Karnataka - Mangalore   

`Quake lasts a few seconds, its consequences are longer'

By Our Staff Correspondent

MANGALORE, JUNE 22. "Although an earthquake lasts a few seconds, its consequences last for months, and sometimes years. The least we can do is to be prepared for natural calamities," the Principal Secretary of Revenue Department, Vinay Kumar, has said.

Addressing the inaugural session of the consultancy workshop on "Urban Earthquake Awareness, Mitigation and Preparedness" here on Monday, he said that since the earthquake in Gujarat in January 2001, several programmes had been taken up at the national, State and district levels to spread awareness on how to deal with the natural calamity. "There was a need to prepare a plan, one programme that told everyone all that needed to be known during a calamity," he said.

The workshop comes in the wake of the recent initiation of the Urban Earthquake Vulnerability Reduction Programme, under the joint aegis of the Ministry of Home Affairs and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The programme is aimed at 38 urban cities with a population exceeding five lakhs and falling in Seismic Zones III, IV and V of India.

The Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada district, Arvind Shrivastava, said: "Earthquakes do not kill, buildings do. Mangalore lies in Seismic Zone III, which is of moderate risk."

He added that most of the damage during earthquakes happened due to constructions and structures in the city which were not earthquake resistant.

"Details such as the depth of foundation, the quality of the construction amongst other things should be considered while constructing a building.

These details will go a long way in the reduction of casualties," the Mangalore MLA, Yogish Bhat, said.

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