| This may come as a rude shock to many, but | | | | vulnerability and therefore the need for stringent |
| the reality is that buildings designed and | | | | safeguards. |
| constructed before 2002 do not even meet the | | | | However mere lip service on what should be done |
| minimum earthquake safety standards prescribed | | | | and followed would do little for the country to |
| by the Government. The Indian Seismic Building | | | | achieve greater earthquake resilience. |
| Code was last revised in the year 2002 after | | | | Accountability should be the order of the day. |
| many valuable lessons were learned in the | | | | Stringent legal provisions to enforce that at least |
| aftermath of the devastating Gujarat earthquake | | | | the minimum safeguards must be followed. Public |
| of 26 Jan 2001. There were many a committee | | | | awareness is required to be created through |
| set up to inquire into the lapses and suggest | | | | mass advertising so that they can then take the |
| remedial measures; many international agencies | | | | necessary steps to upgrade their buildings. The |
| pledged their support and the United Nations | | | | present day reality makes this a necessity. |
| contributed both monetarily and by providing | | | | Today the responsibility of the Builder/Developer |
| technical guidance. The Indian Seismic Code | | | | finishes once the possession is handed over. The |
| underwent a stringent upgrade so that future | | | | occupants who are struggling to pay their housing |
| catastrophes could be averted. The loss of life | | | | installments are many times in no position to incur |
| and property was colossal and for some time the | | | | further expenditure on structural analysis |
| vast media coverage made one to believe that | | | | evaluation and seismic retrofit. Even if the actual |
| this was the "final wake up call". As time passed | | | | retrofit costs are to be paid by the occupants the |
| the memories once again proved to be short lived | | | | builders should provide their existing engineering |
| and the "chatpatta" Bollywood news sold more | | | | infrastructure for seismic evaluation of the |
| and the mundane "Earthquake Safety" which was | | | | buildings constructed by them. Once the analysis is |
| easily ignored especially when it was asking the | | | | done the occupants would then know the |
| people to do some thing which they have never | | | | expenditure required for upgrading the building to |
| done before, "protect themselves". | | | | the present earthquake standards. |
| The Government after great deliberations | | | | In many developed and developing countries |
| benchmarked "Life Safety" as the minimum | | | | which lie in the seismically active regions, Building |
| safety standard that all buildings must adhere to. | | | | Insurance is mandatory especially high-rise |
| Life safety implies that in case of a major | | | | construction. The insurance companies pitch in |
| earthquake the total collapse of the building should | | | | with quality control and ensure stringent |
| be prevented. This would help in minimizing | | | | safeguards before they provide the required |
| casualties. After the earthquake, in case the | | | | insurance cover. As an incentive, in case, higher |
| damage to the building was above a threshold | | | | than the minimum safety standards are followed, |
| level it could be demolished and rebuilt. | | | | the insurance premium becomes less, and in cases |
| Approximately 59% of the country is vulnerable | | | | where even the minimum safeguards are not |
| to earthquakes. The recent seismic activity in the | | | | adhered to, the building simply does not get |
| Indian Sub-Continent, including the High-Intensity | | | | insured. |
| Indonesia and Muzaffarabad quakes, has rekindled | | | | Today there exist many earthquake protection |
| fears at the highest echelons and many initiatives | | | | technologies which efficiently and effectively |
| are being revived. The Prime Minister, Dr. | | | | protect structures against earthquakes i.e. |
| Manmohan Singh himself, chairs the National | | | | dampers or energy disasters. These devices are |
| Disaster Management Authority. President, Dr. APJ | | | | also the most efficient and cost effective way of |
| Abdul Kalam, raised the issue of "the need to | | | | protecting buildings and have been used on many |
| accelerate research for forecasting earthquakes" | | | | thousands of buildings around the world. One or |
| to "prevent heavy damage to the people and | | | | the other building which incorporates this |
| property" in his recent Independence Day speech. | | | | technology witnesses an earthquake each day. |
| This is testimony enough as to the seriousness | | | | Ministry of Science and Technology is pitching in |
| with which the Government is assessing the | | | | its bit by funding a research project for evaluating |
| threat perception of increased seismic activity. | | | | the effectiveness of such devices. |
| With growing economic might, comes greater | | | | |