Gujarat is an advanced state on the west coast of India. On 26 January 2001, an earthquake struck the Kutch district of Gujarat at 8.46 am. The earthquake registering 7.9 on the Richter scale devastated the Indian state of Gujarat. It was the second largest recorded earthquake in India, the largest being in 1737, and was the worst natural disaster in India in more than 50 years. The earthquake reached a magnitude of between 7.6 and 7.7 on the moment magnitude scale and had a maximum felt intensity of X on the Mercalli intensity scale. The quake killed around 20,000 people (including 18 in South eastern Pakistan), injured another 167,000 and destroyed nearly 400,000 homes. This was an intraplate earthquake, one that occurred at a distance from an active plate boundary, so the area was not well prepared. The shock waves spread 700 km. 21 districts were affected. Around 300,000 families and at least 3 million children aged 14 and under were affected. Around 600,000 people were left homeless.
In the city of Bhuj, more than 3,000 inhabitants of the city lost their lives, the main hospital was crushed and close to 90% of the buildings was destroyed. Nothing was left of the town of Bhachau. The town resembled a quarry. Few structures remained standing. There was significant damage to infrastructure with facilities such as hospitals, schools, electric power and water systems, bridges and roads damaged or destroyed. The earthquake caused significant damage to utilities and transport systems. The epicentre of an earthquake is the place directly above the focus. The shock waves or tremors from the Gujarat earthquake lasted about two minutes, followed by aftershocks for more than a month.
The intense shaking brought out changes in the ocean and land surface and subsurface. At numerous places, emergence of water on the earth's surface brought hope among people about the future availability of drinking water in Gujarat. The preliminary laboratory analysis of water samples collected in the epicentral area show high Chloride concentration and salt content which ruled out any hope of the potable water. The response within India was immediate. The national and state governments quickly provided assistance in many forms including cash, medical supplies, communications teams, shelters, food, clothing, transport and relief workers . There are more than 185 non-government organisations (NGOs), mostly Indian charities, which undertake earthquake-related activities.
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