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Quakes don’t kill, buildings do
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 19
Loss of lives during an earthquake is mostly due to damage or collapse of houses and structures. However, any structure can bear the vibrations resulting from an earthquake if it has enough strength and sturdiness, says the Indian Meteorological Department.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has published criterion for construction of earthquake resistant structures. The design of structure should be such that the whole structure behaves as one unit at the time of vibration rather than assemblage of parts.

Important structures like hospitals, fire stations etc. should be made earthquake resistant. However, it is not economical to demolish and reconstruct most of the poorly built structures.

Experts say that losses due to earthquakes can be considerably reduced through proper planning and implementation of pre- and post-disaster preparedness and management strategies by respective state government agencies.

THE ABC oF Quakes

n Earthquakes are the result of a process wherein underground rocks suddenly break along a plane of weakness called “fault”, when the prevalent stresses exceed the elastic strength of the rock.

n This stress build-up and subsequent release of the strain energy in the form of earthquakes is a continuous process, which keeps repeating in geological time-scale.

n Drifting of continents and the mountain-building process, shortening of Earth’s crust due to cooling and contraction, disturbance of mass distribution on the Earth’s surface as a result of erosion of high lands and deposition of sediments in the sea are some reasons behind the accumulation of stress inside the Earth

Major Temblors in India

n Muzaffarabad, Oct 2005 (magnitude of 7.6)

n Bhuj, Jan 2001 (7.7)

n Chamoli, March 1999 (6.8)

n Jabalpur, May 1997 (6)

n Uttarkashi, Oct 1991 (magnitude 6.6)