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Armed Forces to restore essential services
Massive quake any time
New quake management technology soon
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Bihar cops also face wrath of court
IAF aerobatics captivate audience
EU to back India’s candidature on N-project
Connect police stations through e-grid: Kalam
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Armed Forces to restore essential services
New Delhi, October 8 “The worst is over. We expect the damaged electricity, water and telecom disruptions in the affected areas to be restored by tonight,” Union Home Secretary V.K. Duggal said after holding an emergency meeting with top officials to assess the damage caused and assist relief and rescue operations. Mr Duggal said the Power and Communication Ministries have been asked to help in restoring electricity and telecom services, the Petroleum Ministry has been asked to stand-by to provide any assistance in the quake-hit regions. He said the help of the Defence Ministry has been sought and the Army and Air Force are providing “full assistance” in Jammu and Kashmir. Official sources said the armed forces swung into action and airlifted more than 10 injured people from
inaccessible areas in Jammu, Udhampur and Srinagar. Army teams equipped with rescue tools and communication equipment were trying to reach border areas of Tandhar, Machil, Drugmul, Uri and the upper reaches of Gulmarg to rescue people. Most of the Army casualties were reported from frontline bunkers and makeshift barracks, collapsed in the earthquake. Around 15 soldiers were also reported to be injured. Most of the casualties were
from the Uri sector, which adjoins the worst-affected Muzaffarabad district in Pakistan. The Air Force, in response to the call by the state government, pressed into service. While Jammu and Kashmir was the worst affected. The quake measured 7.4 on the Richter Scale at the epicentre. “We have alerted the Indo-Tibet Border Police posted in the area to provide assistance,” said Mr Duggal. He said the focus of the relief and rehabilitation activities will be on Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, where the strongest tremors were felt. “We don’t think there is any cause for worry now. There is no need to panic. Some aftershocks have been felt in the worst-hit regions but this is a normal phenomenon after an earthquake of such high intensity,” the Home Secretary said, adding “there was no need to activate” the Disaster Management Group of the Centre. |
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Massive quake any time
New Delhi, October 8 The eyebrow-raising academic analysis, which would be of immense concern for the people living the region, had appeared in the prestigious “Science” journal. The paper has been written by Roger Bilham and Peter Molnar, geological sciences professors at University of Colorado-Boulder, and Vinod Gaur of the Indian Institute for Astrophysics in Bangalore, India. The scientists conducted an extensive analysis of the underground faults beneath the front ranges of the Himalaya, which face south toward India in an arc. Over centuries, immense pressure has built up along these faults and one or more major earthquakes will most likely occur in India in the “near future,” according to information available in the web. Dividing the Himalayas into 10 regions of about 220 km - each roughly corresponding to a past great earthquake - the team found that 70 per cent of the arc could have a magnitude 8.1 earthquake and 40 per cent could have one as large as 8.3. The data indicate that the slip zone located about 12 km underground between the Indian and Asian plates is comprised of hot, steam-like fluid. The temperature, pressure and amount of fluids affect the entire seismic system, scientists said. The main driving engine in the system is the movement of the Indian plate, which winds up the Greater Himalaya like a giant spring compressed against the Himalayan plateau. The outcome is “inevitable.” The lock holding the spring will break, propelling the Himalaya southward in a giant earthquake, the scientists said. Less than one-thirds of the volatile Himalayan mountains have slipped in the past 200 years, said Bilham. Meanwhile, researchers in Sweden claim to have developed a new computer model for predicting earthquakes that correctly — retroactively — forecast the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. |
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New quake management technology soon
New Delhi, October 8 Talking to The Tribune on the department’s assessment of today’s
earthquake, IMD acting Director-General Bhuken Lal said the upgraded monitoring
system would be able to ascertain exact details like time, intensity and
magnitude of a quake within five minutes. The first five to 20 minutes after an earthquake were crucial from the disaster management point of view. The upgraded system was expected to be in place by next year and would ensure preventive measures in areas that were at a higher risk. “Earthquakes
cannot be predicted accurately in time, magnitude and intensity. But by
monitoring smaller earthquakes and improving the network, these feelers
or tracers can be effectively used to keep a track on earthquake-prone
areas in the country and improve disaster management in the country,”
said IMD Additional Director-General (Seismology) A.K. Bhatnagar. Dr
Bhatnagar said the earthquake that rocked the region today was “nothing
unique” as the epicentre was located 50 to 60 km off Muzaffarabad in
PoK in the earthquake prone Hindukush region. There are four
faults-Shinkaru, Jhelum, Tarbela and Attock-in the region. This earthquake occurred in the seismically active zone in the Indo-Eurasian region. The Indian plate was pushing against the Eurasian plate 4 to 5 cm every year, giving rise to high activity in the region. The
magnitude of today’s earthquake qualified it to be classified under
the “great earthquake” category. Though the epicentre was in located in Muzaffarabad on the edge of the Indian tectonic plate, its tremors were felt as far as Ahmedabad in India. |
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Bihar cops also face wrath of court
Patna, October 8 The court took strong exception to the failure of the police to rescue
Golu, alias Gaurav Kumar, a DAV school student, who was abducted from Danapur on September 20. The police already failed to meet three deadlines set by the court on September 30, October 4 and 7 to produce Golu before the court. The Patna High Court has now set October 17 as the fourth deadline for the police to rescue Golu and submit the action-taken report before it. And even before the Police could come out of the shock after being snubbed by the court, two new cases of abduction have rocked the state. A six-year old UKG student, Akash Prasad, of a Delhi-based convent school was feared to have been kidnapped yesterday from Danapur. The police have not yet registered a kidnapping case, but a missing case. Akash, son of a Delhi-based businessman ,came to Danapur on October 1 following the death of a close relative. And to add to the growing sense of insecurity faced by the people of the state, the abduction of a 40-year-old, Ahmed Ali, a cable operator, was also reported to the Police. Ali was missing since October 5. The DGP, Mr Ashish Ranja Sinha claimed that the police was leaving no stone unturned to rescue Golu. |
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IAF aerobatics captivate audience
New Delhi, October 8 “The Air Force has contracted for advanced jet trainers from the UK, is upgrading the MiG series of aircraft and acquiring simulators to train IAF personnel,” the Chief of Air Staff said while addressing the 73rd Air Force Day function. Citing advances in technology, The Air Chief called for setting up a space cadre to man the space command in the future. He asked his colleagues to master space technology to meet future challenges. The parade was marked with thrilling air manoeuvres by Sukhoi fighter aircraft and the recent entrant Sarang, advanced light helicopters. Fly past by MI-17 helicopters and MI-35 Assault Choppers set the tone for the stunning aerobatic show displaying the prowess of the Air Force. Several aircraft, including MiGs, Jaguars, Sukhoi, Mirages and the IL-76 Tankers, took off from airbases across the country to converge over the Palam Air Force station here, to enthrall the audience comprising senior bureaucrats, services chiefs, foreign dignitaries, diplomats and civilians. The Sarang Helicopter Display Team, the second of its kind, next only to USA, performed some breathtaking air manoeuvres in formation, flying near each other and tearing away in a split second, leaving the audience spellbound. Helicopter display was preceded by a breathtaking vertical Charlie manoeuvre by the Sukhoi 30 MKi flanked by two MiG-29s near its wings. Air Chief Marshal Tyagi also gave away Presidential awards to 54 officers. The grand finale of the ceremony was a scintillating display by the Surya Kiran Aerobatics Team flying nine Kiran Mk-II aircraft. The aircraft took off in ‘Vic’ formation of three in front of the audience, followed by a breathtaking display of synchronised manoeuvring in close formation. |
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EU to back India’s candidature on N-project
New Delhi, October 8 Talking to mediapersons here, Dr Mitsos said scientific cooperation between Europe and India is a win-win situation for the two sides. ‘‘It is in the interest of both to participate in joint research,’’ he said. Dr Mitsos who was on a five-day visit to India (October 3 to 7), visited premier research institutes, including the Institute of Plasma Research and the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai. He also delivered a lecture at the Bombay Chamber of Commerce. Dr Mitsos met the Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, V. Ramamurthy and the Director General of Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI). |
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Connect police stations through e-grid: Kalam
New Delhi, October 8 “A police e-governance grid could be set up to connect police stations to the Director-General of Police’s office through a government to government and government to citizen network to enable transparent police administration,” Mr Kalam said in his one-hour address to DGPs and IGPs and heads of the Central Police Organisations last evening. The top police brass had gathered in the national Capital for attending the three-day annual conference organised by the Intelligence Bureau. Stressing for a friendly, corruption-free, responsible and efficient police force, Mr Kalam said “as crucial partners in the ‘Developed India Mission’, the policemens are leaders in ensuring peace and internal security.” The skills of the police force, especially its constabulary, should be periodically upgraded and kept informed about technological developments, Mr Kalam said. “Within three-five years, the police to citizen ratio could be augmented to 1:500 and at least 10 per cent of the force could be represented by women, with attractive service conditions to attract and retain talent,” he added. |
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Casteism shadow on Raj Bhavan
Patna, October 8 |
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10 cops die in blast
Chatra (Jharkhand), October 8 |
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