The Kangra Earthquake: A lesson for Shimla

In 1905, the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, India, experienced the worst earthquake India has ever seen. With a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale, it lasted for 2 minutes killing more than 20, 000 people.

This podcast was recorded on the first centenary of the Kangra earthquake as a community radio programme in Shimla. This was part of our initiative "Parvat yatra" to promote disaster safety measures in the hills. It narrates the history of the earthquake and its continuing repercussions. The programme was an attempt by the community to come together with government officials to generate greater awareness about disaster preparedness. It puts to rest the superstition that an earthquake occurs every century, emphasising that it may occur anytime. It informs the listeners that there is no way of predicting the next earthquake, but there are several ways to reduce the devastating effects of one. One solution the episode offers is preparing for a disaster through trainings in schools.

The city of Shimla, built for a maximum of 20,000 to 25,000 people, is now home to more than 2.5 lakh people. Awareness, alertness and preparedness is most essential!