EARTHQUAKES
Outline
1. Earthquakes are the result of the movement of the earth plates.
2. People who face an earthquake may face different types of losses.
3. An earthquake of a magnitude of 7 or above can create a wide spread series of losses.
4. In Pakistan an earthquake of a magnitude of 7.6 jolted the entire country on October 8, 2005.
5. Rescue operation was carried out successfully
6. A bitter lesson learnt: We should be ready for any type of natural calamity.
7. Effective planning can reduce the scale of devastation.
Earthquakes are the result of the movement of the earth plates. When these plates press each other an enormous pressure is created. As a result of this pressure soft or weak rocks of the earth break apart. This fracture gives birth to major earthquakes and after shocks.
Like all other natural calamities earthquakes are also cruel, harsh, terrible and unkind. People who face an earthquake may face two types of losses. These are social and economic losses. When some near and dear one is killed it is a social loss. But when they lose their means of earning, it is termed as economic loss. An earthquake of a magnitude of 7 or above can create a wide spread series of losses. In Pakistan an earthquake of a magnitude of 7.6 jolted the entire country on October 8, 2005. This resulted in an endless tale of misery and sorrow, Muzzafarabad, Balakot, and many adjoining areas were completely destroyed. As many as 80000 people were killed millions others lost their homes. The loss to different sectors was estimated up to 7.5 billion dollars. In short, things were changed after 8th of October for Pakistan.
As a result of an appeal made by the government of Pakistan several rescue teams arrived here. These teams started their operation and saved many people. As the time passed by new challenges appeared before the nation. The fast approaching winter posed severe threats to the lives of the people. A lot of foreign aid and loan was promised in the donor's conference at Islamabad. However, much is yet to be done to rehabilitate the effectees. The entire nation stood together and helped its homeless people in form of cash and kind.
Now the biggest question is how we can minimize our losses in future. The answer is very simple. We should be ready for any type of natural calamity. We should remember that man is cruel but nature is crueler than man. We should implement new codes of building houses. In the earthquake zones the structure of the newly built houses should be up to the international standards. At the same time we must buy such equipment as is necessary for the rescue operations. We ought to learn many bitter lessons from this terrible incident.
We may conclude that no natural calamity can be predicted but with effective measures and planning we can reduce the scale of destruction.
Comments
Post a Comment