Next year,NDMA to check earthquake preparedness

The National Disaster Management Authority is going to create a hypothetical scenario in February 2013 with an epicentre at Sundernagar in Himachal Pradesh to conduct a multi-state earthquake preparedness campaign and mega mock exercise with a view to generating awareness among the public about the vulnerability of the region to earthquakes.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is going to create a hypothetical scenario in February 2013 with an epicentre at Sundernagar in Himachal Pradesh to conduct a multi-state earthquake preparedness campaign and mega mock exercise with a view to generating awareness among the public about the vulnerability of the region to earthquakes.

Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday,NDMA vice-chairman M Shashidhar Reddy said that experts from IIT Mumbai and IIT Chennai had been roped in for the purpose along with the teams of experts from NDMA. These experts will be taking into account a 200-km-long rupture line which may be created if an earthquake of this magnitude hits the region.

The rupture line has been identified after studies have shown scientific evidence to support the vulnerability of the rupture line.

At the time of the mock exercise,Reddy said that in the northern region all the districts of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab,and 13 out of 21 districts from Haryana would be involved. This would culminate in a mega mock exercise in the tricity of Chandigarh,Mohali and Panchkula along with Shimla in the month of February 2013.

Already such a huge exercise has taken place in February this year in Delhi and the NDMA was evaluating the state/district disaster management plans and identifying gaps to update them with the ensuing exercise,he added.

Earlier,a team of experts from NDMA held a meeting with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and sought cooperation from the Punjab government. The team requested the Chief Minister that the state should ensure that all the buildings,especially hospitals,are as per the standards of national building code (NBC).

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram