Tsunami had hit India in 1945, reveals Scientist

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Tsunami had hit India in 1945, reveals Scientist

 

Bangalore: Disputing the contention of some Government agencies that

India had not faced a tsunami attack earlier, a noted scientist in

Bangalore says that it had in fact been hit by the killer tidal wave

six decades ago.

 

An earthquake in Mekhran coast in Pakistan nearly six decades ago

created a Tsunami destroying an important trading town in the

Arabian Sea and hit Mumbai, nearly 1,000 kms away from the

epicentre, creating a trail of destruction, he says.

 

Indian Institute of Science Civil engineering department professor

and noted earthquake expert Prof R N Iyengar said, Pasni, a trading

town about 100 kms from Mekhran, was washed away by a wave of about

15 meters, after an earthquake measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale

hit the coast, now in Pakistan on November 28, 1945.

 

The epicentre was under the sea at 24.20 N, 62.60 E and has been

recorded by G G Pendse in the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD)

report (X,125) in 1948, which gives an account of the sea waves

generated and the destruction caused along the west coast of the

country, he said.

 

"Pasni town, an important trading centre was washed away by a wave

of about 15 metres. The port town of Karachi was affected by a wave

of one to two metres high. Bombay (Mumbai) nearly 1,000 km away from

the epicentre was affected by an unusual tide," Iyengar said,

criticising the nodal agencies of the Government, who have said the

present tsunami was the first to strike India in human memory.

 

"Nothing can be farther from the truth. Public memory may be short,

but how could the scientific memory be short that too in the field

of earthquakes, where historical records are of paramount

importance."

 

Iyengar said the wave reached Bombay at 8-15 am, nearly two hours

after the high tide for the day and "the loss could have been

greater if the high tide and tsunami had hit the coast together".

 

The farthest port to be affected on the west coast by tsunami was

Karwar, 1600 km away.

 

He said the Earthquake Risk Evaluation centre, recently started in

IMD, should have provided the factual information on the past

tsunamis that have hit India's coastline both in the west and the

east as "in the field of earthquakes, historical records are of

paramount importance".

 

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