On Monday, 6th February 2017, residents of North India woke up to tremors caused by an earthquake around 10:33 P.M. The epicentre was at Ukimath, Pipalkoti near Rudraprayag, about 97 kms from Dehradun. The tremors lasted for about seven to 10 seconds and affected adjoining areas Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad – Haryana, Punjab and parts of Uttar Pradesh. In fact the ripples were felt across Mussoriee, Pithoragarh, Mathura, Rishikesh, Shamli and Chandigarh.
But the 5.8 magnitude quake fortunately didn’t cause any loss to life or property although it does throw light at the incoming periods. Scientists of Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG) have stated that another big one could come sooner than expected. Dr. Sushil Kumar, senior scientist at WIHG, explained that the Indian Plate is moving towards the Eurasian Plate at the speed of 45 kilometres per year causing immense pressure under the earth’s surface in the region. Thus we see the northern areas more prone to earthquake and at risk to this phenomenon. The last biggest earthquake near the Himalayan region was in Nepal that had a magnitude of 7.1 on the scale.
Spoke to officials & took stock of the situation in the wake of the earthquake felt in various parts of North India.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 6, 2017
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and many other politicians including Arvind Kejriwal tweeted out their concern about the incident. “The MHA is closely monitoring the situation in earthquake hit Uttarakhand and other North Indian states where the tremors have been felt,” the Office of the Home Minister said on Twitter. They have also confirmed that the NDRF (National Disaster Rescue Force) teams have been rushed from Ghaziabad to Uttarakhand to conduct rescue and relief operations for any immediate need.
