Earthquake Risk Reduction Development and Disaster Management Programme in India

A number of groups in the country have carried out post-earthquake reconnaissance studies of the recent damaging earthquakes. However, we are yet to develop a formal learning from earth quakes programme which will ensure that reconnaissance of all damaging earthquakes are Carried out in a systematic manner and the findings disseminated expeditiously.The countryis yet to formally take up activities in seismic micro zonation. There is not much activity inthe area of earthquake prediction. Data sharing remains a major handicap; we have yet todevelop mechanisms for open data sharing. There are not much inter-institutional or inter-disciplinary collaboration activities in thecountry. Except the DEQ, none of the institutions in the country have strong groups ofengineers and earth scientists working together on earthquakes. The result is that bothgroups, engineers and scientists, often tend to have a rather narrow view of the earthquakeproblem. Similarly, architects, town planners, and social scientists have no involvement inearthquake issues. The Himalayan Seismicity programme of the Department of Science andTechnology has enabled nurturing of a reasonable level of activity in the area of seismology. A similar programme on earthquake disaster mitigation needs to be operated by a majornodal agency in the country to nurture the research, development and extensional activities.A vibrant earthquake industrywherein earthquake-related services and products can beconveniently made available within the country on a commercial basis is yet to develop(Murty et al., 1999).India has been traditionally vulnerable to natural disasters on account of its unique geo-climatic conditions. Floods, droughts, cyclones, earthquakes and landslides have been a recurrent phenomenon. About 60% of the landmass is prone to earthquakes of various intensities; over 40 million hectares is prone to floods; about 8% of the total area is prone to cyclones and 68% of the area is susceptible to drought. In the decade 1990-2000, an average of about 4344 people lost their lives and about 30 million people were affected by disasters every year. The loss in terms of private, community and public assets has been astronomical.