1997 Jabalpur earthquake
Encyclopedia
The 1997 Jabalpur earthquake occurred on May 22, 1997 in Jabalpur District
in the India
n state of Madhya Pradesh
. The epicenter
of the earthquake was located at 23.18°N 80.02°E near Koshamghat village. According to geologist Dr V. Subramanyan, former professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
(IIT Bombay), the quake was caused due to the presence of Narmada Fault.
, Mandla District
, Sivni District and Chhindwara District
in Madhya Pradesh
. Jabalpur and Mandla were the worst affected districts. A total of 887 villages were affected, approximately 8546 houses collapsed and nearly 52,690 houses were partially damaged. The death toll was 39 and 350 were injured. The quake was followed by little aftershock activity and the aftershocks did not cause any damage. Longitudinal ground cracks were observed in some locations of the affected area.
The affected region consisted of both rural and urban areas and the campus of the Jawaharlal Nehru Agricultural University
was the worst affected structure in the urban area. Diagonal cracks occurred in walls, buildings were partially collapsed and the hostel for postgraduate students was severely damaged. Approximately 1500 houses owned by the Indian Railways
were damaged. In Jabalpur, a 500,000 gallon-capacity shaft-supported water tank
for storage and distribution of drinking water
sustained both horizontal cracking and diagonal cracking. Some earthen dams located in the districts of Jabalpur and Mandla reportedly developed longitudinal cracks.
was called-in to aid. Many people were given cloth tents as temporary shelters. In rural areas persons whose houses had collapsed were provided with 18 wooden posts and 50 wooden purlins for reconstruction and cash assistance of 3000 rupees
. MPs belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) decided to donate their one day's salary to the victims of the earthquake.
Jabalpur District
Jabalpur District is a district of Madhya Pradesh state in central India. The city of Jabalpur is the administrative headquarters of the district.The area of the district is 10,160 km² with of population 2,167,469...
in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state of Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
. The epicenter
Epicenter
The epicenter or epicentre is the point on the Earth's surface that is directly above the hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or underground explosion originates...
of the earthquake was located at 23.18°N 80.02°E near Koshamghat village. According to geologist Dr V. Subramanyan, former professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay , popularly known as IIT Bombay or IITB, is a public research university located in Powai, Mumbai...
(IIT Bombay), the quake was caused due to the presence of Narmada Fault.
Damage and casualties
Major damages occurred in structures in the Jabalpur DistrictJabalpur District
Jabalpur District is a district of Madhya Pradesh state in central India. The city of Jabalpur is the administrative headquarters of the district.The area of the district is 10,160 km² with of population 2,167,469...
, Mandla District
Mandla District
Mandla District is a district of Madhya Pradesh state in central India. The town of Mandla is administrative headquarters of the district. It is part of Jabalpur Division....
, Sivni District and Chhindwara District
Chhindwara District
Chhindwara district is one of the districts of Madhya Pradesh state of India, and Chhindwara town is the district headquarters. The district is part of Jabalpur Division.-General information:...
in Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
. Jabalpur and Mandla were the worst affected districts. A total of 887 villages were affected, approximately 8546 houses collapsed and nearly 52,690 houses were partially damaged. The death toll was 39 and 350 were injured. The quake was followed by little aftershock activity and the aftershocks did not cause any damage. Longitudinal ground cracks were observed in some locations of the affected area.
The affected region consisted of both rural and urban areas and the campus of the Jawaharlal Nehru Agricultural University
Jawaharlal Nehru Agricultural University
Jawaharlal Nehru Agricultural University, Hindi: जवाहर लाल नेहरु क्रिशी विशवविधालय, is a public university in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India specializing in the field of agriculture. It is recognized and accredited by University Grants Commission.-Education:...
was the worst affected structure in the urban area. Diagonal cracks occurred in walls, buildings were partially collapsed and the hostel for postgraduate students was severely damaged. Approximately 1500 houses owned by the Indian Railways
Indian Railways
Indian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is a departmental undertaking of Government of India, which owns and operates most of India's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India....
were damaged. In Jabalpur, a 500,000 gallon-capacity shaft-supported water tank
Water tank
A Water tank is a container for storing water. The need for a water tank is as old as civilized man, providing storage of water for drinking water, irrigation agriculture, fire suppression, agricultural farming, both for plants and livestock, chemical manufacturing, food preparation as well as many...
for storage and distribution of drinking water
Drinking water
Drinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...
sustained both horizontal cracking and diagonal cracking. Some earthen dams located in the districts of Jabalpur and Mandla reportedly developed longitudinal cracks.
Relief efforts
The search and rescue operation after the earthquake was relatively small. Immediately after the quake, only raw materials for food were supplied to the victims rather than cooked food because of the summer heat. The Indian ArmyIndian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
was called-in to aid. Many people were given cloth tents as temporary shelters. In rural areas persons whose houses had collapsed were provided with 18 wooden posts and 50 wooden purlins for reconstruction and cash assistance of 3000 rupees
Indian rupee
The Indian rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India....
. MPs belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
(BJP) decided to donate their one day's salary to the victims of the earthquake.