NATIONAL SEISMIC advisor to the Union Government Prof AS Arya said here today that 59 per cent area in the country was earthquake prone.
Prof Arya, the chief guest at the Engineers Day function organised at the Institution of Engineers, UP Centre office, also sounded a warning for Lucknow.
“Though Lucknow is in seismic zone 3, the threat of an earthquake is less here as compared to other states like Gujarat. But this is no reason for complacency, for Jabalpur, which is also in seismic zone 3 had experienced a massive earthquake,” he said. Speaking on “Earthquake Vulnerability Reduction in India and the Role of Engineers” Prof Arya said earthquake risk consisted of four elements—the probable earthquake hazard intensity, location of the area and soil conditions, condition of man made buildings and structures exposed to the impact of quake and their vulnerability to the probable quake intensity.He said the engineers could help reduce the vulnerability factor.
Prof Arya said while it was impossible to accurately predict an earthquake, there were ways through which the disaster could be contained.
“Seismic map zoning has clearly helped us in finding the extent to which an area is vulnerable. Using that as a tool, appropriate steps can be taken. It is important that people go in for quake-resistant houses. Engineers are capable of constructing such houses which can resist a quake,” he added. Prof Arya, who is also the seismic advisor to Gujarat government, said that after the deadly quake, the Gujarat government had created a record by building 1.86 lakh quake-resistant houses in three years. UPTU V-C Prof Prem Vrat said that as per a study conducted by an IIT Roorkee faculty, temperature shot up abnormally a couple of days before the quake.
{{/usCountry}}“Seismic map zoning has clearly helped us in finding the extent to which an area is vulnerable. Using that as a tool, appropriate steps can be taken. It is important that people go in for quake-resistant houses. Engineers are capable of constructing such houses which can resist a quake,” he added. Prof Arya, who is also the seismic advisor to Gujarat government, said that after the deadly quake, the Gujarat government had created a record by building 1.86 lakh quake-resistant houses in three years. UPTU V-C Prof Prem Vrat said that as per a study conducted by an IIT Roorkee faculty, temperature shot up abnormally a couple of days before the quake.
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