Buildings in Kangra, Chamba to be made quake resistant

Tribune News Service

Lalit Mohan

Dharamsala, April 1

The buildings of many hospitals and schools, which are prone to earthquakes, in Kangra and Chamba districts will be reinforced. Kangra and Chamba districts fall under seismic zone 5. An earthquake of about 8 magnitude on the Richter scale in the Kangra region in 1905 had caused massive devastation and killed about 20,000 people. The region is seismically active and has been experiencing earthquakes of small magnitudes almost every year.

The district administrations of Kangra and Chamba are working with experts of IITs and the Teachers Training Institute in Chandigarh to survey the buildings of schools and hospitals that may need retrofitting or reinforcement to make them earthquake resistant.

Chamba Deputy Commissioner DC Rana says, “The buildings of 70 schools in the district are being surveyed for reinforcement to make them earthquake resistant. The school buildings in the region were constructed, as per the code of earthquake resistance prevalent earlier. However, after the earthquake at Bhuj in Gujarat the codes were modified. The buildings of 70 schools in Chamba district are being surveyed, as per the latest codes. Once the experts give their models and designs for reinforcing the buildings, the estimates will be forwarded to the Public Works Department (PWD) for making amendments to the buildings to make them earthquake resistant to minimise loss of life and damage to property in case of a massive earthquake in the region”.

Kangra Deputy Commissioner Nipun Jindal says that the buildings of 57 hospitals and schools in the district have been identified that may need reinforcement to make them earthquake resistant. The experts are surveying these buildings and they will give designs for the reinforcement, he adds.

The experts are surveying the buildings of government schools and colleges for reinforcement, but no such exercise is being carried out for the private buildings. Sources say that most of the buildings that have come up in tourist places like McLeodganj of Kangra district are not following the latest codes notified for construction in seismically active areas.

Vulnerable region

• Experts surveying 70 schools, 57 hospitals for vulnerability
• Kangra and Chamba districts fall under seismic zone 5
• An earthquake of about 8 magnitude on the Richter scale hit the region in 1905
• The region is seismically active and has been experiencing earthquakes of small magnitudes almost every year

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