Needed: a coastal hazard study

Needed: a coastal hazard study
By N. Gopal Raj

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, DEC. 29. It is essential to study the level of seismic hazard along the Indian coast and examine the possibility of such earthquakes setting off tsunamis, says R.N. Iyengar of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

The last tsunami to hit the Indian subcontinent was caused by an earthquake of magnitude 6.5 to 6.7 off the Mekhran coast in present day Pakistan, says Dr. Iyengar, who is a former director of the Central Building Research Institute. He quotes from a 1948 report published by the India Meteorological Department that investigated the quake that occurred on November 28, 1945 and the "disastrous seismic wave" that followed.

The tsunami left a trail of destruction along the Mekhran coast. Pusni town, an important trading post, was washed away by a 15 m-high wave. In Karachi, more than 400 km away, the port was damaged, and there was loss of life and property along the Karachi coast.

People were killed by the surging waters even in Mumbai, about 1,000 km away. The high waves created tangible effect in Karwar in Karnataka, about 1,600 km away. It was the farthest place to be affected. There, the waves flooded creeks and inlets, and boats were ripped from their moorings.

"We have many important industrial units and installations close to the coast, and we must not be caught napping," Dr. Iyengar told The Hindu. A detailed hazard assessment had to be made keeping in mind the past seismic activity all along the coast.