Saritsa Foundation Educates Most Vulnerable School Children of Jammu and Kashmir to Protect Lives in Earthquakes and Other Disasters – 18 April to 24 April 2013.
We have developed a deeper passion over a period of time to empower school children and teachers to protect lives in earthquakes, especially, in HINDUKUSH Mountain Regions in India and Pakistan who suffer without education. Humanizing the suffering of children in loosing lives, becoming disabled and facing life long traumas is heart rendering concern for Saritsa Foundation. Jammu and Kashmir is situated in an earthquake sensitive region and massive tremors in the past have wreaked havoc here. Moderate intensity earthquakes keep on threatening school children and the community often in Jammu and Kashmir. The Earthquake of 8 October 2005 which struck heavily in the northern area of Jammu and Kashmir destroyed among other buildings the infrastructure of School Education Department in a big way.
As per the estimates of the Department concerned as many as 404 school buildings were fully damaged and partial damage was reported in case of 442 other school buildings in Kashmir Division. The destruction of school buildings rendered the schools non-functional, particularity where the buildings suffered heavy damages and the school management was also reluctant to continue schooling in relatively low damaged buildings on account of an element of risk. The impact is fresh in minds of local people. The areas that lies close to the Line of Control (LOC) were the epicenter of the earthquake. The worst affected areas were Tangdhar, Keran and Karnah in Kupwara district and Uri in Baramulla district. The death count reached 755 with Baramulla and Kupawara alone accounting for 469 and 259 deaths. Twenty-six security personnel, including 21 Army jawans, were killed and scores of others injured as the massive earthquake damaged bunkers and barracks along the Line of Control in Baramulla, Kupwara and Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir.