Most parts of Uttarakhand are in seismic zones IV and V with the State capital Dehradun coming under zone IV. In case of an earthquake, like the one experienced in Nepal, there would be major destruction in the commercial and residential areas of the city.
The structurally weak old buildings in the older part of Dehradun with narrow roads and lanes are prone to collapse in case of a major earthquake making it impossible for ambulances and fire tenders to enter such areas in the initial stages after collapse due to the combination of narrow roads and old buildings.
In Dehradun, the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun, Public Works Department and Mussoorie had identified at least 95 structurally weak buildings in Dehradun that are liable to collapse in case of strong seismic activity.
However, the owners and tenants of these buildings have refused to vacate with some of the cases pending in the court. Such buildings are located in various localities of the city including Tehsil Chowk, Hanuman Chowk, Raja Road, Dispensary Road, Rajpur, Karanpur, Khudbuda, Tilak Road and other areas.
As per seismic zonation map of India, the city is located in seismic zone IV which is a high risk zone of earthquake occurrence.
When it comes to the situation in the State from the seismic point of view, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Pithoragarh and Bageshwar districts fall in seismic zone V with Pauri, Tehri, Uttarkashi, Champawat and Almora districts falling partially under zone V. Dehradun, Udham Singh Nagar, Nainital and Haridwar districts fall under zone IV.
Some time ago, the Disaster Mitigation and Management Centre had undertaken a seismic vulnerability study in Nainital, Mussoorie and Bageshwar towns after which it had recommended demolition of structurally weak buildings at risk of collapse and retro-fitting in buildings sensitive to seismic activity.
However, little has been done in this direction though the State Government has said that necessary measures will be taken to address the seismic vulnerability of various places in Uttarakhand.
With little being done towards this so far, it remains to be seen whether the necessary measures are taken in time to mitigate the damage in case of a strong earthquake in the State.