Strengthening earthquake preparedness in the northeast

The recurrence of earthquakes that struck Assam and other northeastern states last year, as highlighted in Monday’s edition of this newspaper, serves as a reminder to conduct regular audits of the region’s preparedness. Since earthquakes are unpredictable, disaster risk reduction measures such as strengthening building codes, securing homes and workplaces, and expanding the emergency response system should be at the core of preparedness. Of all the states in the region, Assam recorded the highest number of earthquakes with 68, including three with magnitudes greater than 5. The impact of large-scale earthquakes can be devastating to infrastructure, residential and public buildings, having a cascading effect on the economy. Apart from the huge expenditure involved in recovery and reconstruction, the loss of revenue to the government hampers development. As cities and towns in the region grow vertically with the rise of high-rise buildings, the potential for earthquake damage has increased exponentially. Enforcing enhanced building codes for new construction and retrofitting solutions for old buildings can reduce potential damage and loss of life. The emergency response challenges faced by the state and elsewhere in the region during disasters such as floods, landslides, fires and forest fires leave lessons for assessing earthquake preparedness. The unplanned growth of the concrete jungle in Guwahati raises questions about the enforcement of recommended building codes for the safety of occupants. Greater transparency in inspections by trained professionals on compliance with safety codes is crucial to building confidence among occupants of high-rise buildings in their resilience to major earthquake shocks. Making inspection reports accessible would facilitate further scientific research, leading to actionable recommendations by experts on strengthening building codes and retrofitting solutions for any buildings under construction where deficiencies are noted. Such inspections, which comprehensively cover older buildings in the city, are critical to improving overall earthquake preparedness. Any building, whether private or public, where even repairs to increase its earthquake resistance cannot be implemented should be declared unsafe. Residents and offices in such buildings that are declared unsafe should be relocated quickly to avoid tragedies. Balancing the costs of recovery and reconstruction in case of damage to residential and public property caused by earthquakes against the costs of relocation can help city and state governments formulate policies to incentivize relocation of occupants of unsafe residential buildings. Volunteering residents of old and new buildings to undergo earthquake safety and seismic resilience audits can make things easier for city and disaster management authorities. The human resources of city authorities such as the Guwahati Municipal Corporation, Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority, and Kamrup (capital) District Disaster Management Authority are limited in their ability to conduct comprehensive safety audits of city buildings. The government can authorize civil engineering experts to conduct such inspections for a fee. People will volunteer for such inspections only when they realize the importance of improving earthquake resilience to minimize damage and prevent loss of life. For a city like Guwahati and all hilly cities in the region, a comprehensive safety audit of all buildings on hill slopes is a crucial step as part of earthquake preparedness. Since these hills are highly prone to landslides, the risk of earthquake damage to buildings on hill slopes is very high. Any unsafe building on a hillside increases the risk to surrounding buildings, homes and their occupants. Such buildings that escape security checks will be seen as gross negligence of public safety. Enforcing building occupants to volunteer for security audits will make them morally responsible for any catastrophic event that causes damage to the buildings, their occupants, their property and the occupants of the surrounding buildings. Organizing earthquake preparedness drills in the area should be a sustained exercise involving all sectors of society. Disaster management authorities will continue to recruit volunteers in every residential area, every public building and every market to facilitate periodic security drills to remind people to be prepared. Care must be taken not to create panic through such drills, but rather to encourage people to take maximum care and caution in their homes and in public places when an earthquake strikes. Leveraging social media networks through digital platforms to build awareness about volunteering for safety audits in residential buildings can significantly improve community preparedness. Improving community awareness and preparedness also allows disaster management authorities to better implement their action plan to improve resilience in every residential area, city, town, village and state as a whole. Hospital buildings, fire stations and emergency services buildings must be made as safe as possible given their potential role in post-earthquake destruction. There can be no room for complacency when it comes to earthquake preparedness in a highly seismic region like the Northeast.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

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