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Bhuj earthquake 25th anniversary: How Pune’s Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana got over 1 lakh children back to school in 90 days

The semi-permanent schools constructed in 2001 were not temporary solutions. In 2005, when a massive earthquake hit Jammu and Kashmir, these structures were dismantled, transported by special trains, and reassembled as life-saving shelters in the valley.

3 min readPuneUpdated: Jan 25, 2026 05:40 PM IST

Shantilal Muttha recalled the BJS mission that built semi-permanent schools for 1.2 lakh students on a war footing (Express Photo)

Just 12 hours after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake devastated Bhuj in Gujarat in 2001, Shantilal Muttha, a Pune-based leader of the Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana, had already developed a plan for temporary shelters in the affected areas.

Muttha, 71, vividly recalled how teams were quickly mobilised to construct semi-permanent structures, allowing children to resume their studies within a month following the disaster. This Republic Day, January 26, marks the 25th anniversary of the tragedy.

“We realised that caring for children was especially important,” Muttha said while recalling how their teams included the children (who were supported by the Sanghatana during the Killari-Latur earthquake ) to immediately travel to Bhuj and help in the relief work.

“Our survey showed that 515 schools had collapsed. We went to the affected areas and provided food, clothing, and medicine to everyone affected. However, to ensure that students could resume their studies, we decided to construct semi-permanent structures and bring them back to school,” Muttha told The Indian Express. Then Gujarat education minister Anandiben Patel (now Governor of Uttar Pradesh) was informed about this initiative.

Shantilal Muttha (second from left) with then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani.

The earthquake affected several areas in the Kutch region, particularly the Bhuj, Bhachau, and Anjar tehsils. Muttha said at that time he was Vice President of the Promoters and Builders Association of Pune and was able to mobilise engineers, architects, and contractors from different districts of Maharashtra.

“We used precast structures for rapid construction. A standard design was developed for the schools, foundations were laid and precast structures were erected using strong Siporex blocks. Corrugated sheets sourced from Jalgaon were used to reduce heat,” Muttha said.

These semi-school structures were designed and handed over to the then PM Atal Behari Vajpayee within three months of the earthquake. “We could accommodate 1.20 lakh affected students in these schools that were set up at the 368 semi-permanent structures,” Muthha remembered.

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2005 Jammu and Kashmir earthquake

While these structures were used for school purposes for at least five years, Muttha said that they later proved invaluable as shelters during another earthquake. Recalling the October 2005 earthquake that struck Jammu and Kashmir and caused massive devastation and loss of life, Muttha said the then Union home minister asked him to set up similar shelters in the region.

The National Disaster Management Authority and the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister also encouraged Muttha and his team to undertake the project. Soon after, a technical assessment was conducted to verify whether the shelters were suitable for the region, and materials were transported from Gandhidham to Kashmir on four special trains.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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