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Case Study – I

Earthquake in Nepal (2015)

Nepal and their extreme altitude and snow
covered landscapes make living quite
Nepal is divided into three geographical
unfavourable.
regions. Th ese three regions are briefl y
explained below.
Earthquake in Nepal
• Terai is a fertile strip of land in Nepal. It is
also known as the primary agrarian region. In the year 2015, on 25th April, an earthquake
Th is region borders India and has a tropical with a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter Scale
climate. Being a fertile land, this place has struck Nepal. It was the worst earthquake
that had hit the country in almost 81 years.
the maximum capacity for cultivation and
As soon as the earthquake occurred, a state of
its major crops include rice, wheat, pulses,
emergency was declared in the entire nation.
sugarcane, jute, tobacco and maize.
Within a week almost 10,000 fatalities were
• Pahads are the hilly regions without snow.
reported.
Th e urbanised regions of Kathmandu and
Th e earthquake was felt throughout central
Pokhara fall within this region. Almost and eastern Nepal. Its eff ect was also seen in
45 per cent of the population of Nepal the Ganga River, on the plains of Northern
lives in this region. India. Even north-western Bangladesh felt
• Mountains are the most diffi cult region the ripples of the earthquake. Southern parts
for habitation. Nepal is home to many of the Plateau of Tibet and western Bhutan
of the highest peaks in the world, were also aff ected by it.

CHINA

Fault line
EPICENTRE
NEPAL

New Delhi Mt.
Pokhara Everest
INDIA
Ganges
Kathmandu

SHAKE AREA

A map showing the epicentre of the Nepal 2015 earthquake

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