The seismic tremors Severe ground shaking was felt over northern and eastern India from Punjab to Calcutta in the early hours of September 1, 1803. But for some sketchy written accounts of the damage incurred at certain places and that too with reference to some prominent structures, there exist no means of assessing the destruction […]
Geophysical hazards
Seismic vulnerability of built environment in Uttarakhand
With the Great Himalayan Earthquake drawing close, the present state of built environment could result in near total devastation. To avert this eventuality, we have to seriously review the state of our built environment, and identify key factors contributing to seismic vulnerability and accordingly prepare a robust, time bound and practical strategy to set our […]
Earthquakes warning from Uttarakhand – implications for UP and NCR
The inaugural Inaugurating the only functional regional earthquake early warning (EEW) system of the nation together with Uttarakhand Bhookamp Alert, a mobile application for accessing the earthquake warnings and other earthquake risk reduction related information, at Uttarakhand Secretariat in Dehradun in the forenoon of August 4, 2021, the Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reiterated the […]
Earthquake safety tradition in the Himalayas
Experimenting with building design and construction precepts the people living in earthquake prone Himalayan region developed a construction algorithm with five distinct principles that ensured safety of structures during earthquake incidences. Ongoing tectonic movements, ensuing subduction of the Indian Plate beneath the Eurasian Plate, and their consequent collision resulted in the evolution of the Himalayan […]
Earthquake misconceptions you need to shed
If the earth moves beneath our feet, is it because the Seshanaga shrugged? Seven headed serpent king associated with Lord Vishnu, Seshanaga is generally believed by Hindus to hold the earth on his hoods, and earthquakes are considered to be caused as Seshanaga’s adjusts the massive weight on its hoods. Not many might believe in […]
Traditional genius or coincidence
Are the disasters becoming frequent? Are you convinced that the frequency of disaster incidences is increasing? Whatever the database, or assertion to support your views, and despite you possibly being right; I have one point to make that the available data shows that the frequency of earthquakes has not changed. On an average every year we on […]
Dolakha Earthquake of May 12, 2015
Tuesday May 12, 2015 I distinctly remember having experienced the violent shaking of Dolakha Earthquake. It was Tuesday May 12, 2015, and preparedness of the state governments to face an earthquake were being reviewed by the Ministry of Home Affairs through video conferencing. A routine exercise often undertaken ritualistically, particularly after major disaster events in […]