Question 1
Case Background: The Sivasagar, Assam Flood Economic Shock
The severe floods that struck the Sivasagar and neighboring districts in Assam in July 2026 present a real-world example of how natural disasters shock economic systems. Driven by extreme water levels in the Dikhow River and a devastating breach of the Desang River embankment, the disaster submerged entire towns like Sivasagar and nearby villages.
Floodwaters damaged local retail shops, washed away warehouse stock, and cut off major road transportation networks connecting Sivasagar to neighboring supply hubs like Jorhat and Dibrugarh.
As municipal tap water systems were contaminated and power lines collapsed, local markets experienced two concurrent economic shocks:
1. Supply Shock (Leftward Shift): In areas like Station Chariali, local shopkeepers reported 4 to 5 feet of water entering their stores, destroying stored rations and inventory. Furthermore, submerged roads and railway lines cut off transportation, preventing new inventory from entering the district. This drastic reduction in available goods shifts the supply curve heavily to the left.
2. Demand Surge (Rightward Shift): As tap water became contaminated and power outages halted water pumps, the demand for clean, bottled drinking water skyrocketed. Similarly, panic buying and urgent survival needs caused an immediate surge in the demand for essential commodities like bottled water, dry food kits, and water purification tablets. This shifts the demand curve to the right.
Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.
During the initial hours of the Dikhow River breach, mechanized country boats and inflatable dinghies were required to evacuate stranded residents from submerged lanes in Sivasagar. Due to blocked arterial highways, local boat operators could not quickly bring additional vessels into the district. When the rental fee per trip jumped from ₹5,000 to ₹8,000, the total number of trips supplied daily rose modestly from 100 to 120. What is the Price Elasticity of Supply (PES) for emergency boat transport, and how is it characterized?
PES = 0.33 (Inelastic)
PES = 3.00 (Elastic)
PES = 0.60 (Inelastic)
PES = 1.67 (Elastic)