Two quakes in a span of 4 months : Time to regulate buildings
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: April 15 2016 -

Underlining the point that Manipur is in a seismic zone. It was there on January 4 this year and again it was here on April 13.

The first recording 6.7 on the Richter scale had Tamenglong as the epicentre while in the latter case it was Myanmar which was the epicentre with 6.9 on the Richter scale.

Rocked twice in a span of four months and this is where everyone should ponder over the question of how quake ready the people are.

Relevant in the backdrop of the fact that there is every possibility that Manipur may experience more such tremors in the future.

Despite the great advancement in science and technology, mankind is yet to come up with a mechanism that can predict an earthquake in advance.

This is where the need to be ready for any eventuality becomes all that more important. So far there is no report of any death due to the April 13 earthquake but the damages seem to have been extensive.

The picture will become more clear in a few days time, but the growing need to have a concrete plan to face any eventuality cannot be greater than now.

How earthquake resistant are the structures that have come up haphazardly all over the place, particularly in the commercial areas of Imphal ?

How well prepared are the people to face the situation when an earthquake strikes ? Have any steps been taken up to sensitise the young children on what to do in the event of an earthquake ?

Also important to question whether any arm of the Government has been trained on how to respond to the situation in the face of an earthquake.

To be ready for any eventuality should then be the mantra, for there is no way in which an earthquake can be predicted or stopped.

For starters, the Government may seriously study the option of including a course in the schools to teach the young children on how to respond when an earthquake comes.

The teachers for this course may be picked and trained so that they may then pass on the needed information to the youngsters.

Engineers too need to come up with housing designs that are earthquake resistant and the Government should draw up a plan on how to regulate the construction of houses and other structures, especially in the commercial areas of Imphal and the other towns.

This is where questions ought to be raised on how much the towering structures in Imphal have adhered to the building by laws drawn up by the Government earlier.

To be ready, should be the catchword of everyone and the Government should take the lead in sensitising the people to the natural disasters that may strike Manipur, such as earthquakes.

Remember the place falls on a seismic zone.