Question

Mitigration strategies of earthquake in detail

Answer 1

The tremors that were recorded 6.4 on the Richter scale shook Satara, Sangti, Nasik, Sholapur, Nanded and Aurangabad districts killing only nine people. Seismic waves travelled to Karnataka killing 13 and to A.P., Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Goa. Many parts of Bombay too were rocked. The epicentre was at latitude 18.2 North and longitude 76.7 East in the Maharashtra-Karnataka -Andhra Pradesh region about 500 km from Bombay. Vidarbha too experienced the shocks. 21 villages in Latur and Osmanabad were completely wiped out. In many cases there was none to conduct funeral rites as all in the family were killed.

A large number of NRIs, individuals, humanitarian organizations came to the rescue and help. 15,000 troops did yeoman's service in providing food and water. As usual RSS people were the first to help extricate dead bodies from the debris. Centre provided Rs. 10 crore for the quake-affected. Femandes thought it inadequate when the government, spends Rs. 20 crore a year on the security of M.Ps. The worst aspect could be seen on October 2 when some vandals (rogues) indulged in a looting spree in the area.

The third earthquake was experienced in Chamoli region of Garhwal in Uttar Pradesh on April 1, 1999 in which more than 400 lost their lives. The fourth and the most devastating one was experienced in Bhuj and Ahmedabad in Gujrat which according to George Fernandes took a toll of one lakh. It took place on 26th of January 2001. Bhuj, Anjar, Bhaehau and Rapar were the most affected areas. In Ahmedabad too 78 multistoreyed buildings fell like house of cards killing most of the families.

It was only three and a half month later that the Indian community living in Los Angeles in USA suffered from a devastating earthquake that took no lives but was responsible for a great loss of property.

According to Christ Browitt of the Global Seismology Unit in the Geological survey opened that the earthquake in Maharashtra released energy equivalent to a hydrogen bomb explosion. The region (Latur & Osmanabad) is dominated by structures not designed to withstand seismic convulsions. James Jackson of the Department of Earth Sciences sees that although the 1897 and 1905 earthquakes along the foothills of Himalayas were 8 R or more yet the loss in Maharashtra was more.