A major Himalayan quake is coming. But when?
It is this eerie silence that most seismologists studying the Himalayas are worried about. They have been fearing a great earthquake along the 600-km stretch of the central parts of the Himalayan region for some time. They know that it is in the offing, but cannot say when it will happen. They are worried about the devastation it can cause on human lives and material wealth across North India. It was this obvious question that pre-occupied top earth scientists and seismologists in the country who attended an international conference at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi last week. The question that they wanted to ponder over was: “Are we ready for a big one?”. By a ‘big one’, the scientists meant an earthquake of more than eight on the Richter. “There is a consensus among all seismology groups, including international ones studying the Himalayas, that a great earthquake is imminent. The studies have clearly indicated the strain that is buildi...
