Be Mains Ready

• Define earthquake and explain its causes.
• Discuss the impact of earthquakes.
• Write challenges faced in pre-disaster preparedness.
• Give solutions for the above challenges.
• Write a suitable conclusion.

Introduction

• Earthquake is the perceptible shaking of the surface of the Earth, resulting from the sudden release of energy in the Earth’s crust that creates seismic waves.
• It can cause serious destruction to property, injury to people and even kills. It happens when there is sudden movement or breaking of the tectonic plates.

Body

Earthquakes are caused by various factors such as tectonic plate movements, volcanic activity or underground explosions.

• Plate Tectonic Movements: The movements occur because the plates float on the hotter and denser rock of the mantle. Consequently, these plates are usually in constant movement within the earth’s crust. When plates break or slide past each other at boundaries known as fault lines, they release shock waves. The shock waves are results of the energy stored in the earth crust due to the underground pressure of the earth’s inner core.
  
  • Around 80% of the earthquakes occur around the edge of the Pacific plate in Japan, Canada, USA, Papua New Guinea, South America, and New Zealand are attributed this reason.
  • Earthquakes in Himalaya are also an example of it.
• Volcanic Activity: Earthquakes normally accompany escaping magma as it rises to the crust during a volcanic eruption. This is mainly due to the sudden displacement and shaking of underground rocks.
• Human Induced Earthquakes: Shock waves can also be as a result of underground mining or during the construction of railroads, subways, or underground tunnels. However, some of the seismic waves produced by these activities are not as strong as those produced by real earthquakes

Earthquakes are less advantageous and more harmful to man. Damage done is chiefly in following respects:

• Loss of Life and Property: Severe earthquakes reduce to rubble human structures ranging from huts to palaces and single storey to multi storey buildings. Even pipelines laid under the ground and railway lines are damaged or displaced. The best example of this type of damage is Koyana earthquake in 1970.
• Changes in the course of rivers: On account of the impact of earthquakes, sometimes rivers also change their course. Consequently, when floods come they play havoc with people's lives.
• Tsunamis: It causes great damage to life and property of people living in coastal areas as well as to tourists. Tsunami caused by an earthquake in the sea near Sumatra on 26^th Dec, 2004 hit southeast Asian countries including India and Sri Lanka. More than 3 lakh people died.
• Cracks in Earth Crust: Earthquake cause cracks in earth's crust anywhere in fields, roads, parks and even hills. They are thus rendered useless. The San Andreas fault in California, U.S.A. was created in a similar manner.

Pre-disaster preparedness and response:

• Policy development: Policy development is needed at national, provincial/district and local levels to ensure that common goals are set and common approaches are used. Implementing Sendai Framework is the key here.
• National and subnational disaster organizations: Disaster organizations are often composed of representatives from a range of government ministries and nongovernmental organizations that have a role to play in pre-disaster activities, disaster response and recovery. The synchronization among all agencies is vital for the agencies.
• Vulnerability assessment and Hazard mapping: Some areas are still missing in the vulnerability assessment and hazard maps. Mapping of even the remotest and difficult areas is required.
• Gaps in capacity building at all levels: Lack of available information with the communities and their capacity to manage first aid is low. People and communities should be informed from time to time about do’s and don’ts during an earthquake.

Conclusion

The Government of India is one of the first in the world to come out publicly with a plan which seeks to implement the four priorities for action of the Sendai Framework, focused on spreading a greater understanding of disaster risk through education and public information, investing in disaster resilient infrastructure and committing to improved disaster preparedness and building back better in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction.