By Kalsang Rinchen
Dharamsala, April 3 – A quake drill will be done in all the Tibetan schools in Himachal Pradesh and Delhi tomorrow to mark 104 years since the massive earthquake that shook Kangra and nearby areas including Dharamsala. This drill is organized by the GeoHazards International, GeoHazards Society, and the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives in conjunction with the schools’ administration.
Students and staff of eighteen Tibetan Schools in Himachal Pradesh and Delhi will participate in the earthquake preparedness drill, said Tsering Dhondup, coordinator for the Tibetan Schools Shake-Out Drill. Besides, some Tibetan schools in Uttaranchal and Meghalaya states will also do the drill, he said.
India is located in one of the most earthquake-prone regions in the world. On April 4, 1905, an earthquake measuring 7.8 on Richter scale struck Dharamshala and Kangra region, and is considered the worst killer earthquake to hit India. 19,727 lives were lost and 100,000 buildings were brought down.
According to the Seismic Hazard Zoning Map of India, the districts of Chamba, Kullu, Kangra, Una, Hamirpur, Mandi, and Bilaspur lie in Zone V (Maximum risk zone), while the rest of the districts in Himachal Pradesh are located in Zone IV (High risk zone). Almost 60 percent of the Tibetan schools in Himachal Pradesh are located in the Zone V; the rest are located in the Zone IV. Delhi itself is located in Zone IV. Seismologists believe that the next major earthquake to strike in the Himalayan region could affect the whole of North India.
In many previous earthquakes, a major percentage of victims were children. This, the drill organizers say, was due to a lack of awareness and unpreparedness. “School administrators, staff and children must be aware of what is to be done before, during and after a natural disaster.”
The purpose of the Tibetan Schools Shake-Out Drill is to help all Tibetan Schools in Himachal Pradesh and Delhi to prepare for earthquakes and to prevent natural disasters from becoming catastrophes.
“While the Shake-Out Scenario is a hypothetical one, it is important to be prepared. No task is more important than creating a safe learning environment for a nation’s children. School Safety is one of the most important ways to promote a culture of disaster preparedness. We need to learn lessons from past earthquakes and to make our schools a safe place for children by practicing preparedness drills,” the organizers say.
