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....

  Buildings needs proper care and health monitoring. Aspects of earthquake safety comes later

Our construction practices are taken care of by those field people who, by their designated NAME and existence, have to run the from pillar to post to  other white colored creatures occupying power and posts, with all possible means for appeasement or managerial skills not tuned enough to the requirements of earthquake safety...but finally built up facilities come up sometimes by the weekend or in the night time....at the cost of quality in building materials and supervisory roles...for which no one else but we engineers can ensure simply following up of the Building codes that's existent in our country since 1962...

What kind of earthquake shaking such buildings will be ready to consume or be able to fight in equal terms, is a question, need not require any prepared answers from the building experts. Public in general, are able to understand the fate of such constructions, which if subjected to intensity V or VI shaking, will be unfit for repairing and so there is going to be complete loss of property, keeping aside the fate of life, for which the almighty may be knowing more than any qualified building professional!

Multi storey Buildings coming up without any gap in between to accommodate "pounding" effect, are the modern trend in real estate developments. For such cases, a gap of 2% (rather 4% between two buildings) of the building height is usually recommended.

Waste cleaning-building construction and load tests on piles-Metro rail

Wastes generated from City life - letting them to meet the river without due care!

To what extent sewerage are treated to reach this point (near Pragati Maidan Metro station) is not difficult to realise. We may have passed or audited YAP-I & II, till last year with huge consumption of budgets and now YAP phase-III would catch the attention of many. Such flow (both money and waste) needs an auditing.

....Before we check again text books in environmental (civil) engg on matters related to sewerage treatments, a simple separation of the dirt, suspended materials by Geotextiles (available in Market) could save us from such a obnoxious flow/dirt to the River Yamuna....

Buildings needs proper care and health monitoring

Our construction practices are taken care of by those field people who, by their designated NAME and existence, have to run the from pillar to post to  other white colored creatures occupying power and posts, with all possible means for appeasement...but finally built up facilities come up sometimes by the weekend or in the night time....at the cost of quality in building materials and supervisory roles...for which no one else but we engineers can ensure simply following up of the Building codes that's existent in our country since 1962...

Load tests - on Metro pillar, old way but have we learnt anything more by now?

It is learnt that several (6-10 no.) piles (>1m dia) upto or beyond 30m depth are usually inserted into the ground to host one pillar at 20-25m span. How much of the ground engineering are applicable in such situation is really perturbing, in this age of Geotechnical Engineering development pursuits since 1925. To what extent Indian Codes on earthquake Engg. is applicable to such robust foundation design - whether earthquakes of local or distant origin, can anyway satisfy seismological issues (atleast to avoid Resonance, knowing that spectral acceleration will be different), so colorfully explained in recent Delhi Microzonation Studies (NCS, 2015)???

Nature vs. disaster

Nature vs. Disaster

by

Prof. Chandan Ghosh, NIDM

............... 

At the dawn of our civilization

Nature was the universal protector

We learned first the technique of catching

 Fire to cook our food for survival

Simply living with the Nature

Showering obeisance for the chance

Given to mankind to procreate

Helped us realizing our meaningful status 

As we grew in numbers and started

Looking for shelter at the Nature’s bounty

The challenges of living at par with seasonal

Changes drove us devising tools for living cosy

………

Disasters are no more Nature-made

They are the offshoots of our fast moving

Life style rushing to have more at our cap

Deleting the footprints of natural ambiance

As long as our development perspectives

Scale new dimensions in terms of buildings

Occupying horizontal and vertical spaces

Let’s reap energy as much as from the Nature

Let’s realise to stand against those

Deviations  among unassuming dynamics

Disturbing eco-systems and environment

Making everything on sustainable development

Let each region embrace the world order

Suitable to the local flora-fauna

Refurbishing all that we are taking

Making everything as close to the Nature

.............

Earthquake Preparedness Stake for NE States of India is Real and Achievable (An advisory)

Sikkim (2011)-Nepal (2015)-Manipur (2016) Shock –
Earthquake Preparedness Stake
for
NE States of India is Real and Achievable(An advisory)

By

Prof. Chandan Ghosh

NIDM, MHA, Govt. of India

New Delhi 110002

1.     Whether another shock from the Himalaya will shatter our hope to live as long as we are destined to, is not the issue before us now. Growth in population, economies, and societal interconnections have led to significant increases in lives and infrastructure at risk and to ever larger areas affected by “local” disasters. India is no different from other earthquake prone countries.

a.     Irony of the fact is that Earthquake hazards and their impacts are still not fully understood, even after deploying 70000 seismic stations across the world and analysis of 20000 plus waves (GEM: http://www.globalquakemodel.org/) so far indexed. The future of the earthquake predictions may not come handy sooner or later till we are able to comprehend the whole issue as a “system science”. But what’s important is that every damaging earthquake provides new knowledge about their nature and how to guard against future losses. Whether India has taken any good lesson after series of earthquake since 1988 Bihar-Darbhanga, there are no authentic as well as readymade answers. However, questions are raised after every earthquake struck in the Himalaya – how much prepared Delhi is? The answer, is mostly defined in the seismic zonation (say Zone IV in Delhi-NCR) we belong to and anything beyond that is not possible to specify by any agency or experts.  In this direction, countries like Japan (after 1923 great Kanto Earthquake), Turkey, Taiwan (after 1999 earthquake), have taken great stride in mobilising earthquake resistant measures into exemplary practice.

b.     Earthquake-related provisions in building codes have primarily sought to protect the lives of  building occupants, with the objective (but not a guarantee) of  “life safety” . Code-compliant buildings may protect their occupants in future earthquakes but are not required to be designed to limit economic loss. Similarly, damage to infrastructure lifelines, such as telephone network, water supply, gas pipes, electric power transmission lines;  may not cause death or injury, but may result in significant economic losses and delayed recovery efforts.

Fig. 1: How a building system exists in our country’s context may be described as the signatures of the past generations codified in the human genome but reality of their performances are way behind the technologies proved to be appropriate more than five decades ago; yet we are not sensitive enough with our duties for the safe constructions in the country till we expect some Govt. regulations will deem fit for coherence/compliance    (Figure source; http://www.globalquakemodel.org/what/physical-integrated-risk/building-taxonomy/)

Table 1: Records of last 10 years indicate that felt earthquake (M5 and above) are taking place 4-5 every day and this has been found almost at same trend for the last 120 years of instrumental records. Therefore, prediction of earthquake, specially by several non specialists becoming active across the world during aftershock period, may not improve our understanding of the “panic” situation but we have to realise that buildings where are staying, they have to have some resilience to fight against earthquake. Once our earthquake early warning (EEW) systems are effectively deployed in the Himalaya and receive signals within few seconds after the occurrence of earthquake, the degree of “panic’ situation (as we faced during Nepal-2015 earthquake) could be controlled and for that matter people living in Delhi would have got “visit” information of the Nepal earthquake atleast 2 minutes in advance (cf. Fig. 2).  

Number of earthquakes worldwide for 2005–2015 (Source: Wikipedia)
Magnitude ranging between	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
8.0–9.9	1	2	4	0	1	1	1	2	2	1	1
7.0–7.9	10	9	14	12	16	21	19	15	17	11	19
6.0–6.9	140	142	178	168	144	151	204	129	125	144	123
5.0–5.9	1693	1712	2074	1768	1896	1963	2271	1412	1402	1577	1305
4.0–4.9	13918	12838	12080	12292	6805	10164	13303	10990	9795	14941	12592
Total	15762	14703	14350	14240	8862	12300	15798	12548	11341	16674	14040

Fig. 2: This bullet train in Japan was stopped during Mid-Nigata earthquake of 23^rd October 2004 by applying automatic brake derived from Earthquake Early Warning system deployed along the train tracks. Think of the investment made then by the Japan Govt. for making such system operable vs. savings of life and properties thereof.

Fig. 3: On December 19, 2011, 8 people killed and 3 injured in a bridge collapse at Rangchang Khola, about 18 kms from Singtam towards Dikchu on the Singtam-Mangan highway. The incident took place when a 48-wheeler heavy trailer carrying transformer of Teesta Urja Project to its project site in North Sikkim was attempting to cross the bridge span. It was not explained much, whether this bridge was affected or deteriorated due to Sikkim (18^th Sept 2011) earthquake and if so, what could be the assessment tools to check the post-earthquake impact on the bridge and many other similar establishments 

Fig. 4: Earthquake Early Warning system architecture in Japan and looking forward to have something like this in India with the help of  central Govt. funding has been on the pure scientific paradigm for the last couple of years but buying a commercial product as shown in Fig. 5, is on everybody’s capability but innovating from the simple ones (Fig. 6) to a more formidable commercial product at our country’s context could motivate many from creating “panic” atleast during aftershock period, if not later.

Fig. 5: Earthquake warning bells available in the market that may not suit ours  as we don’t face earthquake so frequently or we may not find a proper place in the buildings we live, where such bells, if fitted as per instructions given in the installation guide,  may not respond to the “clarion call” because we hardly can regulate the our building performance during earthquake.

Fig. 6: Indigenised warning system as above in a common house hold (source: web) that may atleast wake up people to become “panic” and go out or even start practising “drop-cover-hold” game! But we have to be cautious and careful, if the shaking, if at all true, is from earthquake of  near or distant sources. Warning sounds in common house hold as above manner, created by other non-earthquake yet possible animated objects or pets, may bring interesting news flux with commotion, which will be much more confusing yet a good way of awaking people!

2.     This advisory discusses not much about the reasons for earthquake events in the NE region of the country but by taking into account of the recent earthquake in Manipur (January 4, 2016) preceded by twin earthquakes in Nepal (2015), Sikkim (2006, 2011), some imminent steps for the earthquake mitigation strategy that includes implementation of building codes as well as facilitation/documentation of good quality construction practices as an important means to reduces earthquake induced damages and losses. 

Therefore, it is important to take up the following measures by the concerned agencies in the NE states of India:

a.     Rapid Visual Survey (RVS) of all building stocks as on date by expert team, to be constituted by each State/capital city/municipalities, which may include few domain experts from outside of the state. The team may not only indicate the type of vulnerabilities (not Hazards!) but also prepare some easily implementable, cost effective, achievable as well as easily trainable retrofitting/repair techniques to mason/engineers with some field demonstration (see Fig. 7) of such processes for common public.

Fig. 7: Building as shown above has been marked with several indicative defects, which are not suggested in the Indian Standard Codes of practices first published in 1962. Questions are raised why IS:1893 has not been revised after 5^th revision in 2002, but we have to realise that conditions, such as shear stirrup at 135^o at the ends, mentioned in 1962 and subsequent revisions are yet to be seen in majority of the building constructions. Therefore, buildings codes are a sort of advisory documents and community have to take care of such things more importantly than the regulation/implementation drive to start through designated agencies of the country.

Fig. 8: If cars are found crashed in this manner under stilt floor for the very simple yet important lacuna in building construction, it’s high time to adopt correction measures as described in this advisory.

3.     Identify the soft storey in building (Fig. 8 ) and retrofit them at least to some extent by filling up some of the selected open frames with full width brick walls or bracings (Fig. 9)  that might not disturb parking facilities.

Fig. 8: Soft storey buildings as above are dotting everywhere as a mark of modern development. But their performance during Bhuj (2001) earthquake and many other countries, including Japan, Taiwan; signify that these are deficient structures. The importance of retrofitting them has appealed many to go ahead but experiences show that in the name of “jacketing” ground floor columns only, proper engineering is not ensured. It is rather better to go for selective “filling up” of open frame/bay at such floors by simple full width brick walls that may not obstruct parking or other functionalities. 

Fig. 9: Measures, such as cross bracings, taken in this building in Guwahati city has no doubt demonstrated a significant step, which is required to be documented and advertised for others to follow. Though, there are many other defects (cf. Fig. 7) seen in the building, the measure taken here is an eye opener for the earthquake resilient construction.

  

4.      Adopting a new building site, starting from sanctioning of plans including 4-5 alternative designs with structural/architectural drawings, estimating costs for labour, materials, testing, curing etc. as per CPWD or other local rates followed by construction of the same from soil investigation to foundation to finished super structure under the complete supervision of a peer review team.

5.     LiDAR (LIght Detection And Ranging) mapping of one pilot area (say 1kmx1km) in a city by an authorised agency or on PPP mode, demonstrating engineering aspects of Vulnerability and Risk identification of built up facilities in that pilot area along with some Non-destructive tools to be used for building health diagnostics. Based on such information, it’s possible to make a functional Emergency Operation Centre (EoC), where all operations are to be controlled/monitored and disseminated.

6.     It may be noted that calling experts from outside and hearing lectures or organising seminars, teaching students about the basics of earthquake engineering, giving summar projects to school/college students, training engineers/architects thru' some central sector scheme (CSS) or even getting some of the important establishments in the state retrofitted (?) by companies from elsewhere  may bring some satisfaction in the project managers but not really to the preparedness against earthquake as a whole and we all know these have been enough so far towards awareness sans ground implementation.

7.     Therefore,

a.     It's required first to stop unethical construction practices and passing simple PLAN (not structural drawings!) of buildings. Rather create a body of experts, who shall make 8-10 alternative plans of buildings along with structural drawings on a given plot size/shape and do the cost estimate for the same as per CPWD rates or local market prices so that it becomes a package for common person to exercise his/her choice at a reasonable set price, which can be integrated with the normal fee charged for such services.

b.     Identify/map/classify the sources of building materials such as sand, stones chips, bricks, water, cement, reinforced steel, construction chemicals, etc. available in the market with respect to standards defined in the BIS codes

c.      Create/identify testing laboratories in the country that would provide authentication of building materials as per codal specifications.

d.     Create a data base of buildings materials available in naturally and artificially/authorised/unauthorised sources along with their suitability criteria as per BIS codes. Mere certification or test report not vetted by experts under the careful supervision of a peer review team, who shall be facilitated with creating/recreating test conditions, will not be enough.

e.      State Govt. and corporate need to be motivated to create Building materials –Shopping Malls, where all the building materials including paints, construction chemicals shall be marked with barcode/Q-code. Master planners/architects/ engineers/ plumbers/painters/ carpenters/construction workers…land use registration officers and facilities for training of good construction practices, retrofitting clinics, etc. may be made available for common public   

f.       Create a facility to aid good quality constructions as per code/guidelines, which are available in the country since 1962!. Create atleast one Novel example in the locality, where Bar bindings are done as per structural drawings and performance of the same is tested/demonstrated by earthquake simulation/shock tests or by computer simulation with virtual earthquakes. 

8.     States are encouraged to develop demonstrative retrofitting projects to highlight the merits of structural and non structural mitigation measures for:

a.     Retrofitting of (government) hospitals – at least one in each district

b.     Retrofitting of (government) schools  – at least one in each district

c.      City specific cost-effective retrofitting solutions for soft storey in a multi-storeyed building.

d.     Promoting for stilt floor parking and underground spaces in the capital cities are to be dealt with proper methodology of construction and their supervision.

9.     States are to take up mass awareness campaigns for seismic risk mitigation by using following means besides ongoing activities of the respective SDMAs:

a.     Create a Mobile Van mounted with all instruments and shaking devices to experience the LIVE earthquake with shaking intensity from I to IX and magnitude up to M7, so that common public are able to understand the impact of shaking to buildings that they are occupying and at the same time the science behind the decision making in earthquake measurements and dissemination protocols maintained by India Meteorological Department. The same shaking device shall be mounted with seismic base isolators, dampers and some other anti-seismic measures, so that application of such devices are understood while controlling earthquake impacts at all intensities.

b.     Create a State/district Museum as knowledge–hub for the past Earthquakes, keeping repository of information along with situations and circumstances faced in handling such events in the past so that new generations are able to recollect past experience, preparedness, technologies available for risk mitigation.

10.            It may also be noted that earthquake resistant constructions does not cost more than what people are usually spending/constructing without much knowledge/idea/guidance. This is an area, where every individual have lots of things to share and modify the construction scenario, which more often than not, do not qualify to be worthy exercise towards earthquake resilient practices.

11.            The state/region has to create a proper facility to audit a new construction, possibly being done by PWD or Municipality or any other private/corporate agency. In doing so, we shall be able to deal with awareness game that has been nurtured for the last two decades in the country, much more effectively than ever.

12.            Buildings in earthquake as well as hilly areas have to be lighter and stronger, so that they are not damaged much by earthquake induced landslides as well. The Assam type house (Fig. 10) promoted after great Shillong (1897) earthquake has not been documented well so far and there is no code available as on date excepting few articles and publications. States have to organise an expert team to prepare manual for such building construction that can be cost effectively produced using steel frame (www.steel-insdag.org/), instead of wooden frame. 

Fig. 10: Assam type house as shown above are mostly one storeyed and these days they are not affordable. More so technology and knowhow are not documented for common people.  However, steel framed multi-storeyed buildings are to be promoted in the NE, where pilot studies are in progress (www.steel-insdag.org/)

Fig. 11: Seismic microzonation of Sikkim (published in 2006) indicate with RED color about the possible hazards concentration and so their implications for the possible step to the city planners. How far such maps have been taken into account, when scores of new buildings in the red colored area are taking place is to be carefully examined by expert agency. However, it’s important that  State and national agencies are required to revisit and revise such maps at the context of damages due to Sikkim (2011) earthquake.

Finally

After all disaster safety from all natural and man made hazards is the national agenda as per DM act-2005. Till date we have not only achieved a lot in the establishment of NDMA, SDMA, DDMAs…NDRF, SDRF in some of the states but also gained significant momentum in the response and relief operations. Nationwide mockdrills on earthquake safety, emergency medical preparedness, capacity building programs, interaction meetings, conferences are conducted at various sectors in which INGO, UN organizations, NGOs are partners. Main emphasis has been towards awareness of the people, which is fine and noteworthy effort. At the same time when we look at the vulnerable establishments in the affected areas, be it due to cyclone or earthquakes or landslides, the built up facilities become easy target due to the absence of requisite resilient measures. Therefore, it is high time to look into protection measures as per codal provisions given in National Building Code-2005 (being revised in 2015).

The question of taking up the onus by concerned/designated agencies of the country is not to be asked again and again or the problem is not going to be solved overnight by framing RTIs or setting questions to the Law Makers of the country during parliament sessions. What’s important for the NE states of India, is to revisit the Seismic microzonation maps (Sikkim-Fig.11, Guwahati, Aizawl, Jorhat, and many more are in progress under MoES grants) and risk mapping survey conducted so far and incorporate the findings from these for engineers and town planners to adopt while sanctioning new constructions. Without facilitating public with good examples of quality constructions, fighting against the most “uninvited Guest from the Himalaya”, which is not always cost intensive as it’s thought to be, we can’t make the country resilient against earthquake and related disasters.

Not sure enough as on today how much sensitive we have to become on our own by simply remembering Richter Magnitude or the Zone we fall in and passing over the sensitive information during D-day thru’ social media and getting likes comment any further.

If we still consider earthquake events happening mostly in the mighty Himalaya, who not only protects us from chill winds but also reminds us to be prepared enough at safe home we build in using hard earned money, are just one of the many passing events occupying front page newspapers, even if once or twice in a year! Then this is not right subject to talk about and keeping earthquake preparedness as a choice any more. The onus is not all with regulating agencies but more so with our own pledge to adopt proven practices of earthquake resilient construction.

For further queries please contact:

Chandan Ghosh, Ph.D. (IIT-K), Dr. Engg. (Japan)

Professor & Head [GeoHazards Division]

National Institute of Disaster Management

Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India

IIPA Campus, New Delhi 110002

Email: cghosh24@gmail.com, chandan.nidm@nic.in