Choices we make

What Nepal witnessed was the result of a geological event, but the disaster the earthquake brought was the outcome of human action and development choices. If it's the Himalayan region today, it could be any part of India tomorrow. At least 38 Indian cities lie in high-risk seismic zones and nearly 60 per cent of the sub-continental landmass is vulnerable to earthquakes. Delhi lies in the high-risk Seismic Zone 4, Srinagar in the highest-risk Zone 5, Himachal Pradesh in both Zones 4 and 5. Why forget what happened in a “non-seismic” zone in 1993? A relatively mild earthquake of magnitude 6.4 in Maharashtra's Latur district killed 10,000 people as shoddily built houses came down as soon as the earth shook.

The Indian Standards Criteria for Earthquake Resistant Design was published by the Bureau of Indian Standards in 1962 and is updated at regular intervals. There is no enforcement, so few buildings meet the standards. Substandard practices haven't changed despite a construction boom, unauthorised colonies have proliferated, the pressure on cities is higher than ever before, the challenges are practically insurmountable. Is there no way out of the mess then? The solutions are known, just not followed. The process is costly, takes extra time, is unpopular, so the political will wilts despite being aware of the potential consequences.

The Metro is Delhi's pride. It's also one structure that is designed to withstand an earthquake. Many houses built in Bhuj after the 2001 devastation are now earthquake-resistant. Choices have been made. Choices that must be made are clear too: Tightening building laws and compliance for disaster risk reduction, sustained commitment and funding, and a huge awareness campaign. All this could well remain on paper, but Nepal should at least trigger retrofitting of critical facilities like hospitals and schools for a start. If yoga is mandatory, so must be mock drills for quakes. Delhi has already decided to conduct it, other states need to follow suit. Uttarakhand has decided to train 2,000 young cops for disaster response, besides revving up the disaster management services. What is Himachal waiting for?