In addition to maintaining the balance between environmental conservation and developmental works, it is also necessary to ensure that developmental works are executed in accordance with the standards of disaster management. Chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said this while speaking at the inauguration of a two-day workshop on opportunities and challenges in disaster resilient infrastructure in the Himalaya here on Tuesday.
Rawat said that the clash between demand for development and environmental conservation obligations poses challenges. He said that during the past two years there have been 38 mild earthquakes in Uttarakhand. Smaller earthquakes continue releasing energy and are not a major cause for concern but during the past few years, there has been an increase in earthquakes, heavy rain and cloudburst incidents. Environmental imbalance is definitely responsible for such incidents.
Stating that prevention is better than cure, the chief minister said that preparation is the best method of protection from disasters. Rawat stressed on the need for keeping in mind three things- the building construction method, environmental concerns and constant vigilance.
Appreciating the traditional architecture of the mountainous regions, he cited the example of the Uttarkashi earquake during which the buildings constructed in the traditional style had not been damaged in the Yamuna valley.
The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board member Professor Harsh Kumar Gupta said that being prepared for earthquakes is far more important than seismic forecast.
He pointed out that schools appear to sustain maximum damage from earthquakes, so it is necessary to start with the children when it comes to preparation for earthquake.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) member Kamal Kishore appreciated the disaster management works done in the state of Uttarakhand. Imbibing the available information in ones behavior and bringing it in practice is a major challenge. Across the nation and in the Himalayan states, there has been a rapid growth in infrastructure.
He assured that the NDMA will provide all assistance sought by the Uttarakhand government.
Professor Vinod K Gaur from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru, said that the building design and material used in Himalayan areas should be different from that used in the plains.
He asked whether separate structural engineering and materials cannot be considered according to requirement in the Himalaya region.
Stating that Himalayan should not necessarily ape the world, he said that buildings should be designed according to the mountainous conditions.
Earlier, the state disaster management secretary Amit Singh Negi spoke about the various works being undertaken in the sphere of disaster management in Uttarakhand. State minister Dhan Singh Rawat and departmental officials were also among those present on the occasion.