An earthquake does not kill!

 Prafullachandra Dowarah

(prafulla_dowarah@yahoo.co.in)

Fear looms large in our minds when we hear the occurrence of major earthquakes anywhere in the world. And fear within us is intensifying in the aftermath of each earthquake that shakes this region. Humans have fears all the time because fear is a fundamental part of our survival instinct. Our lives become miserable when irrational fear haunts us more often than not. Thanks to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) and technology, we know in advance about weather, monsoons, rainfall, storms, and cyclones. The striking difference in the case of earthquakes is that there has been no technological breakthrough achieved yet to predict their occurrence in advance. Frequent occurrences of minor quakes in our vicinity are also considered a forewarning of a major one to strike in the foreseeable future. The greatest worrying factor is that no one is sure when and where it would strike with what intensity. The people the world over would heave a sigh of relief when the prediction of earthquakes in advance becomes a reality. Till then, we have to keep our fingers crossed. However, to mitigate the unknown, we should always remain alert and get prepared to face the eventuality.

We know that earthquakes do not kill. The fact is that non-engineered buildings, a lack of disaster-resilient infrastructure, and poor town and city planning could play a big role in killing people during an earthquake of higher magnitude. And the recent devastation in Morocco is a case in point. Experts highlighted that to avoid extreme heat conditions, traditional construction methods are being applied in mud-brick construction and masonry that does not have reinforcement. As such, many parts of Morocco and old buildings could not handle an earthquake of 6.8 magnitude. From the wreckages, it is also evident that there has been little or no reinforcement in the structures. A similar tragedy struck Nepal a few years ago. And the cause of death and destruction was the same in Morocco. Evidence suggests that in the villages, it was the houses of brick or rock held together with mud mortar that crumbled within seconds. The same held true for heritage sites such as the Durbar Square of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Patan, all of whose monuments were kept together by mud mortar. The non-engineered structures and buildings are mostly collapsed like a pack of cards in the big Himalayan earthquake. The death toll during the earthquake in Latur in 1993 is also a testimony to non-engineered buildings and houses.

Keeping the above in view, I want to focus on Guwahati in particular. There have been laws and bylaws put in place by GMC/GMDA to regulate construction of high-rise buildings and flats. The purpose of enacting all laws and bylaws is to protect the lives and properties of the dwellers in the flats and houses, along with maintaining the aesthetic beauty of the city as a whole. Moreover, adequate open space is also required to be provided, which is not the case around many buildings and flats in Guwahati. Many buildings are being built in the city where easy accessibility is not there, even for the movement of a vehicle or fire brigade. Most of the buildings don’t have firefighting arrangements as well.

For the construction of seismic-resistant buildings, the required guidelines are specified clearly in codes. We have our BIS (Bureau of Indian Standard) codes to design high-quality buildings and structures. But design alone can’t make a robust building. The most important factor is that it depends on how construction activities are being carried out. Soil investigation is the first step in the area where buildings are proposed to be built. After soil investigation, the load-bearing capacity of the soil is made available to the designer, and then only the designer can decide the type of foundations (mat type, isolated footing, pile, etc.) required on the basis of the shape and size of the building to be constructed. However, to achieve the designed strength of any building, it depends on various factors, like the quality of the materials used: TMT bars, cement, sand, stone chips, and water. Workmanship and curing methods adopted also play a vital role in achieving the proper strength of any structure. Curing (watering) is a very important process that needs to be started 12–14 hours after casting, brickwork, and plastering and continued for 15–20 days to acquire better strength. It seems many builders and contractors don’t follow the norms strictly. The result is obvious. Inspection and quality control are required in each step, from the procurement of construction materials to the implementation of the jobs in totality. In this regard, I want to share my experiences. We had the privilege to supervise, monitor, and review the performances of many renowned Indian construction companies at various mega-project sites around the country. By and large, they provide good services. However, we must admit, in all fairness, that we are basically not quality-conscious people. It is not ingrained in our blood. Quality control is a pain-taking job. Big or small construction companies all try to shortcut the test and procedure unless their activities are being closely monitored, followed up on, and reviewed by a competent authority. Without a proper system in place, getting quality output is impossible.

It is not out of place to state that a contractor’s main motive is to maximise their profit. In fact, profit and quality of work can’t go hand in hand. In such a situation, quality would be the first causality. Now, there are a few salient points to be taken into account: the designer of buildings or structures and its reviewer have to be men of credentials. To ensure the quality of construction, experienced and dedicated engineers and supervisors must monitor all activities closely. Big contractors and builders have such systems in place. However, they would generally not like to use their resources for such activities unless they were forced to do so. It would be advantageous if an independent team was deployed from the client’s side to monitor construction activities simultaneously. My suggestion to GMC/GMDA is that they should engage their experienced and competent hands for inspection and quality control of structures built in the city by private parties and government agencies as well. This is imperative for the safety of its citizens at large.

Now, the pertinent question is: how to get rid of non-engineered flats or houses, if there have been any, in Guwahati city? It was easy to understand that the local administration had already identified some high-rise buildings a few years ago for retrofitting. If required, unsafe buildings should be razed to the ground. At the end of the day, we all know for sure that GMC and GMDA have big roles to play in making the city a place to live in.