Living in a quake prone zone : Drawing a lesson from Nepal
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: May 01 2015 -
The figure should say for itself. Over 6000 killed and thousands rendered homeless.
Today it is about Nepal and some parts of the country and it is more than scary to even think what would happen if an earthquake of a similar intensity were to jolt Manipur or anywhere close by.
Guwahati and Srinagar. One at the North East part of India and the other at the northern point of the country.
Apart from militancy one common string that runs through these two cities is the threat perception of an earthquake.
Imphal or Manipur may be placed a little better off but there is no denying that Manipur too lies in one of the more seismologically active zones in the world.
No high rise buildings here, at least not the type that one sees in capitals of other States in India, but there is nothing as yet to suggest that some plans have been put into place to respond whenever a strong quake jolts the place.
A look around Imphal should be more than sufficient to drive home this point.
Repeatedly it has been pointed out that Manipur lies on a quake prone zone, but the tragedy is no one seems to have given any thought to this.
Imagine destruction and the loss of human lives it could entail if an earthquake of a similar intensity were to hit the place.
There is no such thing as urban planning till date.
No building by laws and even if there are any, no one seems to have taken the care to adhere to the safety rules and regulations.
It is a good thing that the number of high rise buildings here can be counted and even in the few that are here it is doubtful if any of them have followed the standard safety norms.
This is not pressing the alarm button but just a reminder that some thoughts ought to be given for the safety of all.
With the Government unable to crack the whip and pull up anyone for violating the building by laws, it seems everyone is free to build whatever they want, as long as they have the money and the means.
The dangerously fitted live electric wires that run around the place should be more than enough indication of how the concept of public safety has been hit for a big six.
So far nature has been kind enough to spare Manipur, but this is no reason to take comfort in a state of carelessness and lethargy.
Time for the Government to wake up and come to the point that public safety is not something which can be played around any longer.
With more and more concrete buildings coming up it is all that more important to place top priority on the safety of the people.
Draw up an action plan to ensure that everyone sticks to the safety rules and regulations. Crack the whip so that everyone sticks to the building by laws.
This is not something which is beyond the Government.
Let the Government do its job but at the same time it is also important for everyone to extend their co-operation.
There can be no sure shot formula against the devastation likely to be left by nature but the least the people can do is to see how it can minimise the tragedy.
The Nepal quake was a disaster and one way to lessen the severity of the tragedy is to draw some lessons from it.
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