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Bulwark against quakes and other disasters

HIT HARD: Buildings in Ahmedabad on the verge of collapse after an earthquake.

The giant tsunami waves that hit the shores of Kerala on December 26, 2004 are fresh in the memories of people. The killer waves came as a revelation that as many places elsewhere in the world, the State was vulnerable to natural disasters.

So, it took a tsunami to warn Kerala about the dangers of a lenient approach to safety of houses and public buildings.

The earthquakes in Latur in Maharashtra and Bhuj in Gujarat should have been eye-openers.

The tremors that Kerala has experienced from time to time should have convinced people that the State is vulnerable to the disastrous effects of seismic activity.

The problem faced by Kerala comes into perspective on taking a look at the initiatives of the National Disaster Management Authority, which came into existence with the National Disaster Management Act, 2005.

While the Act lays down the steps to be taken by institutions to reduce the disastrous effects of earthquakes, it calls for coordination at the national, State and district levels in that direction.

The authority came into being with the vision “Zero tolerance to avoidable deaths due to earthquakes.”

In its review of the ground-level situation, the authority reported that there were 12-crore buildings in the country in highly vulnerable areas and most of these were not earthquake-resistant.

The report said that about 59 per cent of the country’s land area could face moderate to severe earthquakes.

Between 1990 and 2006, more than 23,000 lives were lost in six major earthquakes in India that caused enormous destruction and dislocation.

“The occurrence of several devastating earthquakes in areas hitherto considered safe from earthquakes indicates that the built environment in the country is extremely fragile and our ability to prepare ourselves and effectively respond to earthquakes is inadequate,” it said.

Ninety-five per cent of the lives lost in earthquakes were accounted for by collapse of buildings — houses, schools, hospitals and other public buildings.

The report said that though it was mandatory to construct buildings with earthquake-resistant features in areas severely prone to earthquakes, the law was complied with by just a few.

In view of this, the authority said, new constructions will made to comply with earthquake-resistant building codes and the modified techno-legal regime, which includes the revised town planning bylaws, land-use zoning, development control regulations and building codes. While eventually, the codes will be implemented in all new constructions, these will have immediate effect in towns and cities in zones 3, 4 and 5.

The authority said that a vulnerability- and risk-assessment project would be initiated to form an updated list of all earthquake-prone districts, cities and towns in the country.

It is keen to see that faculty of engineering colleges, colleges of architecture, industrial training institutes and polytechnics are provided exposure to earthquake-resistant designs and construction methods.

The authority set a timetable for implementing its mandates on spreading earthquake-resistant construction practices.

The timeframe — June 2007 to December 2008 — covered all activities from training of professionals to dissemination of documents, undertaking pilot projects for earthquake-resistant buildings, modifying regulations and town planning bylaws and undertaking mandatory third party technical audit.

The developments at the national scene have its echo in Kerala where planning authorities have taken a serious view of the need to be prepared for emergencies.

The State wants to pursue a proactive policy towards minimising the effects of earthquakes. Once the revised version of the Kerala Town Planning Act comes into effect, buildings should have features that make them less vulnerable to earthquakes.

A senior official of the Town Planning Department said that the revisions had take place over several rounds and the latest draft, complete with technical recommendations, was with the Ministry.

The official said the State planners took a serious view of the situation and the provisions in the fresh set of laws indicated the urgency with which the issue was being addressed.

As of now, earthquake-resistant features are not mandatory in buildings. This deficiency will be met through the revisions in the law, the official said.

The urgency with which the State planners have moved in this direction reflects the proactive view of disaster management, shifting from a relief-centred approach to more pro-active, preventive activities.

The revisions in the National Building Code incorporate the new approach to disasters such as earthquakes.

K.P. Thomson, a senior architect in Kochi, said the revised National Building Code would contain steps that needed to be taken to make new buildings safer from earthquakes.

At present, the code focusses on areas that are traditionally considered vulnerable to earthquakes. These include the North-East, the Andamans and North India.

The revised code will address the issues that have emerged with regard to earthquake vulnerability.

While incorporating earthquake-resistance features in new buildings may be a challenge to the building industry as new designs and technology are needed, it raises the prospects of higher construction costs.

However, a government official said, human lives did not come cheap. Investments had to be made to ensure that life and property were protected against earthquakes. After all, the investment was being made into safety, said the official.

Mr. Thomson felt that the investment in incorporating earthquake resistance features in buildings would not be substantial compared to the safety it would ensure.

Saving life is the first priority, he said and pointed to the disruptions caused by earthquakes. Loss of lives and disruption in life cannot be put on a cost scale.

This is more so when it comes to rural areas and places inhabited by the poor. For the poor, investments in a residential building form the lion’s share of their savings. It is important that these savings are protected, he added.

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