Rising from the Rubble: Reconstruction and Rehabilitation after the 2001 Gujarat Earthquake

On 26 January 2001, an earthquake registering 6.9 on the Richter scale struck the Indian state of Gujarat. The 2-minute temblor was the worst to hit the state in the last half century. Punctuated by month-long aftershocks registering 3–6 on the Richter scale, it destroyed four Gujarat districts and affected another 21. The death toll rose to 20,000 and more than 200,000 persons were injured. Almost 2 million were left homeless, and no less than 20 million were affected.

The Gujarat government requested assistance from the donor community. Within days, a team comprising disaster management and earthquake engineering experts from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the World Bank, and bilateral donors assessed the damage. Their joint assessment estimated that $2.3 billion would be needed for rehabilitation and reconstruction, and another $1–1.5 billion to counter economic damage from loss of production and lower fiscal revenues.

Recognizing the need for speedy rehabilitation, ADB processed an emergency project that tackled a major chunk of the joint assessment’s recommendations. Two months after the earthquake, ADB approved the $500-million Gujarat Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Project.

The 2001 earthquake caused major disruption in the lives of Gujarat residents. With persistence, focus, and the support of development partners, the government and its people successfully rebuilt their towns. It helped that assistance came quickly, defined and focused on priorities, and tapped the resources of local entities.