Introduction:
In the early morning scene, two jolts of an earthquake swayed the massively troubled area of Baramulla in the Indian-administered part of Kashmir. Today’s tremors of 4.9 and 4.8 on the Richter scale jolted people awake at around 6:45 in the morning.
The details of the Earthquakes
According to the National Center for Seismology, the first quake was of 4.9 magnitude on the Richter Scale; instantly following it was another of force 4.8. Later, it was discovered that the United States Geological Survey found the first one to be the more powerful of the two, at 5.1. Both were quakes of about a similar order in terms of depth, although. Description: They were somewhere near 10 kilometers deep, labeled as shallow quakes but strong enough in force to deliver a good shake to this mountainous region of Kashmir.
Up to now, no reports have come in about any injured people or major damages; nevertheless, the early morning quakes sent shockwaves through the community through the physical and the shaking up that always accompanies them. Having got its fair share of major earthquakes having experienced the huge 7.6 magnitude back in 2005, which took away thousands of lives the public is overwhelmingly left vigilant and responsive to even the slightest motion of shaking.
Residents respond with fear and Caution
The mountainous setting of Kashmir, with history repeating itself in seismic activity, brought fear with the earthquake; there was no complacency. People scampered for open spaces with a terror all too familiar at any point of the day in this susceptible topography that had been serving as the stage for building collapses or landslides, happening and stirring the local authorities.
The local authorities rushed to inform the people to be vigilant and the protection measures for the aftershocks that are very soon like the rambos of aftershocks as it recalled the victims to the people about the people of victims. People were too familiar with the fear that in this delicate topography, buildings could collapse or landslides could occur. People ran to the open spaces at any time of the day.
Getting Down to the 2005 Kashmir Earthquake
Kashmir has got potential for earth quakes, one among them was the earth quake of 2005 on October the 8th which measured 7.6 on the scale. On either end of the Line of Control that divided the state, it had hit hard at its epicenters, the maximum blow was in Pak controlled Kashmir. More than 80,000 people would lose their lives, thousands of buildings, schools, and hospitals would be reduced to rubble.
Landslides had isolated communities for days from medical help, and simultaneously, millions had been rendered homeless. Almost a decade down, the psychological scars of that disaster echo in the minds of the people of Kashmir. This means that the psychological impact of this disaster is so intensive that an instant tremor automatically brings fear and reminds the people of the lack of safety in future disaster calamities within the region.
Seismic Vulnerability of Kashmir
The Kashmir region is in the lap of the Himalayas, and it is believed to be one among the most frequent earthquake-prone territory in this world. This is because the outcome of these earthquakes has made it one of the most seismically active regions. Hence, most of the tectonic stress that collects breaks in the form of earthquakes, and therefore almost all quakes throughout the area are very shallow, usually not surpassing greater than 10-15 km.
Even the ones which geologically speak ought to be regarded as moderate are experienced with a relatively severe intensity of shaking. In most of the descriptions it is cited that Baramulla lies in a location falling in the day time seismic belts of all magnitude, itself being put under test usually. The hilliness of the topography makes this place very conductive to the vulnerability. What is more, the old buildings of the city were poorly built, with mostly meager or no seismic resistance, unlike their recent counterparts.
Although modes of construct ions are varied in this day, mostly all the houses and building s in the region had been built wit h bricks and stones which were highly vulnerable to shaking of earthquakes, it also helps the resident prepare and the authorities to prepare action plans in its advent in case there are possible aftershocks or reoccurrence of an earthquake. NCS puts much emphasis in community preparedness, other than early detection and timely reporting. Regular drills for earthquake victims in schools, hospitals and in government offices in a significant way reduce the number of casualties and the damages in the succeeding events.
What Next for Baramulla?
Although only the initial reports would indicate that there was no occurrence of deaths and injuries, there is the possibility of aftershocks. Caution is given by the local authorities to ensure that the residents take no chances and remain on high alert, following all safety precautions. He went on to add, emergency services are on high alert if things go for the worst and the delivery of relief operations is all set to deploy in case the conditions go bad.
Although the tremors have just begun, parts of Baramulla have seen cracks in houses and some kinds of disturbances in infrastructure although nothing of the same kind of the earlier disasters. Life is now limping back slowly to normalcy with the threat currently abating. However, that sinking feeling never quite goes away; more so amongst the elderly residents who have indeed lived through previous quakes.
Historical and Cultural Impact Due to Earthquakes in Kashmir
It is the history of such seismic activities that has decided not only the geography but also nears some of the cultural and infrastructural impacts. They had learned ways to live in such a high-risk area for centuries, and they placed their feet to the earth in much more traditional ways to make earthquake-proof structures. But modernity shifted them off to materials and design constructions that could probably not take the blows of such an event like the ways of the old. With a little more modern-era flair for building, they earthquake-proofed at barely-bringing-the-troops-home-alive prices.
Not that the barely-bringing-the-troops-home-alive formula can take much tweaking. Every temblor drives home life’s fragility in this beautiful but dangerous terrain. For instance, to a people for whom the power of the other world bears meaning and is integrated within their being, as it is well a part and parcel of their cultural and religious cloth, the tendency is to perform religious rites and pray for respite after each quake. Now that I pause to write, and the place recovers from those two shocks that it was gifted with this morning, the region is one spot that can see repeats.
Conclusion
Yes, the shakes are mild, but underscored is a huge reminder that the region continues to remain very vulnerable to large seismic events. Quite a distant event that the 2005 earthquake was, but the terror it has inspired continues to reverberate in the hearts of the people of Kashmir. Such readiness might give one some comforting sources of reacting quickly through seismology centers, but at the same time, being part of the world where people have learned to accept earthquakes as a fact of life, they still proceed with a circumspect way of life. There has been no death yet, but it is open-mindedly unrealistic that this could be sustainable within a condition of seismic activity, which is almost never-ending.
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