Editorial: Seismic threat

Türkiye and Syria earthquake holds lessons, particularly for India which still has no law to enforce the norms for quake-resistant construction.

Hyderabad: The devastating earthquake that shook Türkiye and Syria, leaving a trail of death and destruction, holds lessons for the rest of the world, particularly India which still has no law to enforce the norms for earthquake-resistant construction. Seismologically, India is at high risk, with the subcontinent already having a history of deadly earthquakes. Of particular concern is the 2,500-km-long Himalayan plate boundary, which extends from the northwest to the northeast in a zone with the potential for large quakes with a magnitude of 7 and above on the Richter scale. As much as 59% of India’s land mass is prone to earthquakes of different intensities; 11% in the very high-risk Zone V, including Kashmir Valley, western Himachal, eastern Uttarakhand, the Northeast, Rann of Kutch, and 18% in high-risk Zone IV covering Delhi, parts of Maharashtra, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bengal and Bihar. More importantly, there are identifiable gaps along the Himalayan axis where the historical release of geological tension doesn’t fully account for the strain that might have built up. The Himalayas came into existence as a result of a collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates. Due to the constant pressure of the Eurasian plate on the Indian plate, strained energy accumulating under it keeps releasing itself from time to time in the form of earthquakes. The entire Himalayan region is highly vulnerable to tremors and the strong possibility of a major earthquake is always there.

There is an urgent need to increase public awareness about earthquake-resistant construction. Though the National Building Code (NBC), 2016, has specific sections on quake-resistant design and construction, no attempt has been made so far to formulate a law enforcing compliance. According to a study, an estimated 90% of buildings in Delhi are at risk of collapsing in case of a strong earthquake. Science is yet to develop tools to accurately predict the timing and intensity of earthquakes. However, there are technologies and strategies available to minimise the loss of lives and damage to properties. They must be prioritised. The tragedies in Türkiye and Syria highlight the fact that the casualties would have been much lower if the constructions in the affected areas were quake-proof. India has seen many powerful earthquakes, with one of the most devastating ones being the Bhuj earthquake of 2001, which occurred in Gujarat, killing more than 20,000 people. Learning lessons from such tragedies, the country must first undertake a comprehensive study of the vulnerability of buildings and structures in different places to different earthquake intensities. A sustained effort must be made to ensure that all new constructions, especially in places with high risk, can resist tremors, and that all existing buildings are protected by retrofitting. Construction of earthquake-resistant buildings could involve additional costs but these costs are worth the investment for saving lives and properties.

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