Buildings in 78% of human habitat area prone to quake

AGARTALA: Buildings in 78 per cent of the total human habitat area in India are prone to earthquake because they are not constructed as per proper code, an eminent geo-scientist said here today.

"78 per cent people of the country live in seismic zone three, four and five and there is no vulnerability and land use mapping. The buildings in those areas are made according to the building code of 1968 which was not updated by the government keeping in mind the vulnerability of earthquake," Director of IIT-Jodhpur and eminent geo-scientist, CVR Murty told a seminar here.

He said, most of the structural engineers are not well aware about the updated knowledge of geo-engineering and the instances of sharing of ideas are very less.

"Following the earthquake in Bhuj in 2002, 36 institutes in Gujrat have started gathering information and researching about constructing buildings in earthquake prone areas," he said.

Murty said the heritage buildings are mostly affected by earthquake.

Infrastructure Planning Adviser, Ministry of Health and Population Nepal, Sunil Khadka said, Nepal was now trying to make a building code which could save the buildings from earthquake.

Khadka said Nepal suffered huge loss in the massive earthquake which hit the country because of faulty designs.