Will The ‘Great Himalayan Earthquake’ Hit India Soon?
Experts warn of a massive earthquake threat in Japan’s Nankai Trough and India’s Himalayan region, urging urgent disaster preparedness.
Recently, ISH News reported on the Myanmar earthquake, which sadly killed over 3,600 people. Watch the video here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plZ7wP-tM08
But the danger of earthquakes is still not over. Now, Japan has raised a strong alert about a possible big earthquake in the Nankai Trough.
What is the Nankai Trough?
The Nankai Trough is an area in the ocean near southwest Japan, where two tectonic plates meet. It is around 900 km long and is one of the world’s most dangerous earthquake zones.
Big earthquakes have been happening here every 100 to 200 years.
Experts are warning about a megaquake — an earthquake of magnitude 8.0 or higher.
(For comparison, Myanmar's earthquake was 7.7.)
If this megaquake happens, it could cause huge damage:
- Tsunami waves taller than 100 feet.
- Around 2.35 million buildings destroyed by fire, floods, and collapses.
- About 3 lakh people could die, and more than 1.23 crore people might lose their homes.
Even Tokyo could face tsunami waves up to 30 feet high.
Coastal cities like Kuroshio and Tosashimizu may face waves as tall as a 10 to 11-storey building!
The Japanese government is strengthening buildings and improving flood protection.
But experts say these steps may reduce deaths only a little.
Japan is still recovering from the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, a 9.1 magnitude disaster that killed over 15,500 people.
If this Nankai Trough earthquake happens, it could become one of the worst natural disasters in history.
Warning for India
Experts are also warning that a similar big earthquake may happen soon in the Himalayan region.
It could be a Great Himalayan Earthquake of magnitude 8 or more.
If this happens, around 30 crore people could be affected.
American geophysicist Roger Bilham said that India moves about 2 metres under Tibet every 100 years, and this movement causes earthquakes.
But in the last 70 years, there has not been a big enough earthquake to release the pressure.
States like Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, and the Northeast are at high risk. Big cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata are also built on dangerous fault lines.
Sadly, India is not fully prepared because many buildings are not built to handle earthquakes. Japan, on the other hand, has strong disaster management plans.
How India can prepare:
- Repair old buildings, especially hospitals and schools.
- Keep open spaces in cities for emergency escape.
- Teach earthquake safety in schools.
The Myanmar earthquake should be a wake-up call.
India has the knowledge, science, and skills — now it needs the strong will to act and protect its people.
