The Indian subcontinent has been witnessing a concerning trend in recent years: a noticeable uptick in the frequency of earthquakes. This surge in seismic activity has raised alarms about the region’s vulnerability to such natural disasters. While seismic events are not uncommon in this part of the world due to its location on multiple tectonic plates, the apparent increase in their occurrence has intensified concerns about India’s preparedness to handle their impact effectively. Despite advances in technology and disaster management practices, significant gaps exist in India’s readiness to mitigate the repercussions of earthquakes. From infrastructure resilience to public awareness and governmental policies, various aspects contribute to these deficiencies. This essay will delve into the multifaceted challenges faced by India in bolstering its earthquake preparedness, exploring issues such as urban planning, building codes, emergency response mechanisms, public education, and the allocation of resources. By critically examining these factors, we can gain insight into the gaps that need urgent attention and formulate strategies to enhance India’s resilience against earthquakes, safeguarding lives and infrastructure in the face of this escalating threat.
Tag: Disaster and disaster management.
Decoding the Question:
- In the introduction, write about the frequency of earthquakes in recent times with examples.
- In the body, you need to discuss gaps in India’s preparedness to tackle earthquakes.
- Also, discuss various aspects of it.
- In conclusion, you should write about suggestions for better preparedness.
Answer:
India has been traditionally vulnerable to earthquakes, floods, droughts, cyclones etc. About 60% of the landmass is prone to earthquakes of different intensities. Even as enormous scientific and material progress is made, it is unfortunate that a huge number of human and economic losses have mounted. This is because we hardly have a policy on systematic disaster management. Government as well as other disaster management agencies become mobilized only after the disasters occur.
There were 226 earthquakes in 2017, 203 in 3018, 309 earthquakes in 2019. Earthquakes of magnitude 4 and above nearly doubled from 78 in 2018 to 159 in 2019, the response from the Union Earth Sciences Ministry revealed. The Indian Subcontinent has suffered some of the deadliest earthquakes globally, with more than 60% of its land area prone to shaking of intensity VII and above on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale. As India has been divided into four seismic zones, in which some of the areas fall under extremely vulnerable.
Some of the major weaknesses are:
- Lack of disaster assessment: Assessment of earthquake prone areas and preparing accordingly is key for mitigating effects of earthquake. But unfortunately, poor disaster risk assessment in India resulted in massive loss of lives and properties.
- Pre-Disaster preparedness: Pre disaster preparedness is key in responding to any disaster management. It shows poor state of disaster management governance in the country and, but India lacks in this case also therefore comprehensive disaster preparedness is essential.
- Poor coordination: Poor coordination among different agencies and local authorities is the main area of concern during a disaster. Earthquake-like disasters need well established coordination and a swift mechanism of response in areas which fall under high risk of earthquake.
- Pace of rehabilitation and reconstruction work: Rehabilitation of earthquake affected, or any disaster affected people need fast peace of rehabilitation and reconstruction measures. Providing food, installing temporary tents, restorations of important social infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, houses etc. need to be done on priority and fast manner.
- Seismic Zonation and Building Codes: The National Building Code of India (NBC) incorporates earthquake-resistant design and construction guidelines for buildings in high-risk zones. However, implementation and enforcement of these codes remain inadequate, especially in older structures and rural areas. For example, the 2001 Bhuj earthquake in Gujarat revealed vulnerabilities in building structures, leading to significant damage and loss of life.
- Early Warning Systems: India has established the Seismological Network to detect earthquakes and issue timely warnings. However, the coverage of early warning systems is limited to specific regions, and there is a need to expand and strengthen the network to provide sufficient warning time for densely populated areas.
Some Important institutional measures to prevent and mitigate earthquake loss:
- The National Center for Seismology for India’s Earthquake preparedness: An office under the Earth Sciences Ministry. Governmental organisations receive reports on seismic surveillance and hazards from it.
- National Earthquake Risk Mitigation Project (NERMP): Enhancing earthquake mitigation programmes’ non-structural and structural components.
- National Building Code (NBC) for India’s Earthquake preparedness: Detailed building regulations and a national instrument offering standards for governing building construction operations nationwide.
- National Retrofit Program for India’s Earthquake preparedness: The NDMA released guidelines on “seismic retrofitting” along with specialists from several IITs and the necessary ministries. Following these standards, the National Retrofitting Program was introduced by the Home Ministry in 2014.
Technological Intervention:
‘India Quake’– The mobile app, which was created by the National Center for Seismology, disseminates information about earthquakes in real time.
‘Sagar Vani’-The smartphone app, designed to assist coastal communities, promptly notifies the user community of ocean-related information and alerts (such as high waves and Tsunami early warnings) for their protection.
These are some of the issues which can become the biggest hurdle in disaster management. Addressing these aspects will strengthen India’s preparedness for earthquake mitigation and reduce the impact on lives and infrastructure. Effective collaboration between government agencies, non-governmental organisations, communities, and international partners is vital to close the gaps and build a resilient nation in the face of seismic events. If India really wants to achieve targets of Sendai Framework and become a global leader in disaster management, then these issues must be addressed.
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