A full scale depiction has been made in a recent issue of the National Geographic Journal about the incidence of major earthquakes in the world and the type of buildings that can withstand severe shocks. There are also details about the ten centres where major earthquakes inflicting thousands of deaths have been recorded in the past 100 years. Unfortunately, one such centre falls in Pakistan with a red circle around Islamabad, Azad Kashmir and Northern areas where a major earthquake struck in 2005 killing 72000 persons and levelling a high-rise residential building in Islamabad.
What is alarming is that the picture shows that three tectonic fault lines i.e. Indian, Arabian and Eurasian plates converge in a convoluted way in the region near the Bhasha dam site which is prone to heavy seismic activity. The planners ought to look into this so that any future catastrophe may be avoided.
DR MUHAMMAD YAQOOB BHATTI
Lahore
Arabian… you mean Saudi Arabia is also included to these tectonic fault lines?
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