Q.Discuss the vulnerability of India to earthquake-related hazards. Give examples including the salient features of major disasters caused by earthquakes in different parts of India during the last three decades.

Body Analysis

India's Vulnerability to Earthquake-Related Hazards

graph TD
    IEV["India's Vulnerability to Earthquake-Related Hazards"] --> UHZ["Urbanization in Hazard-Prone Zones"]
    IEV --> SH["Secondary Hazards"]
    IEV --> LAZ["Location in Seismically Active Zones"]
    IEV --> HPD["High Population Density"]
    IEV --> PCB["Poorly Constructed Buildings"]
    IEV --> IPA["Inadequate Preparedness and Awareness"]

• High Seismic Exposure: According to the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), over 58.6% of India's landmass is prone to moderate to very high-intensity earthquakes (Zones III, IV, and V).
• Tectonic Setting: The ongoing collision of the Indian Plate with the Eurasian Plate makes the entire Himalayan belt highly seismically active and prone to landslides and liquefaction.
• Unplanned Urbanization: High population densities, unscientific construction practices, and non-compliance with earthquake-resistant building codes (IS 1893) aggravate vulnerability.
• Critical Infrastructure Risks: Modern high-tech industries, underground utilities, and power grids are highly susceptible to disruptions from even moderate ground shaking.

Major Earthquake Disasters in India (Last Three Decades)

• 1993 Latur Earthquake (Maharashtra): A shallow, intraplate earthquake in a region previously classified as seismically stable. It caused massive destruction of non-engineered stone masonry houses, resulting in nearly 10,000 deaths and prompting a revision of India's seismic zoning map.
• 1999 Chamoli Earthquake (Uttarakhand): Occurred in the Himalayan foothills, triggering widespread landslides, disrupting surface water flows, and cutting off remote mountainous valleys.
• 2001 Bhuj Earthquake (Gujarat): Associated with a blind, reactivated intraplate fault. It caused colossal damage to infrastructure, multi-story buildings, and historical sites, resulting in over 20,000 deaths.
• 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami: Triggered by a massive undersea megathrust earthquake off Sumatra, generating devastating tsunami waves that inundated India's southeastern coast and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, causing widespread coastal devastation.
• 2005 Kashmir Earthquake: Caused by severe thrust faulting along the plate boundary, resulting in heavy casualties, massive landslides, and the complete disruption of communication and transport networks in mountainous terrains.