Required Enforcement towards Earthquake Resistant Constructions

       i.            To ensure empowerment and accountability of the various actors involved in building construction, namely, the owner, the builder/developer/promoter, the architect, the structural engineer, supervisors, the local body personnel involved in approval of plans, inspection of constructions and issuing of building use permits.

     ii.            To insist on the submission of design and drawings signed by all four stakeholders namely, the owner, builder of approved qualifications, qualified architect and structural engineer of specified qualifications before the permit to build is issued.

  iii.            To insist on submission of a building schedule (check list) along with the application indicating the data and the standards that will be followed, to be cleared by one of the empanelled experts by the competent authority.

  iv.            Building use permit be issued only after complete structural design adopted, material test certificates and other safety certificates for fire and electrical installations etc. are submitted to the satisfaction of the local authority.

     v.            To formulate suitable legislative mechanisms for regulating the professional conduct (with penal provisions) and related responsibilities of architects, engineers (responsible for structural design and supervision) builders, developers and promoters.

  vi.            Efforts should be made to construct and maintain major hospitals, school buildings and public amenity building for storage of essential life saving materials (food, medicine), equipment and machinery for removal of damaged material, using disaster resistant technologies of a higher order, so that these buildings not only serve as good examples of disaster resistant technology but also could be utilised as relief shelters providing the necessary emergency support facilities.

vii.            Efforts for integrating seismic safety in construction practice of owner-built houses is considered a part of a comprehensive strategy that includes public awareness programs, regular consultation for house-owners, informal training to masons and contractors, and education and training programs at the community levels. Efforts must be made to build the capacity of local authorities (municipalities) in adopting seismic provision of building codes in their building permit process.

EXPLORING DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

By

Prof. Chandan Ghosh, NIDM

*************************************************

In tackling Disasters

Let’s try our best possibly

In the quest of

Our Faithfulness to the GOD almighty   (? )

Our Knowledge, knowhow, supportive environs  (?) 

Resources, analytical power,  data-mining  (?)

Scientific, experimental, technical acumen   (?)

Rehearsing

Our Hard work, sincerity, skills, man power    (?)

Modeling, predicting, early warning tenacity  (?)

Ideology, budgetary support, attitudinal idiosyncrasy   (?)

Trying, befalling, deadline friendly cultural ethnicity (?)

Let’s look forward to

Nurturing

Our undeterred  outlook in managing and

Fortifying disaster response teams amid

Amending DM-Act and making effective DM system

That become operative in plans and reports

Dictating

Everything under the tutelage of relief managers

Who despite having trained to adapt IRS

Remain hapless until disaster events

Drive all into grave crises and panicky

Ordering

Thru’ emergent meeting to edifice crisis mongers

 In the proliferation of lot more punitive

Yet toothless regulating authorities made for

Exerting conditional blockages to seamless operations

Regulating

All developmental activities in the Himalaya

Charged by the oath for protecting environs that

Creating uncertain cloud bursts and flash flood

Uprooting our establishments by landslides

Creating

Enigmatic shadow in the name of enviro-degradation

To which EIA officials continue to play role

In the data-mining for the software input

Often tuned enough to satisfy distorted whims of few

Getting

Woefully busy in sanctioning man-made activities

In several counts under the run-of-the river projects

In some vested manners and spirit we continue to see

All formalities in files but for the sake of the Himalaya

Delegating 

Responsible organs to take on the complaints

Filed thru’ PILs and RTIs by some of the affected

Who run from pillar to post to fend their rights

And privilege to live peacefully adoring Himalaya

Expecting

Much of the share of the resources and energy

Tapped out of the multipurpose projects

Alluring pilgrimage for the sake of affluent living

In tune with all that enjoyed by those living in plains

Let’s unite for the cause

Voicing

Our concern to respond to every such clarion

Call from the Nature by re-jigging us from slumber

Ordering our organised forces to tackle situation

Much to the need of the victims on compassion

Ordering

Command and poring relief packets from the sky

Counting on the fortitude and courage shorn

By Army, NDRF and many faith based organisations

Mounting with figures and heating debates in the media

Orchestrating

Hi-flying teams often sans subject specialities

To oversee the damages and losses sans quantifying tools

Followed up by surveys and sanctioning budget

For the states suffering the blunt of the shaking

Follow up actions 

In the name of post-disaster need assessment

And submitting reports after organising disaster tourism

Thereafter, conducting seminar-symposium-talk-show

For the sake of awareness drive and seasoned life style

Nay!

By all might the country has achieved several milestones

In keeping our organized forces in perfect order

Making them effectively functional gratifying in

Coordinating response and relief operations

Despite

Tattered by misgivings of the communication

Network and unrealised early warning system

Unmindfully maintained by nodal agencies

Leave us at our fate unaware, uncalled for

Yet

We shall continue to unravel our lacunae

In the name of disaster preparedness

Till we come forward with all sincerity

While wrapping up the truth before

Taking ownership by anybody for the

Unbecoming of our resilience syndrome

While every event takes us a bit closer to

Revisit and have reality check on our preparedness! 

===============

        We are a gifted nation; but disaster preparedness is still an option to choose

We are really God gifted nation and the fortunate people in such a huge numbers, not caring enough to those creation of present generation and not looking at what will happen after the life span of buildings/monuments/multistorey complexes will be finished by another few decades or so,. We are having all the 10 (?) Avtars born n lived in this piece of land and defining all Yugas that brought so much glories vs. fighting wars for the definite last...,

We are adoring Mother Nature thru' Hymns/Slokas (that even giving the formula for speed of sun light, i.e. 3 lakh km/s, which was proved by scientific world in 1749 only). We are also having excellent treatise on varied philosophy/subjects much before other creatures on this Earth could even imagine to do so..almost all "names"/nomenclatures in the modern atomic theories are somehow or other ways found originated from our ancient masterpieces...
...But while running trains in our country we often go by the numbers of KM of the track being spread by the worlds biggest employer (?) 

We are having so many no. of stations about a KM length of the longest platform...but when it comes to average speed or efficiency of the rail track and system of signalling or even getting so many Head on collisions/accidents though running at slower speed ....we rather take a sigh of contentment with the past and try to refer back to British era and thereby rebuking all developments that have taken place since then....

....when we look at our modern railway infrastructure we first look at the amount of billion or huge budget being earmarked for such  adventure, which are already traded elsewhere and trying to fit in our conditions ... in the last few decades we have given so much attention in the IRCTC booking system or even taking AC-II tier reject passengers by Air India....

....when these systems are shaken with earthquake or many other hazards...it's really hard to pinpoint which is the best way out..however, for knowledge sake this link on Japan train system after 9.1 Mar 11, 2011 earthquake Tsunami may be throwing some light ..http://www.railway-technology.com/features/feature122751/ 

Lalita park building collapse, East Delhi (Nov 15, 2010)

by

Prof. Chandan Ghosh, NIDM

Buildings are the creation of the society

Out of the compassion to have a space to

Eat and taking rest after day’s hard work

But making them safe is rather an option

As Delhi faced in the Lalita park case

Building collapse in the urban set-up

Has been a way of ferocious outcome

Evidenced by poor quality construction

The master architect of this “time bomb”

Professing so far as “messiah” to his subdued tenants

By way of subsidized rentals and tattered utilities

By taking custody of all technicalities to his confines

Having columns starting and finishing at each floor

With cantilever on the west side exceeding 50%

Making basement without any concrete floor

The building was made beyond permissible height

Those occupants choosing to live with penury

Struggling under the shackles of soaring economy

They knew nothing what was in store for that evening

No tremor, no riot, no fire, no storm, without any warning

Only bursting sound came before anything could fathom

Drifted all away to the adjacent DJB ground 

Smashing their lives beyond all cognizable human bond 

A great event turned to killing 72 and injuring 63

Hailed mostly from underprivileged section of our community

Whose lifecycle got woefully ceased to extinction

By the force of fury crafted out of illegal and poor constructions

Awfully practised by our urbanized society

The practice of bad quality construction has seemed unstoppable

Under the shadow of municipal authority and seasoned contractors

By flouting proven construction technology, rules and regulations

Enshrined in the Indian National Building Code

The harbinger of this building massacre 

Eventually emanated out of the organised insufficiency 

Of the application of building bye-laws amid widening gaps 

Between written clauses and reality implementation measures

Taking on the immediate and proximate causes

Of the collapse and to recreate circumstances

And sequences of pre-collapse events

That led to sudden failure on 15th Nov 2010 evening

Looking into the pitfalls of building construction

And foundation problems if caused

Due to prolonged water logging of the basement

Has been the main task to bring forth for the public

-------oooooo---------

Disaster: Where do we lack!!

By

Prof Chandan Ghosh, NIDM

Possibly in our

Faithfulness to the GOD almighty   (? )

Knowledge, wisdom and capacity  (?)

Resources, data, analytical tools   (?)

Science and Technical knowhow   (?)

Hard work, sincerity, Skills & Man power   (?)

Modeling, predicting, early warning capability  (?)

Coordinating response and relief operation (?)

Conveying the truth before taking responsibility  (?)

Or

Shall we remain noncommittal to

Our collective responsibilities in

Foretelling the obvious happening

That’s not yet known to us

Or

Shall we explore what other countries

Have achieved through hard work

That’s confined in the repository

Of Mother Nature as threatening gift

.......

Nay…..the country needs a leader/reformer
at the helm of National level……..
WHO shall INFUSE New blood......
RIGHT ATTITUDE…..COMMITMENT…WILL POWER …
Among the erring educated mass…
Who have been so far dwindled by the fury of Disasters……..
Which are mostly emanated out of our
Sheer inconsistencies in addressing problems 
thru' healthy consultations and Transferring

our scientific wisdom palatable to administration

We need to address the difficulties 
being faced by the society procreated out
Of the DM system with a fresh outlook
By enticing our domain expertise
Dutifully required to be performed
By each one of us caring enough what
Is supposed to be done at the golden time
Of a national crisis, be it earthquake, flood, war…

In facing the challenges boldly
We don’t lack anything as such
But a mission to take up responsibilities
By one and all, integrating the resources
Of the country and discharging our duties
More passionately than our demands
While welcoming the next event we need to
Reduce vulnerability and fortify our capacity

In mastering the art of Disaster mitigation
It’s earnestly required to transform our
scientific. Technical and spiritual gains
To be Passionately delivered towards 
The reduction of life and property loss
Unduly inflicted on the erred habitats

but for the sake of championing our living
Irrespective of caste, reservations and creed..

--------------000000000000--------------

Disaster resilience: India is striding towards global fora as a nation with many potentialities

  

Talking about disaster management in the country has performed 2 decades of mind boggling facts and figures. We are in the rare zone of defense, if we say anything note worthy on the disaster resilience index.  When taking into account of our disaster resilience, we are somewhat contended with more “blessed” status than many other countries, be it in the case of facing earthquake, Tsunami, flood, landslides, to name a few of the most events that counted these days as Natural origin, because no Natural event is termed as "disaster". They are called "hazards". It's rather our inappropriateness to account for the impact that our establishments are not able to cope with up and finally "hazard" turns to "disaster". Even urban floods are taking serious tolls due to our failure/incapacity to prepare and anticipate the aftermath of ill planned habitations mushrooming around. 

We have established several national and state level organisations, formed well trained dedicated disaster response teams that even effectively helped Japan (2011) and Nepal (2015), conducted several conferences/seminars, works...trained several officials about the preparation of DM plans and formation of Emergency Operation Centres (EOC), initiated several projects and mitigation programs that trained teachers, engineers, architects, opened up higher education  hubs to prepare disaster managers for the country and even prepared several Post Disaster Need Assessment (PDNA) documents for ascertaining budgetary support for reconstruction works.  The extent of research works in our R&D hubs are mostly confined to establishing instruments, such as seismometers, diff. GPS, Automated weather station, data Buoy.. and taking data for rightful interpretation, which most often than not; are effectively interpreted for societal use. Some of these areas, such as Local weather forecasting in mobile apps, earthquake early warning, warning for hail storm and ground penetrating thunder bolts, warning for flash floods or heavy rain fall…are yet to catch attention of our scientific communities.

In order to harness societal gains in some of the most important areas as above, let’s not count on how many (costly) devices we have bought or yet to be deployed or awaited for Govt.’s nod for fund release. While country's integrity is very important, it's also important to work in synergy, specially in science and technology domain. Taking this into consideration, following aspects may be crucial:

1. Let's us not decorate any more our labs or department teaming with costly equipment or commercial softwares, which are just procured during project period and their usages end with the project reporting or after gaining of the project associate and his coveted research degree, if any. 
2. Let us not defuse our energy in blaming or criticizing other fellow country men or colleagues, for what they are not upto. However, constructive criticism is always welcome in research domain and nurturing this culture in our  context often losing it sheen in many institutes of the country.
3. Let's not work in compartments and procure same costly equipment from abroad for the sake of either having them in many research labs or using them repeatedly to prove the science of the Nature, which is already understood. Innovations and recreation of Nature's event in labs are the basic foundation of research. 

Let these programs are empathized more exclusively than any other scientific charm we continue to enjoy. Because, “right to have warning information” of the events mentioned above are socially relevant and in order to acclaim those for the society is more important than our natural instinct for loving children or supporting their education. 

Let it be our national mission to have disaster resilience society altogether….because, whatever items mentioned here have already been achieved for societal use elsewhere in the world. Why shall we lag behind!

Health issues in disaster management: a paradigm shift

by

Prof. Chandan Ghosh, NIDM, New Delhi

All natural disasters are unique in that each affected region of the world has different social, economic, and health backgrounds. Some similarities exist, however, among the health effects of different natural as well as man-made disasters, can ensure that health and emergency medical relief and limited resources are to be well managed.

Whether it's Louisiana hit by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, or Indian Ocean rim countries struck by the Tsunami in 2004, Sichuan earthquake in 2008, Haiti Earthquake in 2010 (Fig. 1) or Japan hit by earthquake-Tsunami in 2011 or more recently Nepal-India hit by earthquake in April-May 2015;  communities that suffer from such disasters also suffer from the side effects of the disaster long after the cameras have stopped rolling and the aid comes to a halt. 

Fig. 1: Health care emergencies due to Haiti (2010) earthquake have been  out of all limitations resulting in the complete collapse of the system and even  6 years after the earthquake, integrated efforts for the restoration of health care system are the greatest challenge, which is very significant on humanitorian grounds

Fig. 2: Emergency health care by a functional medical hospital system due to 2008 Sichuan earthquake, is not always guaranteed. However, it’s always preferred to have contingency arrangement for such emergencies.

 Some of the greatest challenges these people undergo is not the natural disaster itself but the residual problems stemming from the disaster, namely the long-term health problems kindled from the calamity, recovering from the loss and damages and setting development agenda back to anvil. The long-term health conditions typically addressed during the redevelopment phase include mental and psychological issues, vaccinating and eliminating the outbreak of communicable diseases like cholera, malaria, and measles and reinstating the infrastructure of the health services system. Mental health problems have proven to be some of the most common side effects of natural disasters. The great loss and devastation disasters incur makes mental health problems like post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, rampant among survivors of these horrific acts of nature. Disasters, therefore, cause a significant amount of stress; the death of loved ones can be particularly traumatic but also the loss of jobs, material goods and livelihoods.

Fig. 3: Having facilities for differently abled persons at public places is  mandatory but putting them in proper order is an unsettled socio-cultural dispute in many countries. If these are in place as seen in the photo, they can be used for positioning emergency vehicles during disaster response and operation.

Emphasis is required into a number of important areas in which, public health can contribute to making overall disaster management more effective and conducive to people affected by the disaster.  Some of the more important sudden impact of natural disasters and potential future threats (e.g., intentional or deliberately released biologic agents)  are required for effective emergency medical and public health response. The importance of protecting health infrastructure facilities and maintaining uninterrupted emergency medical services to the injured ones shall needs to be addressed upon. Some of the structural and non-structural measures to hospital safety, including state of the art of facilitating onsite establishment of field hospitals must be included along with case studies. 

Fig. 4: Caring for the injured (Haiti Earthquake 2010) ones in huge no. was not possible in Haiti due to poor economic status and inadequate health care facilities in general. Even deploying medical team thru’ international agencies were  extremely challenging.

Buildings not constructed as per Code shall face the ultimate truth during earthquake...

Building constructions are everybody's share of concerns cum interests sans proper expertise. It may be noted that every municipal authorities in the country has dedicated agencies/team/section to look after the building plan sanctioning, registration, construction supervision, issuing of completion certificate, etc. Some of the basic requirements are explained below:

Fig. 1: Despite extensive earthquake resistance measures following 1999 Chi-Chi earthquakes in Taiwan, the Tainan earthquake on Feb 6, 2016 (M6.4) has made inroads to the weakness ingrained in such buildings, resulting that the entire building is to be demolished

1) What role the Civic authority is suppose to play for those unauthorised constructions (recognition of the terms such as Unauthorised, unauthorised-regularised, illegal, irregular, JJ, urban village, … in engineering parlance and earthquake safety!) in designated areas of a city (we know of many urban Villages, colonies,.. where building constructions rule is not admissible) that become “regularised” following some executive order in terms of their safety from earthquakes or any other hazards?

2.            Any documented example/video/publication of good quality construction as per  code so far carried out by any agency/person(Engineer)/ organisation in the country that provide warranty in terms of acceptable (safe) performance against earthquake or any other external hazards? 

                It may be noted that many people working at the construction site often says, they are adding extra cement or Steel to accomplish more safety than design permits. Use of Ready Mix Concrete is made compulsory in many important construction sites. Yet taking into account of extra safety factors during construction amounts to "ignorance" of the system performance. Therefore, if someone conjectures that many Heritage structures have withstood the impact of last so many earthquakes, we can't not justify much our understanding of the subject matter as we are still "ignorant" about the performance of such structures. 

Fig. 2: Buildings constructed in this manners are subjected to severe damages, due to wrong geometry and poor quality. During earthquake if nothing goes wrong, then we can assume that it's lucky or rather we would say resonant frequency conditions did not occur. But any earthquake waves of Intensity V and higher would definitely impact the such buildings because of irregular geometry.

3.            What role the civic agencies are suppose to play while giving occupancy certificates irrespective of the  no. of certificates to be signed by owner, contractor, structural engineer, architect… as per TCPO Building Bye Laws (guideline) 2004 that was issued to all state govt. and UTs by Govt? What are the engineers lookout for the authenticity of their professional zeal in such situation, where accountability is simply based on certificates signed without much of the ground verification/facts on record?

             There are no. agencies coming up in India, who are getting several assignments for the important establishments such as Embassies, Monuments, Heritage building, Communication towers, Hospitals, schools etc. to provide safety certificates! While country has several sources of hiring/procuring instruments such as LiDAR, GPR, Total Stations, NDTs, etc., the expertise for the systematic integration/interpretation of such data from the source are highly limited. Therefore, gaining a certificate from many such agencies are as easy as taking risk insurance from few agencies coming up in the country.   

Fig. 3: Many such important authorised constructions are sometimes motivated by the amount of steel or cement bags used, rather than proper engineering design requirements. This is an utter mismanagement in the willful application of design principles defined in codes. In such construction neither construction methodology is properly followed nor the quality aspects taken care of. As construction is robust and sturdy for a 3 storey building, earthquake of moderate intensities may not impact much due to ambient frequency mismatch. But earthquake resistant design principles are just enough to cater earthquakes historically frequented in the area.

4.            When majority of the constructions even in authorised areas of a city are going in such manner,  where M20 grade concrete or Fe500, grade 53 cement, water quality and skill workmanship etc. are not feasible, what kind of warranty or certificate of occupancy on the fate of such constructed facilities is supposed to be given by civic authority or expected from structural engineers in-charge after the lawful completion of the same as per extant rule in the city?

         It's really precarious condition that underlie in the building construction. In one side, quality materials as per code is not available in the market, more so the quality works manship. Then where is the fate of earthquake resistance measures meant by Code?

Fig.4: As it is often recommended that ductile detailing is more important than providing more no. of steel rods and cement. It's usually found in majority of construction sites that the stirrups as shown in red color are not usually incorporated due to ignorance or site related problems of unacceptable dimensions. However, Codes always highlight such aspects, and it must not cost anything as seen here.

5. While buildings in the commercial areas are having willful yet functional violation of the safety norms at everyone's envy to add/modify some portions of the fateful establishment,, any mishap due to natural or man made events (say heavy rains, hailstorm, flood...fire..bomb blast..), becomes a responsibility of the state/administration/nation. Emergency Preparedness usually takes back seat because, no one is suppose to be careful enough. Because, every one thinks all living in this fashion (see fig. below) are either callous or sensible enough to restore all faith in  the Almighty. ..They are contended with the living standards as they are absent for more than few decades already and so nothing unexpected will happen to them... But caring life and properties are the fundamental aspects of healthy living..Not caring now does not stop us sharing concerns of unhealthy status of built environment and taking timely preparedness drills/actions..

Fig. 5: Buildings of unknown shape and dimensions, carrying so much of nonstructural components but having lots of brisk commercial activities and demands...creates mind boggling circumstance for the civic authority to implement rules and carry out the orders as written in codes/building bye-laws. Therefore, enforcement/implementation aspects are fated to social geo-dynamics, where earthquake safety or even safety of human life from pollution, are not counted much.

Earthquakes are no longer new to us but our temperament has to change in adopting principles defined in the codes/manuals/guidelines under the careful supervision of experts....