Begin typing your search above and press return to search.

Quake management plan for Guwahati

By PRANJAL BHUYAN

GUWAHATI, Jan 24 - Taking into consideration the fact that Guwahati lies in a seismically active region, the district administration of Kamrup (Metro) has prepared an Earthquake Management Plan for the city.

Kamrup (Metro) Deputy Commissioner Dr M Angamuthu told The Assam Tribune that the entire plan is divided into nine chapters, along with annexures.

�Assam lies in Zone V, one of the most seismically active regions of the world. That is the reason why earthquakes of very high intensity occur regularly in this area. Guwahati is not just Assam�s largest city, it is the gateway to the North East. As the State capital is located in Kamrup (Metro) district, the administration has prepared an Earthquake Management Plan for the city,� he said.

The plan document is a comprehensive one and covers a range of subjects.

�The plan also consists of several annexures which include accommodation and shelter plan, communication and alternate communication plan, health management plan, inventory analysis, contact details of media houses, important contact numbers, utility maps, hospital maps, fire station maps, police station maps and also maps showing municipal wards,� he said.

The first chapter deals with the need for having a plan, its objectives and perspectives of the plan.

�Various chapters deal with different matters. The second chapter describes the city at a glance, incorporating the administrative units of Kamrup (Metro) district, and its demography, topography, river system, railways, highways and airports, among other details,� he said.

The plan also has description of the institutional mechanism of the Disaster Management Authority of the district. It also describes the operationalisation of the District Emergency Operation Centre, how information disseminates from one stakeholder to another, and how early warning disseminates from the State Emergency Operation Centre to the district and down to the revenue circle level.

�The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has constituted disaster management committees in the circle level, ward level and village level for effective response. The details are provided in the plan. It also provides the hazard, vulnerability and risk analysis of earthquake for the city and describes details about causes of earthquakes, seismic waves, measurement of seismically active zones and vulnerability analysis, besides the preparedness measures taken by DDMA and other line departments,� said the DC.

The structural and non-structural prevention and mitigation measures for earthquake hazard taken by various departments, as well as the roles and responsibilities of the different line departments and agencies for �pre, during and post disaster� situations are also mentioned.

�The response mechanism of the administration during earthquake, the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders are also included, and an insight on recovery and rehabilitation mechanism of the district administration has also been provided,� said Dr Angamuthu. It also includes provision for plan maintenance, updation and review of the Earthquake Management Plan.

Next Story