The Bihar Government under the impact of the series of earthquakes has decided to construct all the new buildings, including hospitals and schools, as quake-resistant. The Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar, said this at a meeting on the disaster management and risks here on Wednesday.
He also urged that private buildings should also adopt similar norms. “The epicentre of the recent earthquakes had been hilly terrains. Imagine what could have been the impact if it had been in the plains. The recent tremors were a warning to us,” he said.
“An earthquake of the magnitude of over 5 on the Richter scale with epicentre in Patna will leave more than five lakh people dead,” he adeed.
Since the deaths occur mainly due to collapse of houses after tremors, the CM pointed out that high rise buildings are in plenty in Patna. The open spaces are shrinking and there is hardly any easy way to rush out of the multi-storey buildings in case of a disaster.
“People should take a lesson from the recent earthquakes and make their houses quake-resistant by obeying the building bylaws,” Nitish said.
Bihar faces natural calamities including floods and droughts almost regularly. Recently, some districts bordering Nepal and Bangladesh were lashed by cyclone that devastated crops besides loss of lives and property.
Assuring all help to the victims, the CM said, “The victims of the natural calamities have first right over the State exchequer.” Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi demanded that family of every deceased in the quake should be given a compensation of Rs10 lakh.
In a statement, he said the loss during the earthquakes should be honestly evaluated for payment of ex-gratia.
Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi and AAP leader Parveen Amanullah criticised the Nitish Government for being least bothered about the condition of farmers.
Amanullah, a former Cabinet colleague of Nitish, said payment of only Rs4 lakh to the kin of farmer of Maner who committed suicide last week was a shame.
Modi said whatever help Government is extending to the family of the victims was only an eye wash and it could have made arrangement for the procurement of his products and saved his life.