Govt Sleeping Over NDMA Report on Earthquakes in J&K
NEWS DESK; Notwithstanding the fact that current trend of constructions across the State has been described as alarming by none else than National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the State Government is sleeping over the recommendations of the Authority which were made in the month of July last year after detailed analysis of the situation in the aftermath of May 1, 2013 earthquake in erstwhile Doda district.
The National Disaster Management Authority team headed by its Vice-Chairman visited the erstwhile Doda comprising districts of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban on the request of the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Ghulam Nabi Azad in order to minutely analyse the situation and guide the State Government in initiating steps so as to minimize the losses to life and property of the people in the wake of any earthquake in future.
The recommendations of the NDMA were of immense importance because of the fact that entire Jammu and Kashmir falls in Seismic Zone IV and V and has witnessed several earthquakes of light, moderate and heavy intensity during the past some years.
According to the official sources, the observations as well as recommendations of the NDMA, which were submitted to the State Government in July last year, were forwarded to the Financial Commissioner Revenue and Commissioner Secretaries of Housing and Urban Development and Roads and Buildings Departments in the third week of August last year for compliance.
“Ironically, the recommendations of the NDMA are lying in the official files of these departments till date and no step has been initiated to give practical shape to the same”, sources said, adding “the lackadaisical response to the NDMA recommendations has substantiated the Authority’s observations made in the report that J&K has not learnt any lesson from past 10 earthquakes and no concept of earthquake resistance in the planning, design and construction strategies has been adopted in Jammu and Kashmir”.
Sources said that the recommendations of the NDMA were forwarded to three departments for sharing the report with the field agencies and educating people, engineers, architects and other sections dealing with the construction activities about the norms suggested by the NDMA. “Making these sections aware of the NDMA recommendations was imperative as the Authority had strongly suggested for prohibiting unreinforced masonry in future constructions and retrofitting the existing constructions especially critical, lifeline and governance structures”, they added.
Massive awareness was further imperative as NDMA had laid stress on launching systematic earthquake safety assessment of existing structures in a prioritized and phased manner on the ground that about 18,80,000 of the about 20,00,000 houses in Jammu and Kashmir are largely unreinforced thereby making them prone to collapse or major damage even during low intensity earthquake, sources further informed, adding “the Authority had also stressed that Government must encourage training of engineers each year in earthquake resistant design and constructions so that they can advise all stakeholders in the State on the matters related to build environment”.
In response to a question, sources said, “Housing and Urban Development Department, which had to deal with the recommendations of NDMA vis-à-vis strict implementation of Building Code and amending Development Control Regulations and Municipal Bye-Laws, is also sleeping over the report”, adding “this had been recommended by the NDMA after making an observation that earthquake resistant design codes and building construction code are negligibly followed”.
Pointing towards another important recommendation—-setting up of Emergency Operation Centres in all the districts of the State for prompt rescue and relief operation in the wake of earthquake, sources said, “though this issue has been included by the Revenue Department in the Result Framework Document for setting up of at least four such centres during the current financial year yet location of such centres is yet to be identified”.
“The location of four Emergency Operation Centres is to be decided by State Executive Committee on Disaster Management headed by Chief Secretary but no meeting of the Committee has been fixed till date”, sources said while disclosing that as per the recommendations of NDMA these Emergency Operation Centres are required to be equipped with round the clock helpline, sophisticated equipment meant for rescue and relief operation and other required paraphernalia.
“The non-serious approach towards the NDMA recommendations indicates that Government is waiting for another earthquake to wake from deep slumber”, sources remarked. (Agencies)
The National Disaster Management Authority team headed by its Vice-Chairman visited the erstwhile Doda comprising districts of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban on the request of the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Ghulam Nabi Azad in order to minutely analyse the situation and guide the State Government in initiating steps so as to minimize the losses to life and property of the people in the wake of any earthquake in future.
The recommendations of the NDMA were of immense importance because of the fact that entire Jammu and Kashmir falls in Seismic Zone IV and V and has witnessed several earthquakes of light, moderate and heavy intensity during the past some years.
According to the official sources, the observations as well as recommendations of the NDMA, which were submitted to the State Government in July last year, were forwarded to the Financial Commissioner Revenue and Commissioner Secretaries of Housing and Urban Development and Roads and Buildings Departments in the third week of August last year for compliance.
“Ironically, the recommendations of the NDMA are lying in the official files of these departments till date and no step has been initiated to give practical shape to the same”, sources said, adding “the lackadaisical response to the NDMA recommendations has substantiated the Authority’s observations made in the report that J&K has not learnt any lesson from past 10 earthquakes and no concept of earthquake resistance in the planning, design and construction strategies has been adopted in Jammu and Kashmir”.
Sources said that the recommendations of the NDMA were forwarded to three departments for sharing the report with the field agencies and educating people, engineers, architects and other sections dealing with the construction activities about the norms suggested by the NDMA. “Making these sections aware of the NDMA recommendations was imperative as the Authority had strongly suggested for prohibiting unreinforced masonry in future constructions and retrofitting the existing constructions especially critical, lifeline and governance structures”, they added.
Massive awareness was further imperative as NDMA had laid stress on launching systematic earthquake safety assessment of existing structures in a prioritized and phased manner on the ground that about 18,80,000 of the about 20,00,000 houses in Jammu and Kashmir are largely unreinforced thereby making them prone to collapse or major damage even during low intensity earthquake, sources further informed, adding “the Authority had also stressed that Government must encourage training of engineers each year in earthquake resistant design and constructions so that they can advise all stakeholders in the State on the matters related to build environment”.
In response to a question, sources said, “Housing and Urban Development Department, which had to deal with the recommendations of NDMA vis-à-vis strict implementation of Building Code and amending Development Control Regulations and Municipal Bye-Laws, is also sleeping over the report”, adding “this had been recommended by the NDMA after making an observation that earthquake resistant design codes and building construction code are negligibly followed”.
Pointing towards another important recommendation—-setting up of Emergency Operation Centres in all the districts of the State for prompt rescue and relief operation in the wake of earthquake, sources said, “though this issue has been included by the Revenue Department in the Result Framework Document for setting up of at least four such centres during the current financial year yet location of such centres is yet to be identified”.
“The location of four Emergency Operation Centres is to be decided by State Executive Committee on Disaster Management headed by Chief Secretary but no meeting of the Committee has been fixed till date”, sources said while disclosing that as per the recommendations of NDMA these Emergency Operation Centres are required to be equipped with round the clock helpline, sophisticated equipment meant for rescue and relief operation and other required paraphernalia.
“The non-serious approach towards the NDMA recommendations indicates that Government is waiting for another earthquake to wake from deep slumber”, sources remarked. (Agencies)
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