Kathmandu, 2 Magh(15 January): There are very few people who have experienced the horror of the devastating earthquake of 1990 BS(15 January 1934). Although there are fewer people who have experienced the tragic experience of the then earthquake, the current generation has experienced a similar experience in 2072 BS(2016). Not only that, a few days ago, when the earthquake with its epicenter in Tibet shook the ground in Kathmandu and other areas, it reminded us of the earthquake nine years ago.
In memory of the earthquake that occurred at 2:24 pm on Magh 2, 1990 BS(15 January 1934), the same day has been celebrated as Earthquake Safety Day every year since 2055 BS(1999). To make Earthquake Safety Day systematic and effective in a manner that ensures uniformity across the country, Earthquake Safety Day Guidelines 2071(2015) have also been formulated.
The Department of Urban Development and Building Construction has informed that the 27th Earthquake Safety Day will be celebrated across the country by conducting various programs nationwide with the main slogan of “Lessons learned from the earthquake, strong structures and strong preparation.”
Director General of the Department, Machakaji Maharjan, said that the main lesson of the earthquake is that we need to make strong preparations to stay safe from earthquakes and that our home structures should also be strengthened. “The lesson learned from past earthquakes is that we need to reduce seismic risk,” he said. “For this, the structures we build must be earthquake-resistant. On this day, we are coming with the goal of raising widespread public awareness on how to avoid the potential risk of earthquakes, evaluating the efforts made in the past, and also improving our shortcomings.”
He stressed the need for publicity in this regard, saying that the role of all concerned bodies, including the media, is important in raising public awareness through widespread publicity for earthquake risk reduction.
“To reduce earthquake risk, safe buildings should be constructed and for this, the National Building Code issued by the Government of Nepal should be fully implemented,” he said. “It is equally important to assess the possible post-earthquake situation in advance and prepare for effective and efficient search and rescue, skilled and trained rescuers, and immediate relief needs.”
Maharjan said that necessary work is being continuously done in areas such as policy arrangements, policy awareness and orientation, capacity building, technical work, study and research, monitoring and evaluation, coordination and collaboration for the implementation of the building code. He said that the building code, including the loads required to design building plans and design methods, has been updated and implemented by learning from past earthquakes.
Dr. Lokbijay Adhikari, senior seismologist at the National Seismology and Research Center under the Department of Mines and Geology, says that if awareness is raised on topics such as what to do in case of an earthquake, what not to do, how to exercise restraint during a disaster, and ways to stay safe, earthquake damage can be reduced in the coming days. He emphasizes that priority should be given to the development of preparedness and early warning systems to minimize potential loss of life and property.
Lack of preparation
Due to lack of preparedness, the victims of the Jajarkot earthquake have still not received full relief. Disaster management expert Dr. Dharmaraj Upreti said that the general public has suffered after the earthquake due to lack of preparation. “So far, some earthquake victims have been forced to live in temporary housing, suffering greatly,” he said.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) estimates that the number of private houses affected by the earthquake in Jajarkot and that they need to be reconstructed is 95,787. It is estimated that the cost of the reconstruction and rehabilitation plan for various structures damaged by natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods and landslides will be 101.12 billion rupees for the implementation of the plan.
Emphasis on earthquake-resistant structures
Dr. Ramesh Guragai, acting executive director of the National Society for Earthquake Technology Nepal, emphasizes the need to make new structures earthquake-resistant. “We are not able to build earthquake-resistant structures. Out of all the local levels, the building code has been implemented in only 50 local levels,” he said. “It is impossible to predict when and where an earthquake will occur. But the main way to avoid an earthquake is to prepare. This means building earthquake-resistant structures, improving existing structures, and other preparedness activities.”
He said that a national resolve is necessary to reduce the damage caused by earthquakes. “The state and other stakeholders should be prepared for widespread public awareness raising as well as post-disaster response planning and implementation,” he said. “In addition, individuals should also prepare on their own to be safe from earthquakes. They should be aware of issues such as how to exercise restraint, whether their homes are earthquake-resistant or not.”
Engineer Amit Prasad Timalsina pointed out the need for strict implementation of the building code for the construction of earthquake-friendly structures. “Most of the houses and structures are not built according to the standards, and the state should strictly monitor whether the building code is being implemented,” he said.
Reconstruction to begin today with agreements with beneficiaries
Dr. Bhishma Kumar Bhusal, Joint Secretary of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, has informed that the reconstruction will begin by initiating the agreement process with the beneficiaries from today.
The 16th meeting of the National Disaster Council held last Sunday has approved the plan for reconstruction and rehabilitation after the earthquake and monsoon disasters, the Authority has informed. The meeting has requested the concerned ministries, provinces and local levels to request the Ministry of Finance to manage resources for the implementation of activities as per the plan, and the Ministry has directed the concerned bodies to make arrangements to release the funds as soon as possible, the Authority has informed.
