Write a note on the Bhuj Earthquake - 2001.

Comprehensive Note on the Bhuj Earthquake (26 January 2001):

On India's 52nd Republic Day on 26 January 2001 (08:46 AM IST), a catastrophic intra-plate earthquake struck the Kutch District of Gujarat:

• 1. Seismological Parameters:
  • Magnitude: 7.7 on the Moment Magnitude Scale ($M_w$); Depth: ~16 km; Epicentre: near Chobari village / Bhuj ($23.4^circ ext{ N}, 70.3^circ ext{ E}$).
  • Mechanism: Reverse-fault rupture along the active Kutch Mainland Fault (KMF) within the complex intra-plate tectonic rift basin.
• 2. Devastating Human and Infrastructural Toll:
  • Over 20,000 people killed and 166,000+ injured.
  • Complete flattening of Bhuj, Anjar, Bhachau, and Gandhidham towns; 400,000+ houses destroyed and multi-storey buildings collapsed in Ahmedabad (300 km away).
• 3. Institutional Reforms & Paradigm Shift:
  • Led to the creation of the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA).
  • Catalyzed the enactment of the landmark Disaster Management Act, 2005, establishment of the NDMA, SDMAs, and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).