Manipur Earthquake Jan 4, 2016 - Another Threatening Call after Sikkim (2006, 2011)!
The matter is not about the size and intensity of earthquakes taking place in North Eastern part of India. Urgency of the states should be on the ongoing constructions, which are coming up without proper design and field check by expert engineers. Let's not wait for another big one, because, that would not qualify us for the passing exams set by onslaught of Earthquakes (see the table below), where a M5 and higher earthquakes are visiting NE India every 3-4 months. Let's not contemplate any further on the frequent occurrences as well as prediction of Earthquake! Worldwide a M6-7 earthquake is taking place every 3rd day!
Seismic region
|
No. of earthquakes of magnitude
|
Return
period
|
||||
5-5.9
|
6-
6.9
|
7-7.9
|
8.0+
|
|||
1.
|
25
|
7
|
2
|
2
|
2.5 – 3 yrs
|
|
2.
|
68
|
28
|
4
|
1
|
1 yr
|
|
3.
|
North
|
200
|
128
|
15
|
4
|
<4 months
|
4.
|
14
|
6
|
-
|
-
|
5 yrs
|
|
5.
|
Cambay and
|
4
|
4
|
1
|
1
|
20 yrs
|
6.
|
Peninsular
|
31
|
10
|
-
|
-
|
2.5-3 yrs
|
7.
|
Andaman & Nicobar
|
80
|
68
|
1
|
1
|
<8 months
|
Whole in
|
422
4/yr
|
249
2.4/yr
|
23
0.2/yrs
|
8
|
<2 months
|
|
World average/yr [>100000 are
<M5]
|
1000
|
100
|
20
|
1
|
||
The buildings and ground profile, mostly in Manipur and other NE part of India, have not broken by fighting with "Earthquake" in real sense, because, they are constructed "genetically" rather wrong coded by people who have no regards for those expertise in terms of earthquake resistant measures as per Codes/guidelines.
Who says or said earthquake resistant construction costs more than majority of the normal construction being done by Raj Mistries or Mason? There is no such authentic records (except few examples of indicative costs for materials, labours, etc.) so far made available to any govt/non govt website or published reports. It would be better to prove that houses can be made safer as well as cheaper if earthquake resistant measures are followed as per code.
There is hardly any demonstration of good quality construction or even any prototype tests done on the performance of such buildings in India made so far available that common public are encouraged to follow...what we have been coming to learn is the practice drills in the name of "drop-cover-hold" as mere rituals and that too in houses/buildings/schools, which are not earthquake resistant!
Prof. Chandan Ghosh
National Institute of Disaster Management
Ministry of Home Affairs
Govt. of India, IIPA Campus, New Delhi 110002
Sir, its a good start ..... pleas keep it updating.
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