Celebrating Earthquake Day: Indigenous Technology for Effective Preparedness – The Himalayan Times – Nepal’s No. 1 English daily

Abdul Majeed Abdul Mohsen January 16th

Today, the second day of the Nepalese month of Magh, is celebrated as Earthquake Day with the motto “Earthquake Protected Infrastructure, Safe Life Base”. It commemorates the tragic memory of the earthquake in 1934 on this very day that killed over 8,519 people when the population was barely 5.6 million.

Earthquakes have struck Nepal since time immemorial with the first earthquake recorded back in 1223. The country was ruled at that time by King Abhaya Malla, who later lost his life in an earthquake in 1255. King Ari Malla Dev perished in the following earthquake in 1347. This was followed by many Earthquakes in the years 1260, 1408, 1505, 1680, 1767, 1834, 1869, 1916, 1934, 1966, 1980, 1988, 2011 and 2015.

An earthquake is characterized by the shaking of the ground, which is otherwise constant and still. This is caused by the collision of the Indian and Tibetan plates in Nepal, two of the many plates that make up the Earth. At the top of the slabs are several earth-like blocks separated by vertical cracks, also known as rifts.

After the plates break due to the enormous pressure created by the movement of one on top of the other, it shakes the landmass on which we live. It manifests itself in the form of an earthquake and is responsible for the collapse of the buildings in which we are staying, resulting in many deaths and injuries.

The point of the plate fracture is known as the hypocentre, and its corresponding point on Earth is known as the epicenter.

Destruction is high in the epicenter of the earthquake, and less in places far from it. The epicenter of the last earthquake in 2015 was in Barbak, Gorkha district where the devastation was astounding.

An earthquake is measured in terms of the amount of energy released on the Richter scale, starting at 1, which is equivalent to the 2 million joules required to boil about 12 kilograms of water. People do not feel an earthquake of magnitude 3 on the Richter scale, which continues to happen every now and then. The 2015 earthquake had a magnitude of 7.8 while the 1934 earthquake was said to have a magnitude of 8.3. The largest earthquake ever recorded was a 9.5 magnitude earthquake that occurred in Maritime Chile in 1960.

Nepal was hit by a massive earthquake in 1505 when King Ratna Malla was ruling Kathmandu. Fortunately, you did not enter Kathmandu. The energy has been accumulating in the past 518 years, which makes it 8.7 on the Richter scale. It would affect many buildings in Delhi, including the Taj Mahal in Agra, the eighth wonder of the world, which was not witnessed in 1505 as it was only constructed much later in 1648.

If this is the case in western Nepal, in eastern Nepal the energy was not fully released by the 2015 earthquake, which indicates that it could strike any time in the future. So, Nepal is facing a kind of seismic war on two fronts, one in the west and one in the east.

According to the Nepal Reconstruction Authority, the 2015 earthquake killed approximately 8,970 people and injured 22,300 people. Approximately 5.6 million people in 32 regions were affected, and losses totaled US$7 billion. Donors pledged about 3 billion for reconstruction.

Nearly 1,000 monuments have been damaged to varying degrees, from complete collapse to minor cracks across the country, of which 150 are in the Kathmandu Valley alone. UNESCO estimated $160 million to repair it.

Most notable was the collapse of Dharahara built by Prime Minister Bhimsen Thapa in 1824. In fact, he built another twin tower by order of Queen Lalita Tripura Sundari, both of which collapsed in the earthquake of 1834. The first tower was not repaired due to its political downfall and subsequent death . However, the second tower was rebuilt but fell again in the earthquake of 1934, which was again rebuilt by Prime Minister Gouda Shamsher. It went down again in 2015 and has been restored again.

But the other tower was never located and rebuilt despite the requests of many people, including this columnist, as it fell to the government’s deaf ear. It would be a real achievement of reconstruction in the whole world if both towers were rebuilt. Other notable works are the Ranipukhari Temple and Kastamandap.

Nepal has not adequately prepared for possible future earthquakes in both the western and eastern regions. Some indigenous technology may provide the answer. It has been found that some traditional temples in Nepal and abroad have used stones in open joint in their foundations. Research conducted on this technology during the aftershocks of the 2015 earthquake at the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology compound by this columnist revealed a 50 percent damping caused by the earthquake.

This technology can’t process body waves, but it seems to dampen the surface wave, which is the most destructive thing. It is simple and cost effective, and can be used all over the country, in general, and mountainous Nepal, in particular, which has copious amounts of stones in the earth’s crust.

The National Society of Earthquake Technology started this Earthquake Day celebration 25 years ago in collaboration with several institutions like Ministry of Home Affairs, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, Disaster Prevention Network, Nepal Geological Society and Nepal Disaster Management Centre. It has greatly raised awareness. But our lack of preparedness was hopelessly exposed by the 2015 earthquake. Nepal should prepare for this daunting task more effectively so as not to let tragic history repeat itself over and over again.

It has been found that some traditional temples in Nepal and abroad have used stones in open joint in their foundations. Research on this technology was conducted during the aftershocks of the 2015 earthquake

A version of this article appeared in the January 17, 2023, edition of The Himalayan Times.

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