Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Damage control: On the Tibet earthquake

Damage control: On the Tibet earthquake

Adherence (अनुपालन) to existing regulations (नियम, विनियमन) can limit the impact of earthquakes

This week, an early-morning earthquake in Tibet of magnitude 7.1 and originating at a depth of 10 km has reportedly (कथित रूप से) claimed (दावा करना) at least 100 lives and damaged buildings and houses. The tremors (भूकंप के झटके, हल्का भूकंप, कंपन) from the quake were felt in Nepal as well as parts of Bihar and even New Delhi, thousands of kilometres away. The main earthquake was followed by at least two aftershocks (झटके). If the epicentre (केंद्र बिंदु, उपरिकेंद्र) had been located closer to India, the damage could have been manifold (many, multiple, several, abundant). Earthquakes in the Himalayas evoke (cause, give rise to, invoke, bring forth, elicit, induce) a special kind of dread (डर लगना) in the country. Memories of two deadly (घातक, प्राणघातक) quakes in Nepal in April and May of 2015 that killed at least 9,000 and caused incalculable (inestimable, indeterminable, immeasurable, uncountable, incomputable,) damage still bubble up (surface, arise, come up, erupt, emerge, crop up, ensue). The tectonic plates (massive slab of solid rock made up of Earth’s lithosphere (crust and upper mantle) (the lithosphere is the solid, outer part of Earth). Plate tectonics have deceptively slow movement. Just centimeters each year. But they’re never idle. These plates are constantly in motion — colliding with, diverging with, or sliding past one another) are the gigantic shards (a piece/fragment of a broken substance) into which Earth is broken up. Layered on them are the continents and the seas. These plates are constantly in motion (moving) — colliding with, diverging with, or sliding past one another. The Indian plate (It is a minor tectonic plate straddling the equator in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is moving northward at a rate of about 5 cm a year, continues to converge with the Eurasian Plate, leading to compression, uplift, and folding of the Earth’s crust in the Himalayan region. The Indian plate collided with the Eurasian plate and the crust tilted upwards, creating the Himalayas) collided with the Eurasian plate (a tectonic plate that includes most of Eurasia. The Eurasian Plate is the third largest major plate. It consists of most of Europe, Russia, and parts of Asia. The Eurasian plate is moving north at only two cm (0.79 in) per year) and the crust (परत) tilted (move, change) upwards, creating the Himalayas. The fractured (खंडित, टूटे हुए) zones along which they interact create the fault (a fracture or zone of fractures between two blocks of rock. Faults allow the blocks to move relative to each other. This movement may occur rapidly, in the form of an earthquake - or may occur slowly, in the form of creep) lines where earthquakes occur. By studying these faults and the pattern of past earthquakes, seismologists (भूकंपविज्ञानी) can estimate how much latent energy (the energy required to change the phase of a substance without changing its temperature. The amount of latent energy absorbed or released during a phase change depends on the substance and the specific phase change) at these fault lines, which can run thousands of miles, has been released and how much of it still resides in them.

Scientists have long warned of a massive, overdue (too long waited, outstanding, pending, remaining, expected for some time, long-delayed, belated, tardy) earthquake in the Garhwal-Kumaon range (a series of mountains; a line of hills) because of what is known about the pattern of quakes in the region. The records of the last 300 years suggest (सुझाव देना, इंगित करना) that those that have occurred have not released all the pent-up (suppressed, confined, held back, not expressed) energy and that is why there is a broad (comprehensive, extensive, wide, wide-ranging, broad-ranging) consensus (सर्वसम्मति) among experts that an 8-magnitude temblor (earthquake, earth tremor; “temblor” is an American word inspired by the Spanish word temblor, which means shake or tremble) is overdue. Unfortunately, predicting the day and time is outside the ambit (range, scope, extent, reach) of current science. Thus, the best we can hope for is insulation (protection, shelter, shield) against the projected damage. It is in this context (situation, scenario, backdrop) that infrastructure (the basic physical or organisational structure or framework that a country or organization needs in order to function properly. For a whole nation, it includes all the physical systems such as buildings, roads & railways networks, utilities, etc) development in the Himalayan region must be viewed. While several of these projects are intended to smooth (ease, make easy, facilitate, help, assist, expedite) the movement of people and goods, the recurrent (repeated, recurring, periodic, continual, cyclical, chronic, sporadic) landslides (a landslide is defined as the movement of a mass of rock, debris, or earth down a slope. Landslides are a type of “mass wasting,” which denotes any down-slope movement of soil and rock under the direct influence of gravity; landslip, rockfall, mudslide, earthfall/slip) and glacial (relating to the presence of ice, particularly as glaciers (a large body of ice which flows under its own mass)) lake outbursts (flood, torrent, storm, outpouring, surge, outflow, spurt, deluge) that wash away ((of water) to remove something away) dams, hydropower (power derived from the energy of falling water or fast running water) projects, and roads serve as (act as, function as) a constant reminder of the inherent (natural, inborn, innate, intrinsic, instinctive, ingrained, deep-rooted) fragility (vulnerability, riskiness; weakness, delicacy) of the region. Every form of infrastructure in the region — power plant or dam — must take into account (consider, think about, bear in mind, take into consideration) the imminence (the state or fact of something likely to happen very soon; forthcomingness) of a major earthquake and the associated (connected, related, linked) costs (loss, suffering, drawback, disadvantage) factored into planning. Adhering to already existing building codes, not only in the Himalayas but in the surrounding Indo-Gangetic plains (the region/area extends between the Indus and Ganges rivers), can go a long way (will be very successful; to be very helpful/useful (to achieve success)) in limiting the inevitable (unavoidable, inescapable, unpreventable, sure to happen) damage.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.damage control (noun)

Hindi Meaning - क्षति नियंत्रण
English Meaning - an effort to minimize damage.

2.adherence (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अनुपालन
English Meaning - observance, conformity, compliance, observation, accordance with, obedience.

3.regulation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - नियम, विनियमन
English Meaning - rule, order, directive, act, law, statute, ordinance, guideline.

4.reportedly (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - कथित रूप से
English Meaning - allegedly, supposedly, purportedly, ostensibly, apparently.

5.claim (verb)

Hindi Meaning - दावा करना
English Meaning - cause the loss of, take.

6.tremor (noun)

Hindi Meaning - भूकंप के झटके, हल्का भूकंप, कंपन
English Meaning - a slight earthquake; aftershock.

7.aftershock (noun)

Hindi Meaning - झटके
English Meaning - a smaller earthquake that follows a larger earthquake; repercussion, aftermath, consequence.

8.dread (noun)

Hindi Meaning - डर लगना
English Meaning - fear, worry, concern.

9.deadly (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - घातक, प्राणघातक
English Meaning - fatal, lethal,

10.crust (noun)

Hindi Meaning - परत
English Meaning - the outermost shell of a terrestrial planet; the outermost layer of rock.

11.fractured (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - खंडित, टूटे हुए
English Meaning - split, divided, fragmented, separated, broken.

12.seismologist (noun)

Hindi Meaning - भूकंपविज्ञानी
English Meaning - a scientist who studies earthquakes.

13.suggest (verb)

Hindi Meaning - सुझाव देना, इंगित करना
English Meaning - indicate, denote, point to, signify.

14.consensus (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सर्वसम्मति
English Meaning - an idea or opinion that is shared by all the people in a group, agreement, concurrence, general opinion/view, common consent.

15.epicentre (noun)

Hindi Meaning - केंद्र बिंदु, उपरिकेंद्र
English Meaning - the point on the earth’s surface directly above an earthquake.

16.magnitude (noun)

English Meaning - size, extent, measurement, intensity, volume.

17.manifold (adjective)

English Meaning - many, multiple, several, abundant.

18.evoke (verb)

English Meaning - cause, give rise to, invoke, bring forth, elicit, induce.

19.incalculable (adjective)

English Meaning - inestimable, indeterminable, immeasurable, uncountable, incomputable,

20.bubble up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - surface, arise, come up, erupt, emerge, crop up, ensue.

21.tectonic plate (noun)

English Meaning - massive slab of solid rock made up of Earth’s lithosphere (crust and upper mantle) (the lithosphere is the solid, outer part of Earth). Plate tectonics have deceptively slow movement. Just centimeters each year. But they’re never idle. These plates are constantly in motion — colliding with, diverging with, or sliding past one another.

22.shard (noun)

English Meaning - a piece/fragment of a broken substance.

23.in motion (phrase)

English Meaning - moving.

24.slide (past) (verb)

English Meaning - go or move past something.

25.Eurasian (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to Europe and Asia.

26.Eurasian plate (noun)

English Meaning - a tectonic plate that includes most of Eurasia. The Eurasian Plate is the third largest major plate. It consists of most of Europe, Russia, and parts of Asia. The Eurasian plate is moving north at only two cm (0.79 in) per year.

27.Indian Plate (noun)

English Meaning - It is a minor tectonic plate straddling the equator in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is moving northward at a rate of about 5 cm a year, continues to converge with the Eurasian Plate, leading to compression, uplift, and folding of the Earth’s crust in the Himalayan region. The Indian plate collided with the Eurasian plate and the crust tilted upwards, creating the Himalayas.

28.tilt (verb)

English Meaning - move, change.

29.fault (noun)

English Meaning - a fracture or zone of fractures between two blocks of rock. Faults allow the blocks to move relative to each other. This movement may occur rapidly, in the form of an earthquake - or may occur slowly, in the form of creep.

30.latent (adjective)

English Meaning - inactive, untapped, unused, hidden, suppressed, underlying.

31.latent energy (noun)

English Meaning - the energy required to change the phase of a substance without changing its temperature. The amount of latent energy absorbed or released during a phase change depends on the substance and the specific phase change.

32.reside in (verb)

English Meaning - be present in, exist in, lie in, consist in.

33.overdue (adjective)

English Meaning - too long waited, outstanding, pending, remaining, expected for some time, long-delayed, belated, tardy.

34.range (noun)

English Meaning - a series of mountains; a line of hills.

35.pent-up (adjective)

English Meaning - suppressed, confined, held back, not expressed.

36.broad (adjective)

English Meaning - comprehensive, extensive, wide, wide-ranging, broad-ranging.

37.temblor (noun)

English Meaning - earthquake, earth tremor; “temblor” is an American word inspired by the Spanish word temblor, which means shake or tremble.

38.ambit (noun)

English Meaning - range, scope, extent, reach.

39.insulation (noun)

English Meaning - protection, shelter, shield.

40.context (noun)

English Meaning - situation, scenario, backdrop.

41.infrastructure (noun)

English Meaning - the basic physical or organisational structure or framework that a country or organization needs in order to function properly. For a whole nation, it includes all the physical systems such as buildings, roads & railways networks, utilities, etc.

42.smooth (verb)

English Meaning - ease, make easy, facilitate, help, assist, expedite.

43.recurrent (adjective)

English Meaning - repeated, recurring, periodic, continual, cyclical, chronic, sporadic.

44.landslide (noun)

English Meaning - a landslide is defined as the movement of a mass of rock, debris, or earth down a slope. Landslides are a type of “mass wasting,” which denotes any down-slope movement of soil and rock under the direct influence of gravity; landslip, rockfall, mudslide, earthfall/slip.

45.glacier (noun)

English Meaning - a large body of ice which flows under its own mass. Glaciers are made of layers of compressed snow that move or “flow” due to gravity and the softness of ice relative to rock.

46.glacial (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to the presence of ice, particularly as glaciers (a large body of ice which flows under its own mass).

47.outburst (noun)

English Meaning - flood, torrent, storm, outpouring, surge, outflow, spurt, deluge.

48.wash away (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - (of water) to remove something away.

49.hydropower (noun)

English Meaning - power derived from the energy of falling water or fast running water.

50.serve as (verb)

English Meaning - act as, function as.

51.inherent (adjective)

English Meaning - natural, inborn, innate, intrinsic, instinctive, ingrained, deep-rooted.

52.fragility (noun)

English Meaning - vulnerability, riskiness; weakness, delicacy.

53.take into account (phrase)

English Meaning - consider, think about, bear in mind, take into consideration.

54.imminence (noun)

English Meaning - the state or fact of something likely to happen very soon; forthcomingness.

55.associated (adjective)

English Meaning - connected, related, linked.

56.cost (noun)

English Meaning - loss, suffering, drawback, disadvantage.

57.factor into (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - consider, include, take something into account.

58.adhere (verb)

English Meaning - conform to, abide by, comply with, stand by, stick to, follow, obey, observe.

59.Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) (noun)

English Meaning - the region/area extends between the Indus and Ganges rivers.

60.go a long way (phrase)

English Meaning - will be very successful; to be very helpful/useful (to achieve success).

61.inevitable (adjective)

English Meaning - unavoidable, inescapable, unpreventable, sure to happen.