Ticking time-bomb waiting to ruptureIJ
Saturday’s tremors might not have caused any damage in the national Capital but concerns have been raised about the Government’s preparedness to handle an earthquake. The magnitude of the earthquake was 7.9 on the Richter scale with its epicentre in Nepal.
Even though the tremors felt in Delhi were relatively less in intensity (5 on Richter scale), they were strong enough to shake buildings, especially highrise structures, and jolt the Delhi residents. Some tremors lasted for about 20-30 seconds.
There was also panic in the Capital as people were seen running out of their houses to safer ground. The national Capital is ill-prepared to survive tremors of such high magnitude. According to Justice lokeshwar Prasad report after lalita Park building collapse tragedy that killed 79 lives and injured over 100 people in 2012, 85 per cent buildings in Delhi are unsafe and violate building bylaws.
Most of the buildings are made from a single layer of bricks. At the same time, extra floors are added to dilapidated buildings and tangles of electrical cables hang precariously everywhere. If a major earthquake strikes Delhi, most of the localities in the North-East might witness an apocalypse.
Seismic experts say that blatant use of sub-standard materials in buildings, complete violation of safety norms, lack of compliance, and disaster unpreparedness are all a ticking time-bomb waiting to explode in Delhi and NCR.
“It’s the unplanned settlements with substandard structures and construction material that are most prone to heavy damage even in moderate shaking during an earthquake. What needs to be understood is that an earthquake in itself normally does not kill, it is the collapsing buildings that do,” experts said. Experts feel that water from the nearby Yamuna River would turn the water-soaked subsoil to jelly, which would intensify the shaking.
Delhi being vulnerable to earthquakes is no secret, considering it falls under seismic level IV. But are we prepared for a moderate to high intensity earthquake with Delhi as the epicentreIJ The answer, unfortunately, is no.
“It is hard to imagine the damage caused by an earthquake with high intensity. The city has over 25 lakh buildings; a majority of them do not adhere to the safety code, nor have they been constructed under proper technical supervision,” said a Delhi Government official. Fearing many of the city’s buildings could lie in ruins after a quake, the Delhi Government began work in 2005 with the US Government’s assistance to reinforce just five buildings — including a school and a hospital — it would need to begin a rudimentary relief operation to deal with the dead, wounded and homeless.
The 11 districts in Delhi have official system of District Disaster Management Authority but none of the offices are equipped with manpower to face a situation like Kathmandu. Interestingly, Quick Reaction Team Vehicles given to all districts are being used for personal purposes in some district offices raising eyebrows in corridors of power.