Earthquake a wake-up call for district administration
Amritsar, November 19
A mild earthquake measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale around 3.42 am on Monday (this week) in the district must serve as a wake-up call for the administration in particular and the residents in general to prepare for any natural calamity.
Amritsar falls in seismic zone IV & V
- The National Centre for Seismology had bracketed Amritsar among those areas which fall in seismic zone IV (severe) and V (very severe), which mean that a quake measuring 6.5 to 7.9 on the Richter scale can strike anytime
- Disaster management experts are of the view that being vulnerable to earthquakes, the city must form teams, which are ready to face any challenge
Though no loss of life and property was reported, it raises a safety concern. According to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), the earthquake occurred west-northwest of the district, the depth of which was recorded 120 km below the ground. Already, the NCS has bracketed the district among those areas which fall in seismic zone IV (severe) and V (very severe), which mean that a quake measuring 6.5 to 7.9 on the Richter scale can strike anytime.
Disaster management experts are of the view that being vulnerable to earthquakes, the city must form teams, which are ready to face any challenge. They opine that a plan to tackle typical local problems like narrow roads, haphazard parking and encroachments should be in place. For instance, alleys and arterial roads inside the walled city would require different material and techniques as heavy vehicles would not be of any help during rescue operations.
Haphazard parking can slow down rescue operations. In many areas of the city, residents park vehicles on roads at night. At that point of time it would be an onerous task to locate its owner and remove them from the place. The norms for constructing earthquake-resistant buildings should be followed strictly.
