Experts advise earthquake preparedness
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 07 2016: Pointing out that mankind and all the advanced technology still cannot forecast earthquakes with a degree of accuracy whereas Manipur and the entire North East region is located in a highly active seismic zone, many experts have advised all the people to maintain certain degree of preparedness so as to avoid or minimize casualties.

Relief and Disaster Management Documentation and Research Officer (DRO) AK Ranjitkumar said that earthquakes can occur any time and there is a need to maintain optimum degree of preparedness.

Experts should be consulted before construction of any building.

It is not earthquakes which kill people.

It is houses, bridges and other man-made structures which kill people when there are earthquakes.

It must be ensured that relevant by-laws are complied with during construction of buildings.

There is a growing need to make people aware on how they should react if they are inside hospitals, markets and schools when earthquakes occur.

Going under beds or tables with either pillows or books above one's head will be helpful when there is earthquake.

If earthquake occurs when one is moving in a vehicle, he/she must stop the vehicle and should not move.

If one is at home, lights should be put out soon after the tremor is over and cooking should not be used immediately after an earthquake, Ranjitkumar said.

Houses made of mud and /or bricks without cement are more vulnerable to earthquakes.

There should be some gap between one building and another.

One should not go inside houses immediately after earthquake is over.

One may enter the house only after inspection by experts and lights should not be put on immediately because it can create risky situations if any of the electric wires snapped in the earthquake.

There are many reports of about leaning buildings.

District Magistrates who are nodal officers of Relief and Disaster Department should inspect these buildings and they should be sealed if they pose risks to occupants.

Concerned District Magistrates sealed Ima Keithels, Kongba Keithel etc after they were damaged by the January 4 earthquake.

Even though NDRF and SDRF have been jointly carrying out search and rescue operations, buildings which have started leaning may break apart by and by, he added.

Relief and Disaster Management Department Secretary Jason A Shimray appealed to all the people to extend cooperation to the search and rescue operations which are being carried out with 65 NDRF personnel.

Dr S Manichandra who is a scientist at the Seismology Observatory of Earth Science Department, Manipur University said that earthquake observatories should be opened in each and every district of the State.

Saying that installation of these observatories would not cost much, Dr Manichandra suggested launching an awareness campaign on earthquakes at all educational institutions starting from the primary level.

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