SIKKIM earthquake:Experts list safety loopholes

source:Telegraph

Jalpaiguri, Dec. 26: An IIT Madras team of experts has said a series of lapses in different quarters multiplied the extent of damage to buildings, roads and monasteries in Sikkim during the September earthquake. The experts laid stress on immediate rectification of such faults in case there are fresh tremors in future. C.V.R. Murthy, a faculty at IIT Madras and a member of the seismic code committee of the country, said several shortcomings had aggravated the damage to roads, buildings, monasteries and the communication system in the state. “On the basis of our observations, we have come up with a report which had been sent to the government of Sikkim and to the Centre. It is important that a systematic earthquake-safety assessment is done and corrective steps are taken to mitigate the loss in case an earthquake occurs in the region in future,” said Murthy. He was here yesterday to attend a seminar on earthquakes at the Jalpaiguri Government Engineering College. Murthy at the Jalpaiguri Government Engineering College on Sunday. Picture by Biplab Basak The Sikkim government had appealed to various quarters, including IIT Madras, for expert opinion on the quake-triggered damage suffered by the state and means to mitigate the loss. The report said studies and research on mountains, slopes, soil and other geological factors had not been conducted in recent years by any government agency, and traditional housings were abandoned and replaced with concrete structures and high-rises in defiance of building norms. “There was no quality control and the techno-legal regime is absent in the state. Further, the post-earthquake damage assessment was not understood by local engineers and most importantly, the state lacks adequate number of engineers and architects with requisite knowledge on earthquake resistant technology,” the report said. The 26-page report by experts, including two engineers from Hyderabad and Mumbai, also observed that there were no government engineering or architectural colleges in Sikkim to advise the government. “There are only two structural engineers and about 35 architects in Sikkim, whose knowledge on earthquake-resistance technology is not known.” The experts also pointed out lapses on the part of the government and civic authorities. “In Sikkim, there are no set standard municipal by-laws for construction of buildings and no standard procedures to see that the buildings are maintained. The sewerage-cum-drainage system in towns and cities, with ruptures in the channels and pipes, affects the underground soil,” the report said. The experts, who have also found that several roads were cut off during the landslide, said no soil data assessment was done before building the roads. Further, they have found out that while constructing roads, safety standards were not considered. “The construction techniques are not efficient, scientific or of good quality. No professional opinion was taken from structural geologists while working on a mountain to build a road,” the report said. The experts have also made a host of recommendations. They include evaluation of “landslide potentials” across the state before constructing roads, implementing safety standards in design while constructing buildings, safety assessment of existing buildings and developing a manual of good building practices while encouraging traditional construction. “To protect and conserve the monasteries, it is advised that the state government has a partnership with the Archaeological Survey of India,” the report said. “Also, formation of post-earthquake assessments teams are necessary to provide judgement on the status of a structure. Many structures were declared unsafe and demolished after the earthquake without consulting professionals.” “The safety check of all ongoing projects, including the 30-odd hydro power projects, should be made mandatory,” the report said.