Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 3: Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Ghulam Nabi Azad along with Vice-Chairman of National Disaster Management Authority is visiting the earthquake affected areas of Doda and Kishtwar tomorrow while as fresh tremor of slight intensity rocked the Bhaderwah and Kishtwar areas early this morning.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, who hails from Bhaderwah area of Doda district, is arriving here tomorrow morning for a day long visit to assess the intensity of damage caused by the earthquake of 5.8 Magnitude on the Richter scale with epicenter close to Bhaderwah on May 1, 2013.
Vice-Chairman, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), M Shashidhar Reddy is also accompanying the Union Health Minister during his visit to the affected areas to make an assessment of damage and hold discussions with the local public and administration.
The National Disaster Management Authority is already implementing the National School Safety Project in two districts each of 22 States and Ladakh and Kupwara are covered under this project. Mr Reddy, after the meeting with the officials, will look at the possibility of NDMA taking some initiatives in the affected areas to enhance the earthquake preparedness keeping in view the high vulnerability of the region.
According to the Deputy Commissioner, Doda, Mubarak Singh, Mr Azad would visit Gandoh and Bhaderwah, which are the worst affected areas in Doda district, and then Kishtwar. Besides interacting with the tremors affected people in these areas, Mr Azad would also chair a meeting of the Doda district administration to have appraisal of the preliminary reports vis-à-vis damages to the properties, livestock and public utility infrastructure.
“The purpose of bringing Vice-Chairman of National Disaster Management Authority Vice-Chairman is to guide the civil administration on preemptive and post-disaster measures required to be taken to minimize the losses during the natural calamities”, sources said, adding “the Doda district administration has decided to make a request to the Vice-Chairman of NDMA to depute a team of experts so as to guide and advise the people on short term and long term steps required to be taken to make the buildings and houses quake resistant”.
Meanwhile, a low intensity tremor shook Kishtwar and Bhaderwah areas this morning triggering further panic among the people.
According to the Indian Metrological Department, the quake measuring 3.7 on Richter scale shook the Kishtwar, Bhaderwah valley and adjoining areas at around 7.08 am with depth of five kilometers beneath the earth crest. The Latitude of tremor was 33.4 degrees North and Longitude 75.8 degree East in the Kishtwar district.
This was for the fourth consecutive day today that the parts of erstwhile Doda district experienced tremors. “Such tremors will continue for another some days but the intensity of each would come down from that recorded today”, a spokesman of the IMD said, adding “people should not be panicky and pay any heed to the rumors that small intensity tremors are indicative of major earthquake”.
Reports said that as there was no end to the aftershocks particularly in Gandoh, Bhaderwah and some parts of Kishtwar the people whose houses developed cracks in the moderate intensity earthquake on May 1, 2013 were not ready to go back to their houses.
“They spent last night either in open or in the safe premises besides tents provided by the civil administration and Army authorities”, reports said, adding “though some of the people returned to their houses in the morning but came out after sunset as they believe that earthquake during night hours would be more disastrous for them”.
Meanwhile, efforts were on to work out the damages caused by the earthquake in the erstwhile Doda district.
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