Background information: At 9.20 a.m. Indian Standard Time on 8th October 2005 a major earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale struck the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The seismic activity in the region is the result of the geological action occurring from the collision of the Eurasian-Indian tectonic plates. Although this is responsible for the formation of the Himalayan mountain range, the same movement causes unstable geological activity increasing the risk of major earthquakes.

The epicentre of the earthquake was 19 miles North-East of Muzaffarabad in Pakistan, but the severity and intensity was such that it was felt throughout the whole region including in the Indian states of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The earthquake caused widespread devastation and damage. Figure 1 shows the main region affected by the earthquake and the epicentre.

At present, the region is split into three parts, Pakistan controls the North West, China the North East and India the South.

The two districts of Baramulla and Kupwara in the Indian Kashmir Valley suffered extensive damage in particular. 95 villages in the Uri area of Baramulla and 42 villages in the Karnah area of Kupwara were severely damaged. In Baramulla district more than 90 percent of the houses in 54 villages were completely destroyed.

Special Conditions and Difficulties in Connection with the Earthquake in Kashmir The earthquake in Kashmir claimed many victims and caused huge damage. Various factors influenced the terrible impact the disaster had on the affected people. Certain conditions prevailing in this region favoured destruction through the tremor and represented a major hindrance to emergency response. The vulnerability of people living in the affected areas was already quite high before the earthquake, which contributed largely to the extent of the damage and the number of victims.

One of the major reasons for their vulnerability was the construction type of the buildings used in the Jammu Kashmir region. The majority of the buildings that were destroyed or damaged were constructed using rubble masonry and bricks laid in clay mud mortar. The roofs of most houses consisted of corrugated galvanised iron sheets.

There were no earthquake resisting measures applied. During the earthquake these buildings were destroyed, due to the weakness of mortar used and the absence of bond stones. This led to delaminating of the inner and outer walls and the separation of the walls at the corners, finally resulting in the total collapse of the buildings8. There existed building codes, set up by the government, however they were not enforced. Extensive destruction of infrastructure led to problems with food and water supplies, shelter arrangements, electricity and communication networks.

Prevailing conditions after the earthquake worsened the situation and made the rescue and relief activities much more difficult.

Aftershocks which followed the main tremor caused even more damage. Landslides provoked the blocking of roads that further increased the inaccessibility of remote villages, already aggravated due to the mountainous terrain. The landslides also destroyed the power supplies. Moreover the situation was exacerbated through low temperatures and wintry, harsh weather conditions hampering the emergency response efforts to reach remote areas.

Without a functioning road transport network, other avenues of reaching remote villages had to be utilised. In many remote villages and communities helicopters were needed for the first immediate rescue activities. Otherwise they could often only be reached by foot.

Helicopter airlifts were provided by the Army for initial supplies and medical treatment. Helicopters however were of limited availability, which placed a great pressure on the delivery of supplies in as short a time as possible. After some time, other countries provided air support but in the beginning, both India and Pakistan had to manage their own aerial relief efforts. Through a shortage of helicopters the urgent need to reach as many distressed people as possible could not be met sufficiently.

The onset of winter, that can be very harsh in this region, further required adequate emergency shelter. Many NGOs came in to the area with relief supplies, but initially the vast majority of shelter provisions were in the form of short-term occupancy fabric tents. These were acceptable for the first few days and weeks, but the approaching winter required a sturdier, winterised tent which would provide greater protection from the elements. These were in short supply and proved to be a problem since people were left unprotected from the approaching snow. The lack of winterised tents was a situation not only isolated for just Pakistan or Kashmir; it reflected a worldwide shortage in production. Communities were forced to share the available winterised tents resulting in multiple families cohabiting in one tent, making for uncomfortable and cramped living conditions. The only other alternatives were staying in fabric tents or outside without any protection.

The political situation in the country represented another difficulty for the relief activities. The location of the most affected areas near the Line of Control (LoC)9 meant it was even more difficult than usual to reach the victims without prior clearance or arrangement from the Army and Government. The Army was the major force in the area before the earthquake struck and, due to the political situation, all decisions had to be certified and approved by them. This at times proved to be a double-edged sword - whereby protection and assistance were provided but the process on some occasions was time consuming.

The local economy suffered seriously. Structural building damage was so extensively severe throughout the most affected regions that it rendered services unavailable. Local shops and their products were left exposed to the weather and theft, remaining unsold as local communities had no money to pay for goods. The loss of the power supply caused frustration, confusion and chaos, with the malfunctioning communication networks further delaying the response already caused by the remoteness of the villages.

The provision of emergency relief supplies was delayed due to a number of reasons. Examples represent the inadequate or incomplete availability of census data about the villages and their residents, and the lack of communication equipment which would have helped in allocating appropriate relief supplies.

All or at least some of these difficulties and special conditions mentioned in connection with the Kashmir Earthquake may represent critical factors in other disaster cases as well. Difficult circumstances surrounding a disaster can influence the relief efforts to a large extent. That is a major reason for the importance of being prepared for disasters and for considering the possibility of additional aggravating factors. References:

5 Government of India

6 Government of Pakistan

7 International Organisation for Migration

8 Arya, Anand S. (2005) National Seismic Advisor. GoI - UNDP DRM Programme. Ministry of Home Affairs. GoI.

9 The term Line of Control (LoC) refers to the line that defines the boundary between two territories of different political or military entities. In this specific case LoC designates the military control line between India and Pakistan in the province of Kashmir, determined under this name in the Simla Agreement of the 2nd July, 1972. (Indian Ministry of External Affairs (1972). Clarification on LoC. http://meaindia.nic.in/jk/loc-cl.htm#1.3)

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