With board exams ending, March 21st was a day to celebrate and relax for both students and their parents. Typically, it is usually a time when schools have closed, and children enjoy their time off studies as they gear up for a new grade.
Around 10.20 pm then, as many of us were wrapping up another day, my father came running out of his room to announce that he thinks there is an earthquake!
Having spent a considerable amount of time on the NCR we are all used to little tremors here and there. However, when a tremor that usually lasts for a few seconds, continues further, going up to 1-2-3-4 minutes (!!), it does induce panic!
And this tremor not just left us trembling, but also a little terrified! So much so that we started getting calls from neighbours about what to do…
Now many may wonder if this was even worth a discussion, and under normal circumstances, we would all be running outdoors, but the new normal here are high-rise buildings, which may not allow us the luxury of just running outdoors easily.
As a reaction, I also went running to my balcony to see more people gathering in the lawns, the young, the old, the brave, the bold, some very tired and sleepy and some wide awake, some with children, some with pets to take care of.
In a matter of minutes, the gathering in the lawns grew manifold, all of them in their night wear.
Soon though, the tremors subsided (though psychologically I could still feel the shaking), but I could see from my vantage point that no one was in a hurry to leave. Indeed, how often do you get a chance to randomly meet and chat with your neighbours, or meet new ones, and for the children getting to sit on the swings way past their bedtime, or a few pet dogs barking at each other so late into the evening in excitement!
And in the spirit of curiosity, how many of them would have got a chance to comment on their neighbour’s night clothes.
And isn’t this the essence of the human spirit? To be able to block out things that you cannot control and distract yourself to move on!
Apart from these, some of us were still indoors as we did not see the point of stepping out.
And while many of us veered between frantically running down or staying put, there were still some in the lower floors who DID NOT FEEL A SINGLE TREMOR! Imagine that! Should we call you lucky or…?
Reacting To an Earthquake:
Since NOIDA falls in the Seismic Zone IV, it is subjected to periodic tremors and buildings are designed and cleared to withstand tremors up to 8 on the Richter Scale and windspeeds up to 150 kmph. In case of strong tremors, the buildings tend to sway as a means of balancing the pressure without collapsing.
Some general Do’ and don’t to keep in mind…
Do’s
- Move to a safe place indoors (room/bed/under a desk or table) or outdoors (open lawns/parking lot).
- In high-rises, stay where you are.
- Stay away from light fixtures/chandeliers/power cord lines.
Don’ts - Do not use the elevators.
- Do not operate gadgets/electrical items until the tremors stop.
- Do not operate cooking gas.
Do not stand under or near anything that could fall like lamp fixtures, bookshelves etc.
by Sunaina Chaturvedi (HNo 11121, 98119 26287)
