Current trend of constructions alarming in J&K: NDMA JAMMU: Stating that current trend of constructions is alarming and there is no concept of earthquake resistance in the planning, design and construction strategies, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has suggested the Jammu and Kashmir Government to prohibit any new unreinforced masonry constructions across the State and retrofit the existing ones especially critical, lifeline and governance structures with a sense of urgency and rest in a phased manner. In a report submitted after detailed analysis of situation in the aftermath of May 1 earthquake in the erstwhile Doda district, the National Disaster Management Authority said, “virtually all lessons learnt from this low-intensity earthquake have been noticed also after each of the past 10 damaging earthquakes—1988 Bihar-Nepal earthquake, 1991 Uttrakashi earthquake, 1993 Killari earthquake, 1997 Jabalpur earthquake, 1999 Chamoli earthquake, 2001 Bhuj earthquake, 2002 Diglipur earthquake, 2005 Kashmir earthquake and 2006 and 2011 Sikkim earthquakes”. “But the built environment doesn’t have earthquake resistant features. No systems are in place either to correct the situation with the existing (gigantic quality of) built environment through seismic retrofitting or to amend the regulatory framework to ensure that new structures are built to be earthquake-resistant”. Laying stress on launching systematic earthquake safety assessment of existing structures in a prioritized and phased manner, the report said, “this becomes imperative because about 18,80,000 of the about 20,00,000 houses in the Jammu and Kashmir are made of masonry and largely unreinforced thereby making them prone to collapse or major damage even during low intensity earthquake. Thus, seismic retrofitting is necessary”. “If one message has to be taken out of the 2013 Doda earthquake, it is that the existing built environment (except some of the traditional constructions), has little or no earthquake resistant features and is highly vulnerable to strong earthquake shaking expected in the region as per the seismic hazard zone map of India”, the report said. Asking the State Government to prohibit any new unreinforced masonry constructions in J&K and retrofit existing ones especially critical, lifeline and governance structures with a sense of urgency and rest in a phased manner, the report said, “creation of a professional and regulated environment by Government of J&K for design and construction of new RC buildings is crucial if it has to be earthquake resistant”, adding “partnership between Government of J&K, Archaeological Survey of India and the State Department of Archaeology is imperative to plan and protect all cultural structures in the State”. Suggesting dissemination of technical knowledge to professional architects and engineers in the State on the methodology for assessment and retrofit of structures damaged during earthquake, the NDMA has asked the State Government to develop a cadre of professionals, as part of post-earthquake damage assessment teams, trained to have capabilities to provide sound judgment on usability of structures damaged during earthquake shaking”. “The Government must encourage training of engineers each year in earthquake resistant design and constructions so that they can advice all stakeholders in the State on the matters related to built environment”, the report said. Raising several questions vis-à-vis post earthquake damage assessment, the NDMA said, “currently there is no agency in J&K that has demonstrated experience to have the technical capacity and trained manpower to distinguish between various types of cracks, to be able to declare the large stock of affected buildings to be either dangerous or not for immediate occupancy”. “As the engineers in J&K don’t have the back ground to assess damages the Government should seek the assistance of national bodies like NDMA, for identifying professionals to help in evaluating earthquake safety of existing damaged buildings, identify retrofit schemes and undertake retrofit of damaged buildings especially housing, schools and hospitals requiring to be strengthened”, the report said.
Posted on: Sun, 18 Aug 2013 06:09:37 +0000
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