Earthquakes in India

Also known as quake, or tremor, an earthquake is a sudden shaking on the earth’s surface. It can vary in size so much that it can be as weak as that it cannot be felt or as strong enough to toss people around and destroy a whole city. 

What are Earthquakes?

According to the records, earthquakes are believed to be one of the most destructive natural disasters which occur at regular intervals. 

• Earthquakes that are of tectonic origin have proved to be the most devastating and their area of influence is also quite large. It is a series of earth movements brought about by a sudden release of energy during the tectonic activities in the earth’s crust
• Earthquakes in relation to rockfall, subsidence, volcanic eruption, landslides, especially in the mining areas show limited effects only
• Every year, the Indian plate is moving at a constant speed of one centimetre in the north-eastern direction. The Eurasian plate is constantly obstructing the movement of the Indian plate. It is believed that the Eurasian and the Indian plates are locked with each other which causes energy accumulation at different intervals leading to frequent earthquakes in India
  • The breaking of locks is the most crucial factor leading to earthquakes. When excessive energy accumulates, it builds up stress which creates pressure on locks which sometimes can also lead to the breaking up of the lock. This sudden release of energy causes earthquakes along the Himalayan arc
• Most Vulnerable Areas: Ladakh,  Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Darjeeling, and northeastern states 
• The earthquake in India also occurs on stable landmasses of the peninsular region. If the energy accumulates along the fault line by the river Bhima (Krishna), it possibly leads to the breaking down of the Indian plate

Earthquake Zones in India

The Geological Survey of India, National Geophysical Laboratory, Department of Meteorology and National Institute of Disaster Management are divided into the following five earthquake zones.

• High damage risk zone
• Very high damage risk zone
• Moderate damage risk zone
• Low damage risk zone
• Very low damage risk zone

Out of these, the first two zones had experienced some of the most devastating earthquakes in India.

Very High Damage Risk Zone

North-east states, certain areas of the Araria and Darbhanga with the Indo-Nepal border in Uttarakhand, Bihar, and Kashmir Valley, Western Himachal Pradesh, and Kachchh (Gujarat).

High Damage Risk Zone

• Apart from these, other parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Northern Punjab, Eastern Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Northern Bihar

Most areas that can be considered safe are mostly the landmasses under the Deccan plateau.

Consequences of Earthquakes

• The sudden outbreak of heartbreak causes damage especially in areas with high population density
• Not only does it destroy the transport and communication facility but takes away people’s life and settlements which they preserved over years

Effects of the Earthquake 

In the area of occurrence, earthquakes in India show life-threatening effects. Some of the effects of earthquakes are-  

• The waves produced develop fissures on the upper layers of the earth’s crust due to which various volatile materials gush out, overpowering the neighbouring areas

• Earthquakes can lead to landslides which lately obstruct the flow of rivers and other channels which ultimately leads to the formation of water reservoirs
• Due to earthquakes, sometimes, rivers interchange their route which causes floods or leads to other natural calamities                                                       

Earthquake Hazard Mitigation

If compared to other natural disasters, earthquakes are way more tense and unpredictable which leads to massive damage. It also destroys most communication links and puts brakes on transportation facilities which makes it even more difficult for victims to decide their next move or get timely relief. Although it’s not possible to reverse earthquakes in India, therefore it’s important to emphasise more on settling the after-effects rather than preparing curative measures. 

• Establishment of several seismological centres or earthquake monitoring centres to regularly monitor the changes especially in earthquake zones in India 
• To monitor the movement of tectonic plates, using GPS or the Geographical Positioning System (GPS) is an ideal choice
• Educating people to minimise the impact of disasters will be a great help. It’s better to prepare a vulnerability map to monitor changes and impacts
• Modification in buildings especially in vulnerable areas will be an ideal decision. Discourage the large industrial establishments and construction of tall buildings
• Finally, the last step is to put compulsion for adopting earthquake-resistant designs. The use of light devices on construction sites will be an added advantage

Conclusion 

India is one of the most affected countries by earthquakes due to the presence of technically active young fold mountains like Himalayas. 

Earthquakes, in simple words, are the shaking of the earth. It is caused due to the release of energy which produces waves that travel in all directions. The vibrations, which are called seismic waves, are generated from earthquakes that travel through the earth and are measured using seismographs.