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Keywords
Disaster management, Buildings, Regulations, Geographic information systems
Abstract
Recently, a powerful earthquake of the magnitude of 6.9 on the Richter Scale that rocked the western Indian state of Gujarat has caused extensive damage to life and property. Apart from human misery, it has devastated the state physically, socially and economically. Discusses some issues which emerged from this disaster on search and rescue, relief and rehabilitation, scientific and technical, communication and earthquake preparedness. Also describes the lessons learned from this disaster in managing future earthquakes in India and also in other parts of the world as well.
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Introduction
India has experienced some of the most devastating earthquakes with magnitudes as high as 8.7 on the Richter Scale. However, in the recent past, a powerful earthquake of the magnitude 6.9 on Richter Scale rocked the state of Gujarat (one of its highly industrialized states) at 08.46 on 26 January 2001. This earthquake was so devastating in its scale and suffering, so heart-rending that nothing like it had been experienced in the past 50 years. It has left a large populace numbed and vast areas devastated. It brought in its wake untold destruction - loss of life and property, fragmentation and decimation of families and left thousands seriously injured, bruised and handicapped - both physically and psychologically. It caused terror in the minds of many people who were experiencing this for the first time. Many people had trauma, failed kidneys, heart disease and other responses associated with the earthquake.
The epicentre of the earthquake was located at 23.6degN latitude and 69.8degE longitude, about 20km northeast of Bhuj Town of the Kutch district, in Western Gujarat. Its depth of focus was relatively shallow, just 23km below the earth surface. This quake had generated intense shaking which was felt in 70 per cent of the regions of India. The tremors were felt in neighbouring Pakistan and also Nepal.
Intense aftershock activity has been continuing in the region. Until 2 April, 2001, about 648 aftershocks of magnitude ranging between 2.8 to 5.9 were felt in the affected state. The strongest one, of magnitude 5.9, was felt near Anjar...