Post-Earthquake scenario of Muzaffarabad and environment,
Azad Jammu and Kashmir
Abdur Rauf Nizami and Zia-ud-Din
Institute of Geology, Quaid-i-Azam Campus, University of the Punjab, Lahore-54590, Pakistan
A destructive earthquake of Mw 7.6 violently rattled the Kashmir and parts of northern Pakistan on 8th October, 2005, at 8.52 a.m. This paper attempts to solicit the details of study conducted on post-earthquake scenario of Muzaffarabad, capital city of Azad Jummu and Kashmir, and its environs. An extensive weeklong survey was carried out of the affected city and environs beginning October 12, 2005. The post-earthquake physical state of the quake-torn area was particularly documented by taking photographs of various features, which came into being as a result of severe earthquake jolts, along with coverage of emergently arisen rescue operations and activities, panicky social set-up and humanitarian miseries and response. The changes in the surface hydrology and alteration of subsurface aquifers were noted through the conducted survey based on the surface evidence. A few streams, draining into Neelum River and flowing with very little water charge earlier, turned into flooding ones after the occurrence of earthquake. Some of the springs got dried while smaller ones started to flow with full discharge in the wake of trembling of the host area. The post-earthquake scenario manifested that the fractures became intensified from the already existing fault lines and the earthquake-hit area got studded with small and large longitudinal fractures with increasing frequency towards epicenteral area along with the predominant destruction of commercial and residential buildings in city and around and worn and torn infra-structure every where. |
