Disaster Management – Earthquake Preparedness and Resilience

 

GS Paper-III: Disaster Management – Earthquake Preparedness and Resilience

🔹 Introduction

India has witnessed a surge in seismic activity regionally in 2025. Events like the Delhi tremor (July 2025) have exposed the fragile nature of urban infrastructure and highlighted the urgent need for seismic resilience.

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🔹 Challenges in Earthquake Preparedness

1. Poor Compliance with Seismic Codes

   • IS 1893:2016 ignored in most buildings, especially pre-2000 structures.

   • Lack of ductile detailing, shear walls, and base isolation.

2. Urbanisation Without Planning

   • High-rises in Delhi, Guwahati, and Bhuj built on unsafe soil or floodplains.

   • Overcrowding worsens impact during a disaster.

3. Weak Enforcement & Awareness

   • Real-time apps (like IndiaQuake) exist, but public awareness is low.

   • Absence of earthquake drills and emergency kits.

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🔹 Government Efforts and Recommendations

Area	Action Required
Delhi	Retrofitting with steel jacketing, mandating deep pile foundations, compliance checks by DDA
Guwahati	Avoid floodplain construction, adopt base isolation for key infrastructure
Bhuj/Kutch	Expand community disaster teams, retrofit old infrastructure
Rural Zone V Areas	Expand early warning systems, train local administration
Finance	Allocate ₹50,000 crore/year for annual retrofitting needs
NDMA Guidelines	Promote school safety programmes, retrofitting of lifeline buildings, community capacity-building

🔹 Global Best Practices

Country	Best Practice	Lesson for India
Japan	Base-isolated buildings, drills	Shows how technology & awareness reduce losses
Bangkok	High-strength concrete, ductile detailing	Enforce codes even in moderate-risk zones
Myanmar	Unenforced codes led to high casualties	Warning against code neglect

🔹 Role of Citizens

• Learn safe practices (e.g., Drop, Cover, Hold)

• Keep emergency kits

• Participate in community preparedness programmes

• Demand safer infrastructure

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🔹 Conclusion (GS-III)

With 300 million people at risk in Himalayan states alone, earthquake preparedness is not a luxury — it is a moral and constitutional obligation. India needs a multi-tiered approach that includes code enforcement, public education, infrastructure investment, and community readiness.

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📝 Practice Mains Answer Structure

Q. Why is India vulnerable to earthquakes? What steps are required to mitigate their impact? (GS-1, 2022)

Introduction

Mention Delhi’s 2025 quake or Bhuj (2001) as context.

Body

Part A: Vulnerability

• Tectonic location

• Seismic zones

• Urban growth without planning

• Case studies

Part B: Mitigation

• Code enforcement

• Retrofitting

• Early warning systems

• Public awareness

• Global examples

Conclusion

Emphasize resilience building as a national priority.