: Prashant and other volunteers **opposed** the plan to create institutions for orphans and widows. They believed that in such places, children would **grow** without love and care, and widows would **face** shame and solitude. Instead, Prashant and his group **proposed** that children and widows should be **relocated** within their own community, where they could **find** a family-like setting. To **build** a feeling of belonging and to **encourage** love and care, they **intended** to **meet** the needs of orphaned and childless individuals. They brought them together in one place to **help** their emotional **hurts**.
In simple words: Prashant and the volunteers didn't want orphans and widows to go to institutions because they feared loneliness and lack of affection. They suggested that these people should stay within their own community, creating a family-like atmosphere to heal their emotional pain.

Exam Tip: When discussing social support, emphasize the importance of community and family-like environments over impersonal institutional care, especially for vulnerable groups.

Question 5. Do you think Prashant is a good leader? Do you think young people can get together to help people during natural calamities?
Answer: Yes, Prashant is a very **effective** leader. Even though he was very sad himself, he **managed** to **control** his feelings and **chose** to **lead** the village. He **understood** what was needed at that moment and **acted** accordingly. He also **inspired** other village residents to **participate** and help people **recover**. Yes, young people can certainly **unite** to assist others during natural disasters and at other times. If they **work** together, it gives them a **feeling** of power to **overcome** the difficult situation. They can **use** their energy and **passion** to help people.
In simple words: Yes, Prashant is a great leader because he took charge even when he was sad, and inspired everyone to help. Young people can definitely help during disasters by working together, using their strength and energy to overcome tough situations.

Exam Tip: To show Prashant is a good leader, mention his ability to overcome personal grief, assess needs, motivate others, and implement solutions. For the second part, emphasize the collective power and energy of youth in crisis.

Weathering The Storm In Ersama Summary In English

Weathering The Storm In Ersama Summary:

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 have washed away against 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. But 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 the cold and the rain. In the early morning, Prashant saw the destruction caused by the cyclone. There was a sheet of water everywhere. Only pans 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. 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 kilometres 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 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. There were also carcasses of dogs, goats and cattle.

In every village they passed, they could barely see a house standing. He 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. 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 to the starving villagers. They burnt a fire and cooked the rice, although it was rotting.

His next step was to clean the place of filth, dirt, urine and floating dead bodies. They tended the wounds and 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. Prashant brought the orphaned children and made a shelter for them. He asked the woman to look after them. But he found that women and children were sinking deeper and deeper into their grief. A non-government organization had started a portion of food-for-work programme. Prashant persuaded them to join it.

He engaged other volunteers to help widows start their lives again. The orphaned children were resettled in their own community. Though six months have passed since the cyclone caused heavy destruction, the widows and orphaned children of the village still seek Prashant in their hour of grief and need.