Earthquakes don’t kill, buildings do.

Rajkumari Tankha

The massive destruction caused by the recent Nepal earthquake is an ample reminder of this. And it is high time we take cognizance of this simple fact, often reiterated by the architects and structural engineers alike.

According to Indian Meteorological Department, the loss of lives during an earthquake is mostly due to the collapse of houses and other structures. We must understand that any structure can bear the vibrations caused by an earthquake if it has enough strength and sturdiness and is construction is a manner that it can withstand tremors in the earth. This once again reiterates the fact that both the builders and the buyers need to be extra careful about the construction aspects of the flat/house they are building and buying.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has published a criteria for the construction of earthquake resistant structures. It says that the design of a structure should be such that the whole structure behaves as one unit at the time of vibration (i.e. an earthquake) rather than assemblage of parts (which is often the case). The builders must overcome the greed to make a quick buck by cutting on construction cost, and follow safety norms strictly. Moreover, the approving authorities like Municipal Corporations / Development Authorities must ensure proper checks before issuing possession / completion etc certificates.

Buyers be careful
The people of NCR Delhi need to be careful as the region falls in the Seismic Zone 4 which means that it has high probability of earthquakes. While quakes can neither by prevented nor be accurately predicted, there are certain measures which each of one us can take to minimize the damage these cause.

In case you are living in a multistory flat, you don’t have a chance to check whether the building is earthquake resistant or not. Nevertheless, you can take the structural design of the building from the developer and get checked from the experts.

If you are going to build a house on the plot, you have a chance to make it earthquake resistant. First and foremost get the soil testing done. Several semi-government and the private agencies do the soil-testing.

This test will show how much weight can the soil bear and this directly means the number of floors that can be built on the said piece of land. In technical terms, this test finds out the soil’s weight-bearing capacity. The earth quake resistant houses are built on the frame structure instead of load bearing structure, in which the whole building is based on a column. Columns are placed two to two and a half meters below the ground level. It is necessary to insert a bend (beam) in floor level, lintel level, semi-permanent level (top) and side level (doors – side windows).

Last but not the least
Stop all illegal construction. While the authorities can make guidelines, pass orders, even penalize those flouting the norms, it is people who must understand the gravity of the situation and be proactive about it.

In most sectors of Noida as also in DDA flats in Delhi one can easily notice the massive alterations and illegal extensions that have been made by the house-owners. Some more greedy ones have made one/two-room sets on the terraces which are then rented out.

While such construction are made by greasing the palms of the authorities, it is the house-owner who will face the music when something happens. Bribing people to get the approvals ill only harm him/her, no one else. Any extra construction that is done in the original building puts undue pressure on its foundation. Cracks in the walls and seepages are the normal occurrences as a result of this. Such a building will fall like a pack of cards even if a slight tremor occurs. Several examples of such buildings can be seen in Sector 15, 17, 19, 22, 28, 29, 71 and 93 of Noida, as also the DDA flats across Delhi.

For your own sake, stop constructing additional rooms and balconies. Try to limit yourself in the area that you have legally. This is also important as when earthquake strikes you will need open spaces to run to!!