architecture
The 12th International Conference of
International Association for Computer Methods and Advances in Geomechanics (IACMAG)
1-6 October, 2008
Goa, India
Earthquake Risk Mitigation Strategies in India
C. Ghosh
National Institute of Disaster Management, New Delhi, India
Keywords: Disaster Management, earthquake, mitigation, building codes,
ABSTRACT: About 59% of India’s land area is under the threat of moderate to severe earthquake shaking intensity VII and higher. In the last 20 years, 8 major earthquakes have resulted in over 25,000 deaths. The regions far away from the Himalaya and other inter-plate boundaries, which were once considered to be relatively safe from strong shaking, have also experienced several devastating earthquakes. The huge losses of life and property in the earthquake-prone areas of the country have shown that the built-environment is extremely fragile, and country’s ability to respond to these events is extremely inadequate. Post earthquake damage survey revealed that 90% of casualties result directly from the collapse of buildings that had usually no earthquakeresistant features. Secondary events, such as landslides, fires, and tsunamis, account for the remaining 10% of the casualties. This emphasizes the need for strict compliance of town and country planning bye-laws and compulsory earthquake-resistant infrastructure design in India. In this paper various national initiatives taken up for the mitigation of earthquake and related hazards are discussed.
1 Introduction
Recent earthquake in India has demonstrated the need for seismic risk evaluation of building stock and consequences of future earthquakes. In India, where 90% of the population lives in buildings built without proper guidance from qualified engineers and architects, even a moderate intensity earthquake leads to substantial loss of life and properties. The rapid growth of cities, unplanned habitat, faulty structural design and poor quality
construction
International Association for Computer Methods and Advances in Geomechanics (IACMAG)
1-6 October, 2008
Goa, India
Earthquake Risk Mitigation Strategies in India
C. Ghosh
National Institute of Disaster Management, New Delhi, India
Keywords: Disaster Management, earthquake, mitigation, building codes,
ABSTRACT: About 59% of India’s land area is under the threat of moderate to severe earthquake shaking intensity VII and higher. In the last 20 years, 8 major earthquakes have resulted in over 25,000 deaths. The regions far away from the Himalaya and other inter-plate boundaries, which were once considered to be relatively safe from strong shaking, have also experienced several devastating earthquakes. The huge losses of life and property in the earthquake-prone areas of the country have shown that the built-environment is extremely fragile, and country’s ability to respond to these events is extremely inadequate. Post earthquake damage survey revealed that 90% of casualties result directly from the collapse of buildings that had usually no earthquakeresistant features. Secondary events, such as landslides, fires, and tsunamis, account for the remaining 10% of the casualties. This emphasizes the need for strict compliance of town and country planning bye-laws and compulsory earthquake-resistant infrastructure design in India. In this paper various national initiatives taken up for the mitigation of earthquake and related hazards are discussed.
1 Introduction
Recent earthquake in India has demonstrated the need for seismic risk evaluation of building stock and consequences of future earthquakes. In India, where 90% of the population lives in buildings built without proper guidance from qualified engineers and architects, even a moderate intensity earthquake leads to substantial loss of life and properties. The rapid growth of cities, unplanned habitat, faulty structural design and poor quality
construction