Read an exclusive excerpt from Rumbling Earth: The Story of Indian Earthquakes.

The 1950 event, popularly known as the Assam Earthquake (and the Chaiu or Medog Earthquake), originated in the rugged mountainous regions between the Himalayas and the Hengodan Mountain Range (southwestern China). The earthquake was felt over an area of ​​more than 3 million square kilometers in India, Myanmar (Burma), Bangladesh (then East Pakistan), Tibet and southern China, and caused severe damage in several cities of upper Assam and regions across the eastern Himalayas. It also affected the Apur Hills, Mishami and most of the plains of Assam.

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When the earthquake struck, Kingdon Ward, an English botanist and explorer, was camping in Rima, a small village in the foothills of the eastern Himalayas, near the Tibetan-Burmese border. Heavy explosions were heard after the impact, and it appeared that they came from high in the air. While at Rima, Ward witnessed violent shaking, widespread collapses, and rising water levels. Slices of hills have slid down, turning the Brahmaputra River into an endless expanse of water. The earthquake caused severe damage to forests along the river banks and hillsides. The sounds of intense explosions were heard after the impact, coming from high in the air. Such sounds were heard at many points in India and Burma, at a distance of up to 1,200 kilometers from the source of the earthquake. Although Ward was stationed near the source of the earthquake, he had little opportunity to make detailed observations. His main concern was to get out of the turmoil and find a way back to India.

August 15, 1950 was an auspicious day, the third year of India's independence. People all over India were celebrating, and the mood of the nation was upbeat. In the tribal-heavy Assam Valley in the country's northeastern corner surrounded by the Himalayas, it was already dark by 7:30 p.m., and the jubilant crowd was wrapping up celebrations and preparing to retire for the day. This was when they felt the ground tremble. The people of Assam, described as the home of earthquakes, have suffered many shocks, but none of them were as severe. The shaking lasted four minutes and was so strong that slices of earth moved, causing massive landslides and producing massive amounts of debris that choked rivers. The central region comprises the Abhor and Mishami hills in Arunachal Pradesh. IPG, a naturalist and tea planter who spent many years in Assam, noted that the magnitude of the quake was greater than the severe earthquakes that occurred in 1897 (Shillong), 1934 (Bihar) and 1935 (Quetta). He quotes some friends about their experiences with earthquakes: “The ground rose and rolled with a sick undulating motion. Cars parked on flat surfaces with no brakes were moving violently, propellers oscillating, and some lights went out. Finally, there was a series of loud sounds that were described as resembling anti-aircraft fire. The Geological Survey of India entrusted the task of collecting information about the effects of the earthquake to MC Poddar. At a time when the theory of plate tectonics had not yet crystallized, scientists, including him, were faced with the challenge of explaining the cause of the earthquake. Poddar's report provides details about ground deformation and liquefaction occurring during the earthquake.

The earthquake did not originate exclusively within Indian territory but near Rima. However, it was more damaging in Assam. Recollections of Renu Majumdar, interviewed by Anjana Majumdar and published by The Sentinel, an English-language daily newspaper in Assam, give a rare first-person view of this great earthquake. Reno was fifteen years old at the time of the earthquake and described the event as a “… . . Strong shaking and loud noise in the evening. The house suddenly began to shake, and the ground began to shake violently. . .' She remembered how tall coconut trees were buried so deep in a place known as Sadiya, that people were able to pick the fruits directly from the ground. Its vivid description shows the huge amount of sediment and debris that would have accumulated on the surface to drown the coconut tree, even if it was small and only a moderate height of a few metres. It is certain that these sediments eventually reached the delta front of the Bangladesh plains and helped the islands grow faster.

Some newspapers reported that volcanic activity was the cause of the earthquake. Poddar discovered that earthquakes associated with volcanoes are usually associated with many local tremors, and the activity will decrease quickly. Since this was not the case, he ruled out volcanism and suggested a “tectonic origin” for the faults along the India-China border. In fact, this is a remarkable proposal, nearly two decades before the theory of plate tectonics found wider acceptance. In his reports based on post-earthquake surveys, Poddar reported extensive damage in several towns of upper Assam, with about 1,500 casualties on the Indian side. Most likely, a similar number or more died in the mountainous terrain on the Chinese and Burmese sides. The highest felt intensity was reported from a narrow quarter to the southwest, possibly due to amplification of shaking effects within the alluvium. The recorded earthquake magnitude was 8.7. Aftershocks continued for about eight months, many of them higher than magnitude 6. Data collected by Anne Tandon, a famous Indian seismologist, was used to estimate the geographical spread of the aftershock and the epicenter of the major earthquake. From this data, the Indian Seismological Service has established a huge geographic scope for this activity, extending to the source region of the 7.3 magnitude earthquake near Tibet, which occurred in 1947. It remains a question whether this was indeed a forerunner, but in the absence of data In fact, this question remains unanswered.

Apart from property damage, the earthquake also affected communication systems. Rail communications in the area had to be suspended due to damage to tracks and bridges. The Times of India reported in its issue of 21 November 1950 that a staggering 12,000 buildings and 2,000 granaries had been destroyed. In the land known for its sprawling tea plantations spread over 342 acres, the quake destroyed nearly 126 acres. The effects of shaking were exacerbated by floods and rivers, which resulted in sand, mud, trees and debris falling due to the monsoon winds. Pilots flying over affected areas reported significant terrain changes and forest destruction, mainly due to massive landslides and debris flows. Many hills were cut off, and rocky debris fell into the valleys below, blocking and breaching rivers and generating flash floods downstream. Landslides, floods and erosion of river banks caused by earthquakes have affected forests and destroyed wildlife. On the Indian side, more than 1,500 people lost their lives. Livestock losses are estimated at between 50,000 to 1,00,000.

In the Assam Valley, river flows connect people and places and support the economy and social life. The earthquake could have packed around 47 cubic kilometers of material, resulting in a higher amount of sediment in the Brahmaputra River. It took many years for the sediments to be expelled through its lower courses. The abnormal river pattern has continued for several years since the earthquake, affecting the lives of local communities in countless ways. There has been depletion of river-borne fish due to excess mud and depletion of oxygen level.

In short, the 1950 earthquake caused long-term disruption to social and economic activities like no other earthquake, including the 1897 earthquake. Some of the lakes formed by the construction of temporary dams have long served as reminders of how earthquakes change landscapes. permanently natural. Lake Shunga-tser, which was created after the earthquake, is a major tourist attraction today due to its natural beauty. After the Bollywood movie 'Koyla' was shot here, the lake was named 'Madhuri Lake' after Madhuri Dixit, one of India's legendary actors. There is no doubt that the lake is a stunning sight. This scenic splendor reminds visitors of the role earthquakes play in preserving the natural world – whether in raising mountains or forming lakes – where life thrives despite the devastation of built environments.

(Excerpt from The Roaring Earth: The Story of India's Earthquakes, by C. P. Rajendran and Kosala Rajendran; Vintage; 2023)

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