Is disaster awaiting the Northeast?

Imphal: Another wake up call for the people of Northeast as two medium intensity earthquakes measuring 4.9 and 3.3 on the Richter Scale rocked Manipur on Thursday.

As per the reports of National Centre for Seismology, the first quake measuring 4.9 occurred at 1.24 pm with its epicentre at Chandel in Manipur at a depth of 60 kms.

The second one struck at 5.26 pm at Senapati at a depth of 10 km and measured 3.3 at the Richter Scale.

However no loss of life or property was reported from the incident.

“25,000 dead; 14,000 collapsed buildings”: This is what a government-commissioned report predicts will happen to Aizawl should a 7-magnitude earthquake with an epicentre in the city’s vicinity last 30 seconds according to The Frontier Despatch.

With a series of earthquakes occurring in the region this year, it becomes necessary to analyse the preparedness in terms of disaster amongst the people of Northeast India. In January 4, a very strong intensity earthquake of 6.7 magnitude struck West Imphal that killed atleast 11 people while more than 200 others were left injured and huge assets were damaged, The North East Today reported.

As per the MHA notification, an even greater intensity earthquake measuring 8.2 or even greater may hit the region in the future.

The National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) has placed the Northeastern region under severe seismic Zone V. Two great earthquakes, one that occurred on 12 June 1897, with the epicentre near Rongjuliin, Assam, (8.7) and the other on 15 August 1950 with the epicentre at Tajobumin, Arunachal Pradesh (8.5), are regarded among the most severe earthquakes in recent world history. Large scale devastation took place on both occasions. Besides these, as many as 20 destructive earthquakes between the magnitudes 6-7 on the Richter Scale have rocked this region in the past century.

Considering all these aspects, it is time to deliberate on the question as to whether we are well prepared for the upcoming disaster or will we let disaster ruin us. Hence disaster management and preparedness plays a very important role in this regard. However, despite a scary past there has not been much done in this regard. Its time we gear up and prepare ourselves for the disaster for the safety of one and all as various lives are at stake.